Mrs Cynthia Okpara gets frustrated with her husband's attitude.

She couldn’t understand why her husband, Mr Odogwu Okpara, would squander his N60,000 salary and only give her N30,000 for the family’s upkeep.

Feeling cheated, she decided to report her husband to his boss.

The boss listened patiently to her complaints and then asked her to return on the last day of the month (Salary day).

Fast forward to the last day of the month (Salary day), Mrs Cynthia Okpara came back, ready to see justice done.

The boss invited Mr. Odogwu into the office, and they all sat down.

“Mr. Odogwu,” the boss began, “your wife here, a few days ago accused you of mismanaging and squandering your salary.

She claims you give her only N30,000 for upkeep while you squander the rest on what she can't even account for.

So from now on, I’ll personally hand over your salary to your wife and have her give you only what you need for the month.”

The boss then turned to Mr Odogwu. “Let’s break down your monthly expenditure with respect to your income,” he said.

1. TRANSPORTATION TO WORK

“How much do you spend on transportation daily?”

“N900, sir,” Mr. Odogwu replied.

The boss handed him N19,800. “This will cover your transport for 22 working days.”


2. FEEDING AT WORK

“Do you have breakfast at home or come to work with food?”

“No, sir. I leave early to beat traffic.”

“How much do you spend on breakfast and lunch daily?”

“N500, sir.”

The boss gave him N11,000 for his monthly feeding.


3. CHILD'S SCHOOL FEES

“Who pays the children’s school fees?”

“I do, sir,” replied Mr. Odogwu.

“How much is it per term?”

“N30,000 for both kids.”

“So you save N10,000 monthly for their fees, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

The boss handed him N10,000.


4. HOUSE RENT

“Who pays the rent?”

“I do, sir. It’s N36,000 annually.”

“So, N3,000 monthly?”

“Yes, sir.”

The boss gave him another N3,000.


Finally, the boss handed over the remaining N16,200 to Mrs. Okpara.

“What’s this for?” she asked in shock.

“For upkeep,” the boss replied.

“But this isn’t enough!” she exclaimed.

The boss smiled. “Then why don’t you appreciate the N30,000 your husband sacrifices for you every month, despite his limited income?”

Mrs Okpara became speechless.

She stood up, and hugged her husband tightly, tears in her eyes.

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO YOU AS A LOW-INCOME EARNER?

This story shows the harsh reality of living on a low income.

Every day, families are forced to settle for less because there simply isn’t enough to go around.

Mr Odogwu wasn’t “squandering” his salary — he was stretching every naira just to keep the family afloat.

But here’s the lesson: settling for less shouldn't be your permanent reality.

Today, many 9-5 workers are like Mr. Odogwu.

They struggle not because they aren’t working hard, but because their income is limited.

That’s why it’s important you find an additional stream of income, like starting a side hustle or learning how to make money online leveraging affiliate marketing.

You can’t always afford to wait for your salary to be increased;

Take control of your life and make necessary changes.

If you are tired of settling for just your monthly paycheck, then follow me for tips on how to earn more money online.