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A
friend complained that her salary disappeared within two weeks. She
insisted she wasn’t earning enough and desperately needed a raise. Out of
curiosity, I asked her to track her expenses for just one week. By the end of
the week, she discovered something shocking: almost 45% of her money went into
invisible spending :things like daily snacks, extra transport costs, impulse
buying and a few subscriptions she had forgotten about.
She then realized her money was just unorganized.
This is a situation many people. We work hard,
earn money, but somehow it slips through our fingers. The truth is, most people
have more money than they think; they just don’t manage it properly. With a
little organization, you can uncover hidden money in your life and feel
wealthier without even getting a raise.
Consider These 5 Points:
1. Track Every Naira (or Dollar) You
Spend
Sometimes, we underestimate how much “small”
expenses add up. That daily snack, the impulse purchase here and there, or bank
charges may look harmless, but when added together, they can consume a big
chunk of your income.
Practical Tip: For just one week, write
down every single thing you spend money on. You’ll be surprised where your
money actually goes.
2. Find Your :Money Leaks (Where Your
Money Unnecessarily Go To)
Money leaks are the silent killers of your
financial growth. These are unnecessary or forgotten expenses that drain your
income without giving much value.
Examples
includes:
Subscriptions you don’t use anymore
Frequent impulse buying
ATM withdrawal charges
Eating out too often
Practical
Tip: From your list of what you spend money on,
identify those expenses that do not give you value. When you identify them: you
would instantly free up money you didn’t realize you had.
3. Create a Simple Spending Plan
The word “budget” scares people, but financial
organization doesn’t have to be complicated. A spending plan is simply telling
your money where to go before it disappears.
You can break your income into 3 simple
categories:
Needs (50%) : rent, food,
transport, bills
Wants (30%) : outings,
shopping, entertainment
Savings/Investments (20%) :
emergency fund, business, or investment contributions
When you
organize your money this way, you suddenly notice that you do have something to
save, even if it’s small.
Read more on budget:
https://www.akosj.com/2025/08/the-simple-monthly-budget-plan-that-can.html?m=1
4. Pay Yourself First
Make sure you pay yourself first(save) before
spending. Most people save what’s left after spending, which often turns out to
be almost nothing. Flip that habit: set aside your savings first, then spend
what remains.
Even if
it’s ₦500 or $10 per week, the discipline of paying yourself first adds up over
time. You’ll begin to feel more in control of your money.
Read more on improving your saving culture:
https://www.akosj.com/2025/09/7-tips-to-improve-on-your-saving-culture.html?m=1
5. Shift Your Money Mindset
Sometimes, the biggest block isn’t lack of
money, it’s how we think about money. If you constantly tell yourself, “I don’t
have enough”, you’ll keep feeling broke.
But when you start organizing and tracking, you’ll see that you can do much
more with what you already earn.
Financial organization is not restriction, it
is freedom. It helps you enjoy your money without guilt and still plan for the
future.
The
money you didn’t know you had is already in your hands. You just need to find
it, organize it, and manage it wisely.
So, starting today, try this:Track your
spending for one week, cut out one unnecessary expense, save a small amount
before you spend anything else. You will then quickly realize that you are
richer than you thought.
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