₦airaland Forum

rinzylee:
I'd PM you sir/ma...need to understand better.

Sorry jare, I might not easily respond to PM because of the email address used, but you can post here and I and some Gurus will be sure to respond

bankylan:
Thank you for your response. It appears to live comfortably in London in at least a 2bedroom in East London or Kent will require monthly income of between 4000-5000k after tax. More realistic when both husband and wife are working full time.

Not really, I have colleagues who earn about £55k as a family and live in London. Just that one has to budget about £1,500 to £2,000 optimistically on rent and another say £1500 on other bills frugally. Any family earning over £3k can survive in London but they might struggle without savings.

Again, there's no reason why you can't live in other more affordable nearby Cities and work/study in London.

mimilyrics:
Getting housing in London is quite the sport now. Be ready to go for multiple viewings with as many as 10-50 people viewing the same property. If you have 6-12 months upfront payment, it helps (if you don't have an existing UK tenancy or 6 months payslips for reference checks).
Typical rent for a 3 bed is anything from £1300 - 2000 and above. Someone close to me just got a 3-bedroom house for £1,300 in the SE postcode area after a 7-month search filled with multiple viewings and rejections. 6 months' rent paid upfront. If you have a place to stay while trying to sort yourself, please take that option until you can sort yourselves out.
Groceries and utilities are dependent on your usage and eating patterns and food types. Children tend to eat a lot - my lil one is in your kids' age brackets and she is almost always hungry. For my family, we do a mix of African and Western meals - African (pap and akara, pounded yam, amala, wheat, oatmeal, semo, eba/garri with nigerian soups) on 2-3 days a week; sometimes once. For the African food staples, we buy once in 2-3 months and spend an average of £30-50, for the soups, we cook in bulk, dish in plastic food bowls and freeze - the cost is usually dependent on what goes into it - a bag of £5 tripes, 2 bags of chicken/2 frozen whole chickens, two £2.50 bags of gizzard, a £5 bag of beef, a £5 bag of fish can be used for 2-3 soups (vegetables, okro, pepper stew). These soups last 2-3 months before we run through them. We've cooked 6 months worth of soup at some point.
Other meal types - mash and pie, shepherd's pie, full english, toast and butter, pasta, yam and eggs, potatoes and eggs/sauce, bread and eggs, cereal and the like.
The average spend on groceries over a 3 month period is circa £250-300. Buying in bulk helps and also know where to get the best of an item at great prices helps eg. Aldi's juices, snacks, milk, bread and some other items are cheaper than Morrisons, Iceland, M&S, Sainsburys and almost better in some cases; you can also get some great items at the pound shops - Poundland, Sam 99 etc. Categorise your shopping and know what quality you are after and where to get them at the best prices. Some store brands are more value than some popular brands. If you have a blue light card, don't hesitate to use it where possible.

Re utilities, Depending on your usage and on if you opt for DD instead of PayG, you might be looking at anything from £140-200.
Your husband's estimated take home will be around £3,605 and how much is left is dependent on how much your monthly rent is since that will take a huge chunk of the pay.
NOTE: The £60,000 salary might not come as soon as expected so better to get accommodation that's in line with current income/savings.

Bless you. Lovely when people open up for the sake of others. This info will help many

Folks don't think of this until they finally start earning well and want to buy a house soon, but it's already late if they want the house in less than a year

One more thing, please forgive my too much talk.

Please open a Lifetime ISA, and fund it with at least £1. Do it now and I will try and explain.

CONS: You can't take your money out of it without a 25% penalty unless you're retiring or paying for your first home or leaving the Country permanently, I think

PROS: Government gives you a 25% bonus up to £4,000 contribution. So if a Husband and wife put £4k each in March, they get £2k. If they put another £4k each in May (which is a new year), they get another £2k. So, in a space of few months, they just got £4,000 that they can use for their first home or retirement. Depending on your provider, you might even get more interests outside the 25%.

Now, why I say you should open it NOW: You can't use funds from your LISA for your first home if the account has not been active for up to 1 year. So if you wait and start your LISA few months before your house purchase, you can't use the funds cos it won't be up to a year.

You don't risk so much, which is why I said put £1 or more and don't wait till you "haff balance" so the 1 year starts counting. Secondly, even if you change your mind and want your money back, the 25% penalty is almost the same 25% the Government gave you, remember? Of course it's more (Mathematics).

There's been a lot of buzz here about Stock and Crypto trading.

Hope we're aware of the risks sha. Because grown men cry with these. I invest in them but, like Credit Card, will give a stern warning whenever I see folks trying to dive in. You could literally lose all your money if you are not very cautious.

An easier way to do it will be to use ETFs and Index Funds. That way your risks are spread out. You won't double your funds in a month, but you might get a more stable portfolio.

Maybe some day I will write a long expose on them but in the meantime, Youtube is your friend.

https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/jEDIDAcKK3?XL=MNANS

The reason why people use AMEX are many: I use it for the points and the ease of application at the time, so if you're trying to start building your credit profile, you can use my link.

For the credit score, it's quite interesting. In fact, once you apply and get a Credit card, for instance, your score will most likely drop initially because of the Credit check that will be done, etc. So, DON'T APPLY MANY TIMES for Credit facilities within a short period cos your score will take a big hit!

Overall, be patient with your score, don't expect a fantastic score within months of entering the UK, for instance.

lightnlife:
Hiya!

Biko, how long does it take for one's credit card details to reflect on the credit report?

It's almost two months since I got Amex card and I've been using it but nothing has been reported on my credit file.

Meanwhile, I'm only able to see my credit report on Clearscore. Experian and CreditKarma didn't produce any data for me. Thanks

It could take a few months but hope uou have other records outside AMEX? Like Electoral Register, Utility bills direct debits, Bank Accounts, etc

TheGuyFromHR:
If you want something reliable, but boring, try Vauxhall.
Or you can do what many Nigerians do by carrying over their groupthink here and buying Hondas and Toyotas.
Affordable is a relative term, only you know what you can afford.
Lastly, give Peugeot a chance.

You're very right. Buying a car is one of the most subjective and emotional decisions someone (especially a Nigerian) can make. There's no right answer especially in a Country like this. In Nigeria, it's easier, we all know that our Technicians have learnt to repair Toyotas so most people just play it safe and go for them. Here, the spectrum is wider!

Zimzee:
Good people, I am currently on a student visa, my visa is expiring in Jan. I got a job with a care home that promised to sponsor when I finished school.
I finished school in September and informed them, they told me they applied for more COS allocation from home office as they have exhausted what they had but haven't heard back from them, one week ran into 10weeks, they feedback was still the same ....they haven't heard back from home office.

Then, I got a mail last week from the home to send in all my details so they can apply for my COS, as home office has responded that the application will be considered on case by case basis. It's been 9 days since I forwarded my details( passport number, full name, status of current visa, date of birth).

1) Please does it look like I will have COS soon?
2) Do you know how long it takes home office to issue cos?
3) Should I relax because I am really worried?
What do you guys make of this story?

Do you have a choice? Just wait and ask for feedback if you can.

AlphaUno:
There is ££ to be sent to US to be received in $$, anyone knows best means (app, bank etc) with a higher rate to do so?

Revolut, Wise...

worldazzling:
Good Evening Everyone,

I am switching from a student visa to a Skilled worker visa but my MSc certificate (uk) is not out yet.

How else can i prove my English proficiency?

Thank you very much.

If you don't wanna write IELTS, etc, then get Certification from ECCTIS by sending your Bachelor’s Certificate, Transcript and Letter from your University that you were taught in English.

I'm suspecting since you're moving from Student visa, you may not even need any proof again

semmyk:
A number of factors come into play. The overriding nonetheless is 'what do you want', what do you want to achieve as a person/family?
Those factors include
- location linked with pay. consider what dupyshoo, rayralph, Hwy9 have hinted.
- -- ... But I intend to email them stating 40-45k ... I'll say in the circumstances, you might want to indicate £40-50k
- -- even at that, salary is ultimately nothing but a 'figure' that gets you by the month! It is relative, subjective. The reality differs from person to person.
- -- ... 7 years of experience in cybersecurity ... | For negotiation, your 7yrs might not really counts. It'll revolve around the role itself. In this instance, Asst Mgr.
- -- Inbtw, it is not uncommon to see WIDE salary gap/discrepancy within the BIG 4 and BIG 6. In fact, in most 'audit' firms. I've seen that often. To compound, the gap gets wider, more than 'mind the gap', when salary increment creeps in year-on-year based on (the so-called) performance appraisal scores!
- Salary structure
- -- what are they offering.
- -- Typically basic.
- --If it's total package, check what it constitutes
- -- Any private care: BUPA
- -- Pension contribution %
- -- Bonus
- -- ... NB: At times, some of the 'non-financial' weighs more as you aged!
- Role: I note you've already stated its IT security audit
- -- Will you only be supporting Audit cycles. In that case, will your role be constrained to those ITGC stuff.
- -- Will you end up in narrowed sector or tech spectrum: SAP only, Oracle only or wide spectrum of technology solutions (subject to clients!). To be honest, most times, this comes to light only after months on the job. Lemme quickly chip in here that in most audit firm, to get to=hose '4' & '5' performance review scores, you must be an entrepreneur within the whole Audit firm, sourcing for 'work' to be done, collaborating and 'innovating'. Unfortunately, most get this done through 'smoke' breaks, lunch out, drinks out with an 'eye-service' attitude!! Eish, don't get me started.
- -- What is the roadmap to becoming a Manager (where you actually get to review collated (audit) work papers, prepare reports, be part of getting mgt response to audit findings, and be part of scoping audit engagements). PS: some might throw an Asst Mgt into a hybrid mode of senior consultant/associate and Mgr.

Lastly, I know I commented on cybersecurity earlier in the year. I'll try looking for the post.
A lot of 'new-breed' gloss over cybersecurity. unfortunately, the press ain't helping, and neither are mgt/directors assisting as they pick up buzzwords in-flight. NIST, ISO ain't assisting much as well, although we're starting to see ISO getting 'cybersecurity' out there in their 'new' standards. I guess ENISA leads the pack in interrogating 'cybersecurity'. With all of these, HR get's into the loop with improperly or unstructured job roles, and recruiters run amok sourcing fit-for-use candidates; at least HR and recruiter can at least get fit-for-purpose candidates!.
Thanks for the comments here. It should assist people in starting to understand what is it to say cybersecurity. Indeed, it is, or it has become, an umbrella word for all things security that bothers on 'cyber' or 'digital'L Computer security, IT security, IT/IS systems security, IoT/industrial security, good 'ol information security.
We can discuss all of these, possibly in the technology thread. Let's come back to life in the UK

I have come to realise that understanding the non-salary benefits are as important as the Annual Pay. When I moved from a Company without benefits to one with benefits, I realised that the benefits alone amount to almost half of the Annual Pay but no one talks about it.

Wait o, did you say there is a UK Technology Career Thread?

.

Amarathripple0:
You are not alone, even some companies confuse them.

From my understanding, The Product Manager serves as the customer and works with the team to build the wants or needs of a customer through the features, product strategy & vision, road map, user stories etc for the dev team to work with.

Project Manager on the other works with the process of the delivery, from ideation to launch by ensuring that the team, scope, budget, quality etc are on track and in line with the requirements. A product manager can also do this but it can be too much for them.

There are also other roles that sit just above these two eg Program Manager (Even though in some companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, Expedia etc they call their Project Managers, Program Managers).

Decent explanation, although you kinda described more of a Product Owner than a Product Manager which is still understandable cos many firms combine them

pheranmie:
Please I need help ASAP
as a dependent the remark on my BRP was No work,No Engaging in business.
How to I change it so I can get a proper work.

You can correct it when you get to the UK

MICHEALADEX:
How do you mean old campaign pictures?


Has he ever been a presidential candidate?

So he can't post photoshoot he had in February simply because you think they are old?

When last did you chance your Facebook picture?

You guys amaze me a lot. Have you looked at other Candidates in Nigeria and the rest of the World? They post either campaign banners or pictures showing their current activities. Someone who is running for Presidency was stuck in London and posting pictures tagged "Staying Focus", yet the pictures are dated almost a year ago and you're comparing it to my Facebook picture?? Mehn... We get the Leaders we deserve but 2023 is a new beginning.

Following, good job!

ybahrbz91:
Good Afternoon Everyone

Reviews on Vodafone Broadband or Sky Broadband??

Thank you

Depends largely on your location. I use Vodafone, absolutely no complaints! But don't know of your location.

hustla:
Who is?

They were complaining about students coming in but not working skilled jobs

They need to first remove that sponsorship requirement and just have graduates work jobs and then proceed to ILR

This will mean graduates won't be hunting only jobs with sponsorship and spread across different sectors they actually have interest in

Nah, e go hard o, it's a point-based system and there's a "shortage list" meaning they don't just want graduates, they want graduates skilled enough to fill roles the Country is "short" of. Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand even US, Germany are basically in the Global Skill Market shopping by setting up criteria/hurdles that they believe will sift the best Talents.

LagosismyHome:
I just left a viewing in East London. The house had one hour viewing and 28 people showed up. The agent has said 7 showed interest... 28 people showed up. Really where does someone start from .

The agent said several of the 7 offer put higher than the offer price which is 1800 for 3 bed...as if 1800 is not high enough. Bidding war has joined . Make I dey go house as my house is very far so came here for nothing

I doubt if you would get a solution out of the fellow sha. He said "who stays in Airbnb for 3 months?", maybe the person should stay under the bridge instead.

AlphaUno:
If I posited that a certain upfront payment is extravagant, so, you expect such extravagant amount to be paid via Airbnb for 3 months?
Think again, who stays in Airbnb for 3 months?

Are you serious

MICHEALADEX:
That's called preparation am sure you don't expect his campaign photo shoot to start last week or yesterday.

You people should be wiser that all these trash

Candidates are updating voters of their daily and present activities. According to him, he's updating pictures on Social Media to show he's alive, healthy and "staying focus" like he tagged this one. And yet, he's using old "campaign photo shoot"? This is embarrassing na, even the 7 seconds video on a stationary bicycle, as sad as it was that papa should be doing that, it wasn't a recent video either. The man needs to rest like his campaign team said, yet being pushed to run for President. He has fallen down before and so many other embarrassing moments to show he shouldn't be running for an office like Nigerian President.

You're talking about being wise?

lhordspy:
I could have typed alot of answers to your question. But something stopped me, i remember something.

You asked same about buhari 2015, and then 2019... You were all shocked with the outcome right?


So why asking the same questions again this time?
Are you not tired, Mr Doubting Thomas?

Yeah, we were shocked. See where it landed us! So after our experience, many have sworn to go a different route, but you guys think the same old format will work a 3rd time? And yes, I'm tired. Nigerians are tired. 2023 will be different. Buhari had a serious advantage with the population of his kinsmen and the hatred for PDP, people wanted change but Tinubu has no single advantage except his money.

lhordspy:
Eneka, Why are you worried about the whereabout of a man you aren't going to vote anyway?

Let we his voters-block worry about that. Is that understood sir?.

Fair point. But why support this though? And apart from his some of his kinsmen, where does he intend to get this voters-block? He's getting none from NW, NC, SE and SS.. Lagos is not guaranteed, so just a part of SW and the little Shettima will get from NE.

KillSars:
1. Who says u can't read a newspaper of 10years ago today if they are still available?
2. If tinubu is to read the dailies publish today in uk by the Nations, will it be printed or via their website?

The picture was taken in Lagos in January, bro. It's gonna get tougher to keep defending this charade

lhordspy:
So?

Good question. So, it confirms the suspicion that these images are old! It's really worrisome if he's unable to use recent images? Something is definitely being hidden. Even his party is unable to talk about his whereabouts

How do we get this to FP so we can have people struggle to defend what is happening?

Tinubu released some lovely pictures today one of which he was holding a Newspaper.

However, zooming into the Newspaper shows it's dated January 2022.

Does this confirm that most images released of Tinubu lately are old pictures? Where exactly is the Presidential Candidate and why the need to release pictures to prove status?

AgentXxx:
I just used your link

Oh, reach out to me privately cos you need to do 3 transactions of minimum £5 each in the next 12 hours but it's a win-win-win since you will be getting £20 from me.

Phil46:
Hello,

Please, did you pay your University of Essex fees through Western Union Business Solutions? If yes, how did you go about it, please? I am trying to figure out how to use it with Form A. Thanks

Check if they have the Flywire option. Most schools do and you can use Form A for Flywire

Suzam:
Where do mums get their diapers ooooo

If you want to spend lots of money, buy pampers. Otherwise, just buy the brand of one of the big stores: Asda, Lidl, Aldi.