7 STEPS TO SURVIVING THIS ECONOMIC MELTDOWN
It has become very obvious that we are in very hard times where the cost of living has shot up astronomically and geometrically. But don't be deceived, it is not everyone that is wailing, sobbing, and crying. Some people are reaping bountifully from this economic meltdown and petrol scarcity brouhaha and they are wishing that it never ends.
But I'm going to be attempting to proffer some suggestions to how we can all survive this economic quagmire and emerge stronger from it when and if it eventually abates.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. Reduce your motorized movements to the barest minimum. Fuel is scarce and dare. Reduce the frequency with which you use your car if you have one (or more). Trek if you have to. Don't join the group of those who think trekking is a sign of poverty. Trekking has both economic and health benefits. It keeps you healthy by burning excess fats and expelling unwanted calories and cholesterol, and it keeps you buoyant by letting you save more money in your pocket. If you have hitherto invested in a bicycle, this is the time to put it to use, if you do not have one, think about it now. It would make sense for you to rent a flat close to your office to reduce cost of transportation. My apartment is a trekking distance from my office and I have reaped bountifully from that decision. Watch less TV and listen more to radio. It costs much less to power a transistor radio than to power a flat screen TV.
2. Spend less on food outside your home. Restaurants and eateries have a lot of hidden charges. Reduce your patronage. Study your body system intently so that you can properly discern between hunger and thirst. Study has shown that some of the hunger pangs that we experience are actually just thirsts. Many times, ordinary water can satisfy what we actually believe are hunger pangs. To be a able to discern this properly and surely, anytime you feel "hungry", drink water, if you still feel hungry after 15 minutes then you can go ahead and spend money buying food. The human body is capable of extreme adaptations. You can actually go for about two weeks without food and you won't die, so don't believe you can't survive a few hours without food. Also know that it is wasteful to live a sedentary lifestyle and eat like a laborer. The excess food will be converted to fat and stored just under the skin. This will lead to obesity and other associated diseases in the long run.
3. Curb social consumptions. In light of current economic realities, consumption of social items like alcohol, nkwobi, peppersoup, isi ewu, suya, shawarma, pizza, meat pies, soft drinks, and other unnecessaries will have to be curtailed. You will agree with me that these items are abnormally expensive and addictive. You will have to forego these if you must have more money in your pocket to not only survive these times but also thrive in it.
4. Limit your communications. Communication has become a very important and indispensable aspect of our lives. True. What's also true is that it is expensive and addictive. To survive and thrive in this current economic climate, you have to cut your communication costs. Phone calls should be limited to business and family and sparingly to friends and socials. Access to the internet through your phone or other handheld devices should be vastly limited because it costs money. You do not have to be on Facebook, Instagram, twitter, Snapchat, or the blogosphere all day all night all week all month all year. Use the internet intelligently and frugally.
5. Reduce your relationships. There is no need to stress this issue. Things are quite difficult. It would make no sense to keep keeping a girlfriend or side chick or sidekick in every local government area. Every girlfriend will have needs that will either cost you time or money or both. This is the best period to be faithful and stick to one sweetheart.
6. For the ladies, it is time to be natural. Your natural hair, natural skin color and natural beauty will cost you much less to maintain. Brazilian or Peruvian hair costs a mountain of naira notes to buy, fix, and maintain. I know many ladies have argued that their natural hairs break easily. But I've consistently told them that the God that put the hair on the head didn't make a mistake and was oblivious of the fact that there is dry season and harmattan in Nigeria and everywhere else. It is in fact the various dangerous chemicals that have been used to punish the hair into submission that is responsible for the dryness and breakages. Also, a normal and natural skin color and texture is far much cheaper to maintain. A bleached skin costs a fortune to maintain, and, how long can you even maintain it sef?
7. Reduce your celebrations. Yes, I know this may be quite hard because we are Nigerians and we love to celebrate everything and every time. Our government is not even helping matters in this regard. There is a national public holiday almost every month of the year. There is New Year, Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Valentine's Day, Easter period, Children's Day, Democracy Day, May Day, Independence Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, numerous Sallah days, birthdays, wedding anniversaries, relationship anniversaries, death remembrance anniversaries, naming ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and many others. I've even heard of break up and make up celebrations. Absurd. The Yoruba people of Nigeria love to celebrate everything and anything, this might just be the period to begin to accept that we have to curb these celebrations. Clubbing and partying are not money making ventures but money draining activities. Perhaps, we need to start thinking up ingenious ways of having low key celebrations if it becomes utterly necessary to celebrate.

Saving is the least form of Investment..........Defence is the least form of Attack...... Survival is the least form of Living....

My advice is to live life to its fullness....so don't let the rain stop you....use the umbrella, use your car....keep moving!
Don't just weather this economic hardship.....identify the source and modify it. Our policies are hurting us.....they may seem nice and sound good but the truth be told....these policies are hurting everyone. We need policies that can segregate the goats from the sheep....grass from the crop.

The federal government should modify these policies to synchronise with the intent of the implementation. I honestly think Nigerians can help the government but is this administration willing to listen or accept guidance? Recently, a successful business Nigerian came on live TV to offer his help....that he didn't need salary but the opportunity to drop the dollar below N220. What did the government do......they IGNORED him.

Pride is a disease....I sincerely pray God open their eyes to see that what you are looking for in the sky is actually under your bed...