Donbother's Posts

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Jobs/Vacancies › Re: FOOTBALL FANS WANTED - Remote Opportunity by Donbother(m): 8:49pm On Oct 26

TEAM

Business › You Don't Always Need More Money Sometimes You Need Another Income Stream by Donbother(op): 3:55pm On Sep 22

Let's be honest.

For most people, the problem isn't that they don't work hard.

They work.

They get paid.

They pay bills.

And then the money disappears.

Next month, the same thing happens again.

That's why I've started looking at income differently.

Instead of asking:

"How can I make more money from my current job?"

I also ask:

"What can I build alongside my current income?"

It doesn't have to be something that makes ₦500k immediately.

Even an additional ₦20k–₦50k per month can make a difference when you're starting.

The important thing is that you're building something that isn't completely dependent on your main source of income.

For example, someone could:

• Learn a freelance skill
• Start selling a product
• Offer a service online
• Create content
• Do affiliate marketing
• Build a small business
• Learn a skill they can monetize remotely

But there's one thing I'd avoid:

Don't jump into something simply because someone promised you quick money.

Before putting your money or time into any opportunity, understand:

Who pays you?

What exactly are you offering?

How does the business make money?

What skills do you need?

What are the risks?

And how long might it realistically take to become profitable?

An additional income stream shouldn't become another financial problem.

Start small.

Learn.

Test.

Improve.

Then scale what actually works.

Because the goal isn't to have 10 different hustles.

The goal is to eventually have more than one reliable way of earning.

If you could build an extra ₦50,000/month, what would you use it for first: savings, bills, investment, or reinvesting into the business?

Business › You Don't Always Need More Money Sometimes You Need Another Income Stream by Donbother(op): 11:50am On Sep 22

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Business › You Don't Always Need More Money Sometimes You Need Another Income Stream by Donbother(op): 11:22am On Sep 22

Career › You Don't Always Need More Money Sometimes You Need Another Income Stream by Donbother(op): 9:43am On Sep 22

Career › Stop Trying To Learn Everything At Once by Donbother(op): 6:10pm On Sep 11

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to increase their income is learning too many things at the same time.

Today it's:

"Let me learn forex."

Tomorrow:

"Maybe crypto is the way."

Next week:

"I want to learn coding."

Then someone posts about affiliate marketing and suddenly:

"Okay, maybe this is what I should do."

Before you know it, you've spent months researching different opportunities without becoming good at any of them.

I've learned that focus is more valuable than constantly looking for the next opportunity.

If I had to start again, I'd use a simple process:

1. Choose ONE skill or business model.

Don't pick five.

Pick one.

2. Give yourself enough time to actually understand it.

Don't quit because you didn't make money in two weeks.

There is a difference between something not working and you not giving yourself enough time to learn it properly.

3. Practice instead of consuming endlessly.

Watching 100 videos about a skill doesn't make you skilled.

Doing the work does.

4. Learn how the skill connects to money.

It's not enough to say:

"I know graphic design."

You should also understand:

"Who needs graphic design, what problem am I solving for them, and why would they pay me?"

That's where a skill starts becoming an income opportunity.

5. Give yourself a measurable target.

For example:

"Over the next 90 days, I'll become competent enough to complete X type of work and get my first paying client."

Now you have something to work toward.

You don't need to know everything.

You don't need to chase every opportunity.

You need to find something useful, learn it deeply, practice it consistently, and learn how to monetize it.

The internet has created thousands of opportunities.

The problem isn't always finding one.

Sometimes the problem is sticking with one long enough to see what it can become.

What's one skill you've been thinking about learning but haven't started yet?

Career › Stop Trying To Learn Everything At Once by Donbother(op): 4:33pm On Sep 11

Career › Stop Trying To Learn Everything At Once by Donbother(op): 8:24am On Sep 11

Career › Being Busy Doesn't Always Mean You're Making Progress by Donbother(op): 10:30am On Sep 09

One thing I've noticed about money is that you can be extremely busy and still remain financially stuck.

You wake up early.

Go to work.

Come back tired.

Handle bills.

Maybe do a side hustle at night.

Repeat the same thing the next day.

You're busy.

But after 12 months, your financial situation hasn't really changed.

That's when I started thinking about a different question:

"Is what I'm spending my time on actually increasing my financial value?"

There's a difference between:

Working harder
and
Becoming more valuable.

If you earn money mainly because you're exchanging your time for it, there's usually a limit to how much you can make.

You only have 24 hours.

That's why I believe learning valuable skills is important.

Skills like:

• Sales
• Copywriting
• Digital marketing
• Video editing
• Web development
• Graphic design
• Data analysis
• Content creation
• AI-related skills

You don't need to learn everything.

Pick one.

Get genuinely good at it.

Then learn how to turn that skill into income.

And I'm not saying quit your job tomorrow.

In fact, I'd probably do the opposite.

Keep the income that currently pays your bills while building a skill that can create another income stream.

That way, you're not putting your entire financial future on one source of income.

The goal isn't to be busy from morning till night.

The goal is to make sure your effort is actually moving you forward.

What skill would you learn today if you had to choose one that could potentially increase your income in the next 1–2 years?

Career › Being Busy Doesn't Always Mean You're Making Progress by Donbother(op): 9:59am On Sep 09

Business › If I Earned ₦200,000 Monthly, Here's How I'd Try To Build ₦1 Million by Donbother(op): 12:22pm On Sep 08

Let's say I earn ₦200,000 every month.

I'm not going to pretend I can save ₦150k every month while paying bills and still live normally.

I'd approach it differently.

My first priority would be to create some breathing room.

For example:

Income: ₦200,000

• ₦100,000 — necessities
• ₦30,000 — savings/emergency fund
• ₦30,000 — learning or building an additional income source
• ₦20,000 — personal/family expenses
• ₦20,000 — flexible spending

That's just an example. Everyone's responsibilities are different.

But here's the important part:

I wouldn't wait until I'm earning ₦500k before I start learning how to manage money.

I'd start with the ₦200k.

If I can consistently save ₦30k monthly, that's ₦360k in a year.

Then the bigger question becomes:

How do I increase my income without allowing my expenses to rise at the same speed?

Because saving alone may take you a long time to reach bigger financial goals.

Increasing your earning ability can change the equation.

For instance, if I learn a skill that eventually allows me to make an extra ₦100k–₦200k monthly, I now have more money I can direct toward my goal.

That's how I'd look at building ₦1 million.

Not:

"I need ₦1 million immediately."

But:

"What can I consistently save, and what can I do to increase the amount I'm able to save?"

Big financial goals become less intimidating when you break them into monthly numbers.

If you were earning ₦200k monthly, what would your own breakdown look like?

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Investment › If I Earned ₦200,000 Monthly, Here's How I'd Try To Build ₦1 Million by Donbother(op): 11:47am On Sep 08

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Business › If I Earned ₦200,000 Monthly, Here's How I'd Try To Build ₦1 Million by Donbother(op): 10:37am On Sep 08

Business › If I Earned ₦200,000 Monthly, Here's How I'd Try To Build ₦1 Million by Donbother(op): 10:18am On Sep 08

Business › If I Earned ₦200,000 Monthly, Here's How I'd Try To Build ₦1 Million by Donbother(op): 9:32am On Sep 08

Investment › Sometimes You Don't Have A Spending Problem — You Have An Income Problem by Donbother(op): 11:24am On Sep 05

There's a piece of financial advice we hear all the time:

"Just reduce your expenses."

And yes, controlling your spending is important.

But let's be honest.

There comes a point where cutting expenses isn't enough.

Imagine someone earning ₦100,000 per month.

They've already reduced unnecessary spending.

They don't eat out regularly.

They don't buy expensive clothes.

They don't have expensive subscriptions.

They've cut transportation costs where possible.

But their essential expenses are still ₦90,000.

What else are they supposed to cut?

Sometimes the problem isn't that you're spending too much.

You're simply not earning enough for your current responsibilities.

And that's an uncomfortable reality.

If your income is ₦100,000 and your necessary expenses are ₦90,000, saving 10% isn't going to suddenly transform your financial situation.

You need to eventually work on the other side of the equation:

Increasing your earning capacity.

This is why I believe personal finance has two sides.

Side 1: Manage what you have.

Learn how to:

- Budget
- Avoid unnecessary debt
- Control impulse spending
- Build an emergency fund
- Save consistently
- Make sensible financial decisions

Side 2: Increase what you can earn.

Learn how to:

- Develop valuable skills
- Negotiate better opportunities
- Start a small business
- Offer services
- Sell products
- Build additional income streams

You need both.

Because earning more without financial discipline can still leave you broke.

And budgeting perfectly while your income remains too low can leave you constantly struggling.

Here's a simple example.

Person A earns ₦200,000 and spends ₦190,000.

Person B earns ₦500,000 and spends ₦350,000.

Person A might actually be more disciplined.

But Person B has more room to save, invest, handle emergencies and build wealth.

This is why I don't believe the answer to every financial problem is:

"Stop buying things."

Sometimes the better question is:

"How can I become capable of earning more?"

And earning more doesn't necessarily mean getting another job.

It could mean learning a skill.

It could mean turning an existing skill into a service.

It could mean starting a small business.

It could mean learning how online businesses work.

It could mean finding a better-paying opportunity.

It could even mean improving your current profession so that you qualify for better positions.

The important thing is to stop thinking that your current income is a permanent ceiling.

Your income today is simply where you are today.

It doesn't have to be where you remain forever.

But here's the warning:

Don't let "I want to earn more" push you into every scheme you see online.

There will always be someone promising:

"Turn ₦10,000 into ₦1 million."

"Make ₦500,000 in 7 days."

"Guaranteed returns."

Be careful.

Increasing your income should be based on creating value, not chasing unrealistic promises.

Learn something.

Practice it.

Become useful.

Find people who need what you can do.

Get paid.

Improve.

Repeat.

That's a much more sustainable approach.

So here's today's question:

If you had to increase your monthly income by ₦100,000 over the next 12 months, what would you do?

Would you learn a new skill?

Start a business?

Take on freelance work?

Sell products?

Or look for a better-paying job?

I'm genuinely interested in hearing your ideas.

Business › Sometimes You Don't Have A Spending Problem — You Have An Income Problem by Donbother(op): 9:26am On Sep 05

Business › Sometimes You Don't Have A Spending Problem — You Have An Income Problem by Donbother(op): 8:43am On Sep 05

Business › If I Earned ₦200,000 Monthly, Here’s How I’d Divide It by Donbother(op): 4:19pm On Sep 03

Let’s say you earn ₦200,000 every month.

If it were my money, I wouldn’t spend everything simply because I earned it.

I’d divide it roughly like this:

₦100,000 — Needs
Food, transport, bills, data, and other important expenses.

₦40,000 — Savings
I’d build an emergency fund first before thinking about expensive investments.

₦30,000 — Personal development
Courses, books, skills, internet access, or anything that can increase my earning ability.

₦20,000 — Investment
Something appropriate for my situation and risk level. The goal is to make my money work instead of leaving everything idle.

₦10,000 — Enjoyment
Yes, enjoyment is allowed.

The goal isn't to suffer because you're trying to become financially responsible.

The important part is this:

Don't let your lifestyle consume 100% of your income.

And if ₦200,000 isn't your income right now, don't ignore the lesson.

The same principle can apply whether you earn ₦50k, ₦100k, ₦500k or ₦1m.

Income can change. Your money habits are what determine what you do with it.

How would YOU divide ₦200,000 monthly?

Let's see different perspectives in the comments.

Investment › If I Earned ₦200,000 Monthly, Here’s How I’d Divide It by Donbother(op): 3:12pm On Sep 03

Business › If I Earned ₦200,000 Monthly, Here’s How I’d Divide It by Donbother(op): 2:34pm On Sep 03

Business › If I Earned ₦200,000 Monthly, Here’s How I’d Divide It by Donbother(op): 9:53am On Sep 03

Business › If I Earned ₦200,000 Monthly, Here’s How I’d Divide It by Donbother(op): 8:52am On Sep 03

Career › Your Smartphone Could Be More Valuable Than You Think by Donbother(op): 11:22am On Sep 01

Let me ask you a simple question.

If someone took away your smartphone today, apart from calls and social media, what would you actually lose?

For many people, the answer is:

WhatsApp.

TikTok.

Facebook.

Instagram.

YouTube.

And maybe a few games.

But here's the interesting part.

That same device can be used for much more than entertainment.

Your smartphone can be a learning tool, communication tool, marketing tool, business tool and even a source of income.

The problem isn't always the phone.

Sometimes it's how we're using it.

Think about this.

Every day, millions of Nigerians use their phones to watch other people make money online.

They watch business videos.

They watch tutorials.

They watch people selling products.

They watch people creating content.

They watch people freelancing.

But after watching all of that, they close the app and continue scrolling.

There's nothing wrong with entertainment.

I enjoy entertainment too.

But imagine if you dedicated just one hour every day to learning something that could increase your earning ability.

One hour doesn't sound like much.

But one hour every day becomes roughly 30 hours in a month.

That's 365 hours in a year.

What could happen if you spent that time becoming genuinely good at one useful skill?

You could learn video editing.

You could learn copywriting.

You could learn digital marketing.

You could learn how to sell products online.

You could learn content creation.

You could learn affiliate marketing.

You could learn how to provide services to businesses.

The important thing isn't the specific skill.

It's developing an ability that solves a problem someone is willing to pay you to solve.

And here's something else people don't talk about enough:

Your smartphone doesn't have to make you money directly.

It can help you become more valuable.

You can use it to:

Research.

Learn.

Network.

Create.

Market.

Communicate with customers.

Build an audience.

Find opportunities.

Develop skills.

That's where the real value is.

So the next time you spend two hours scrolling through social media, ask yourself:

"What if I spent one of those two hours building something for myself?"

You don't need to become an expert overnight.

You don't need expensive equipment.

You don't need to know everything before starting.

Start with what you have.

Learn one thing.

Practice it.

Get better.

Then look for ways to turn that ability into value for other people.

And please remember:

There are legitimate ways to make money online, but there are also plenty of scams.

If someone guarantees you huge returns, asks you to pay money before explaining what you're getting, or tells you that you can become rich without doing any real work, be careful.

Real income usually comes from creating value, solving problems and consistently improving your skills.

Now here's my question for you:

If you could turn your smartphone into an income-generating tool, what would you want to learn first?

Content creation?

Freelancing?

Digital marketing?

Selling products?

Affiliate marketing?

Something else?

Drop your answer below.

You might even discover that someone in this thread already has experience in the area you're interested in.

And if you're genuinely curious about how people are using their smartphones to build additional income online, you can send me a private message. We can have a conversation about it.

Career › Your Smartphone Could Be More Valuable Than You Think by Donbother(op): 10:54am On Sep 01

Career › Your Smartphone Could Be More Valuable Than You Think by Donbother(op): 9:21am On Sep 01

Business › Your Smartphone Could Be More Valuable Than You Think by Donbother(op): 8:24am On Aug 31

Jobs/Vacancies › Re: Male Housekeeper by Donbother(m): 1:20pm On Aug 17

All these works for 100k? 😂 Una for kuku use gun na

Jobs/Vacancies › Re: Please, I Need A Job. I Am Going Mad Now. by Donbother(m): 4:39pm On Aug 14

Yes bro. That actually makes more sense if your goal is to genuinely offer something you do that could help, rather than making the comment look like an advert.

You could mention your affiliate/digital marketing work briefly and invite him to DM you, without promising unrealistic earnings:

Bro, I genuinely hope things get better for you. I can relate to how frustrating it can be when you’re seriously looking for a way to earn.

I’m currently into digital/affiliate marketing, and I help people learn how to use their smartphones and social media to promote digital products and earn commissions. It’s not a get-rich-quick thing, but it is something you can start learning with little capital.

If you’re interested, you can send me a DM. I’ll explain what I’m doing and see if it’s something that can work for you. I sincerely hope you find a way out of this situation, bro.

1 Like

Career › Ways You Can Increase Your Income Without Quitting Your Job by Donbother(op): 6:20pm On Aug 07

One mistake I see people make when they want to earn more money is thinking they have to quit their current job first.

You don't.

In fact, quitting your only source of income before you've built another one can put you under unnecessary pressure.

A better approach is to build your second income gradually while keeping your main income source.

Here are five ways you can start thinking about it.

1. Learn a skill people are willing to pay for

Your smartphone can be more than a device for WhatsApp, TikTok and Instagram.

You can use it to learn skills such as:

- Copywriting
- Video editing
- Graphic design
- Social media management
- Content creation
- Virtual assistance
- Affiliate marketing

You don't need to master everything.

Pick one skill and become useful at it.

2. Turn something you already know into an income stream

You don't necessarily need to invent something new.

Maybe you're good at cooking.

Maybe you know how to source products.

Maybe you're good at teaching.

Maybe you understand social media better than most people around you.

Ask yourself:

"What do people already come to me for help with?"

That could be a clue.

3. Sell a product instead of only selling your time

If you work for a salary, you're generally exchanging your time for money.

A business allows you to sell products or services to multiple customers.

You could start small.

You don't need a warehouse or a huge office.

The important thing is finding something people actually need and are willing to pay for.

4. Build an audience

This one is often overlooked.

If you consistently share useful information online, you can gradually build an audience around a particular topic.

An audience can eventually create opportunities for:

- Selling your own products
- Affiliate marketing
- Freelancing
- Brand partnerships
- Consulting or services

But don't start by thinking about how to sell to everybody.

Start by asking:

"What useful information can I consistently give people?"

5. Reinvest some of what you earn

This might be the most important part.

If your new side income brings in ₦20,000, don't automatically spend all ₦20,000.

You could use part of it to improve your skills, acquire better tools, advertise your business, or create another income-generating opportunity.

That's how a small income can gradually become something bigger.

The goal isn't to wake up tomorrow and suddenly make ₦1 million.

The goal is to create a system where your ability to earn improves over time.

Start small.

Learn.

Experiment.

Make mistakes.

Improve.

Repeat.

And please, don't fall for every person online promising you can turn ₦10,000 into ₦1 million in seven days.

If making money were that easy, everybody would be doing it.

Real financial progress usually requires skills, patience, consistency and good decisions.

Now I'm curious:

If you had to start a side income today with just your smartphone, what would you choose?

Affiliate marketing?

Freelancing?

Content creation?

Selling products?

Or something completely different?

Let's hear your opinion in the comments.

Career › Ways You Can Increase Your Income Without Quitting Your Job by Donbother(op): 5:12pm On Aug 07

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Education › Re: The Rich Don't Buy Time They Buy Freedom by Donbother(op): 12:13pm On Aug 05

You've said it all indeed

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