Image gotten from Unsplash and recreated on CapCut.
The Holiday came and it’s almost over, I remember when I started preparing to travel back to Lagos city which is thousands of kilometers far from my current city back then (Abuja city). After checking the flight fee, I almost gave up going back home but then I decided to travel through road but the transport fee was inflated just because of the festive season and also because they know a lot of people will be traveling.
One thing I’m still not sure and happy about is how traders inflate the price of their goods and service. I believe since it’s the festive period and we are all in the festive spirit, people should be considerate to others but it’s not like that in my part of the world and I don’t know if it’s like that in your part of the world. The price of goods and service skyrockets and people spend too much during the festive period which leaves them venerable in the first month of the new year.
My expenditure during the festive period.
I will be explaining my expenditure during the festive periods and I will be doing that in my country currency (Nigeria = Naira). Just so you know, as at today, 1 dollar to Nigeria Naira is 865 Naira.
It was a must I travel home to see my parent because it’s been more than a year I left home, I got to the transit station and that was the beginning of my expenditure which has refuses to stop. Traveling from Abuja to Lagos was a very stressful journey because I had to travel through road and I spent 40 thousand Naira ($46.24)
Paying for that transport was heart breaking but I had no choice.
My best friend, very close friend, that we go on dates together and talk through the night discussing on things that had happen in our day to day life. The one who send me love emojis on every conversation, oh you got the point already. Her phone got damaged and there was no way for communication so I had to turn up to get a phone for her which took out another 40 thousand Naira from my me ($46.24)
It’s tradition in my country that we wear a new cloth on new year day but it’s not a must. I got home and was having fun until the pestering of getting a new attire for the new year came from my siblings and mom. They already got theirs and they wanted me to get the same thing they got. I never wanted to give in until my dad said we would be taking a family photo for the new year. So I had no choice but to concur with their request, the cost for the material was outrageous and the threatening part was the cost to be paid to the fashion designer who will make the clothes. The material cost 17 thousand Naira while the making of the cloth cost 20 thousand Naira (For me and my brother who had refuse to sew his) all together it was 37 thousand Naira ($42.77)
Two days ago, my dad asked me to visit him at his office, being a man I wouldn’t want to ask him for transport fare to his office so I took out the money from my pocket thinking it’s something I could afford. After going to his office and returning home, I realized I had spent 6 thousand Naira on transport just within the city ($6.93)
Since then, I have decided to stay indoor till next year without thinking of making any more expenses. Calculating everything I had spent for the festive period till date, it should amount to $142.18. I didn’t even win up to that in the Zealy campaign 😭😭.
In Conclusion
I believe all this still points down to the unnecessary inflation that has been attached to the festive period. Everyone are just out there to take the little other people have because they believe others will do the same to them. This is the sad reality that we face currently.
I hope to work hard next year and the economy of the country gets better so our hard work doesn’t look like a waste of time.