Hello country people!

I ve been away from home (nigeria) for 4.5 yrs now.
I spend most of the stated time studying and now I'm coming to visit home by Xmas.
From the information I gathered, a lot have changed.
A bottle of star now cost N170! It was barely N80 when I left home.

Now my question is, Will N200,000 sustain me from 23rd Dec - 5th of Jan?
I will be staying in my parents house but I ve got to "dash" people money.
I also have a few younger ones in School who need "sorting".
Already I have bought gifts worth over £800 but I'm still scared it's going to be tough.

Anyone out there been home lately? Pls share your survival strategy. I want to know.

200,000 gini??

If you dash someone 200k they'll stone you with it!!
You think we Nigerians are that hungry? just joking!


The money will run out before you know it, there are so many things you'll pay
for you wont really be able to account for your expenses
Best advice is don't try to please everyone!!
Dont dash everyone money
Your holiday is about YOU and Your family
Remember it's XMAS and new year they'll be many people around

What state/region are you going to?

Hey - 200k in two weeks

Excuse me, can you spend 800pounds just like that in UK? Abeg, take am easy o, thats way too much.

Go to one pound shop, buy gifts to share when you get home, give money to people that realy counts, hey- abeg o, dont be too extravagant.

@ This Guy,

I'm from Imo. I will do my best to manage what I ve got during my brief stay.
I know it's going to be tough though.
My intention at the interim is not to please anyone.
In time, if things appreciate, we can make ammends.


@Paroh_frey,

Thanks for your priceless advice. I wouldn't spend £800 just like that whilst here in the UK.
As I said earlier, it's been almost 5 yrs.

As per the gifts, I already bought and sent them by air freight. It cost  me a fortune (£200) to send 40 kg of luggage to nigeria. I found that astronomical. About the stuff I will carry with my when I'm travelling, I will seriously consider POUNDLAND as you suggested.

ubamu2029:

@ This Guy,

I'm from Imo. I will do my best to manage what I ve got during my brief stay.
I know it's going to be tough though.
My intention at the interim is not to please anyone.
In time, if things appreciate, we can make ammends.


@Paroh_frey,

Thanks for your priceless advice. I wouldn't spend £800 just like that whilst here in the UK.
As I said earlier, it's been almost 5 yrs.

As per the gifts, I already bought and sent them by air freight. It cost  me a fortune (£200) to send 40 kg of luggage to nigeria. I found that astronomical. About the stuff I will carry with my when I'm travelling, I will seriously consider POUNDLAND as you suggested.

my mum did the say thing last week, paid £150; still carried 2 overload and her hand luggage which was stolen at the airport!!!

Just enjoy your stay and remind them you are a student not the Queens accountant!

rather than dash peope money, why don't you buy shirts, perfumes, blouses e.t.c and dash those out. . .
Thank your stars that the sales will soon be on so buy in bulk.

^^ good point

I wouldn't give peeps money (Cash). However u may dash them shirts and other cheap stuffs as stated by Vanitty.

Nevetheless, I do hope you aint from the Eastern part (esp Anambra) of 9ja otherwise 200k just for 2days.

Paroh_frey:

Hey - 200k in two weeks

Excuse me, can you spend 800pounds just like that in UK? Abeg, take am easy o, thats way too much.

Go to one pound shop, buy gifts to share when you get home, give money to people that realy counts, hey- abeg o, dont be too extravagant.

^^^ very sound advice as well as the people who said to buy gifts and not open your wallet. By the way how much is N200k in pounds?

;d  ;d

if you have ur ticket sorted, then no wahala

shebi the 200k is meant for ur trip in 9ja; spend it anyhow you like and jump on the plane as soon as it gets to 7k

if you have friends that consume alcohol in hectoliters like me, ur 200k is barely enuff for a weekend

go to ur village and dont stay in the city

200k is good enough---- some people spend that much in a month--- talk less of two weeks


as someone here already said-----give items/things <clothes, perfume, bags>; IMO thats much better than money.

Make i learn from this thread ooo

@koolchicco,what is wrong with the eastern parts of nija? or is it about the kidnapping thing?anyways my bru,best advice,dont give no one cash.i was a victim of that when i was very ignorant and paid dearly for that.you can give ur mom  money to buy food stuffs, things like rice,salt,onions and all that and let her dish them out to ur visitors.

do u have to drive? if yes and no to the others then budget btw 5-7k per day
do you have loads of friends that are going to wanna hang with you? if yes for this and the car then budget abt 10k per day cos they gonna troop in everyday
r u planning to go on a chick chase? if you are considering this then i'm afraid 200k def won't be enuff. remember you are janded and the prices quoted to you will be trippled.
key is if you can stay away from the girls then you should have more than enough to throw away, give to charity and enjoy yaself to the fullest

Dis Guy:

Just enjoy your stay and remind them you are a student not the Queens accountant!

200k in two weeks cannot sustain the type of family issues waiting for you.
Imo,focus on your immediate family and REALLY close friends who aren't drunkards.
Lett everyone know you a friggin' student and not a G-boy.
Forget image,at the start of 2010,you're on your own.
Be wise,ok

Dis Guy:

Just enjoy your stay and remind them you are a student not the Queens accountant!

@poster

i smiled when i saw your post. lol

let me share my own experience with you. i went to naija this year january after 5yrs in uk.

i satyed in holiday apartment where i had to pay 7500naira per day excluding feeding cost, diesel cost as well as transportation cost.

i had a taxi guy that i use ost times cos i use him like 4 to 5hours he will take me to were i am going wait for me and bring me back thats cost 5k naira per day.

everyone that came to say hello i give transport fare back lowest amount i dished out was 2k highest amount 6k5.

mtn credit per day was spending 1500 or 3k per day.

diesel was 5k for 2days

beer cartoon of 24 i think star was like 2500 or 3k

this si just a list of what i can remember this is becuase i didint stay at home as per i went to hide muself where people dont know me oo so this was just a few people that knew i was around.  i was in naija from 21st jan to 8feb i think . this is as far as i can remember sha.  but am sure i spent almost close to £1000 if not more plus extra 100k naira

this is for 3weeks ooo

200K is too small . . . you can do well by dodging people when you arrive.

@Poster,

You have got many good advice here.

As you can see from all the advice here, Nigeria can be cheap or expensive depending how you make it.

Note:
--Do not show off to anybody and your money will last. You may even have extra.
--Wear the same type of clothes local people wear in Nigeria, no need for padded jacket and others.
--Some relatives will give you cock and bull stories about money needs, don't be fooled.
--Do not be surprise that everyone of your relatives suddenly become needy, even your uncle who has more than five houses and six cars.
--Don't be shy to negotiate and haggle prices, aim for bargain in anything you buy in Nigeria.

Enjoy your stay. Be wise.

These are all sound advice. Last time i was in Naija in september this year, i spent £2,000 in one week. Stayed in hotel, N9,000 per night, feeding/drinks/transport including flights etc little over N200,000 and the rest in gifts.
Promiesed myself this should not repeat itself.

very nice responses guys. i was also planning on going home for the summer break(praying to God my plans go as i wish) and was wondering if 1000 dollars will be enough for my stay(i plan staying for a month). my baby says it will be more than enough, but i was thinking of those at home(cousins, friends, etc).

the sad thing is that pple at home will not want to understand. Once u are overseas, they feel u are sitting ontop a gold mine.

jay bee:

do u have to drive? if yes and no to the others then budget btw 5-7k per day
do you have loads of friends that are going to wanna hang with you? if yes for this and the car then budget abt 10k per day cos they gonna troop in everyday
r u planning to go on a chick chase? if you are considering this then i'm afraid 200k def won't be enuff. remember you are janded and the prices quoted to you will be trippled.
key is if you can stay away from the girls then you should have more than enough to throw away, give to charity and enjoy yaself to the fullest

This post is sooo funny! 

The general message is if you go to Naija you will be sucked dry

I don't understand. DOES IT MEAN THAT YOU GUYS ABROAD ARE THAT BROKE!!? AM JUST AN ORDINARY EVERYDAY GUY HERE IN NIGERIA, BUT I SPENT N5k PER WEEK ON ECONOMY SCALE! AND YOU ARE COMING HOME AFTER 5 YEARS EXPECTING TO COME HOME WITH JUST N200,000k. YOU BETTER STAY BACK! CAUSE YOU WILL JUST COME AND MAKE A FOOL OF YOURSELF.

YOU SHOULD BE TALKING OF COMING HOME TO SPEND N1.5M ON ECONOMY SCALE. Don't forget you are coming to the east you should keep extra N1m to bail yourself out in case kidnappers gbab you.

_{Reminder: Kidnapping bail out prices: Okada Rider - N3k, Taxi Driver - 5K, Ochanja Trade-50k, 200k, 450K depending on his trade, Obodo Oyibo returnee(with jeep) N3m, without jeep N500k - N1.5m depending on the family, politician N300m, nollywood actor N1.5m - N10m. Note: price maybe reviewed upward depending on deregulation and increased population based on yuletide.}

@poster

what you can do to manage what you have. is dont tell people you are coming and also dont parade yurself going roung and dont allow your parents to start taking you everywere asking you to go and greet this person or that person. and the ones that see you dont spend much time talking with them. just give them what you can give and vamoose. this i know becos after my 1st trip in january , i went to naija again in may and this time around it was just me and my wifey.

didnt tell anybody i was coming and didnt really go out much so spent less. and last time i went ot naija again in jult this year spent 2weeks apart from the cheap hotel i stayed it was just 4500 per night. no mr biggs or too much taxi or 1500 credit .

it was good cheap food, credit of btw 100-750 mtn i was using. avoided as many people as i could possibly can and towards the end of my stay few people that saw me i just gave them talk. made them understand that life in uk is not the way some people make it or paint it to be. shikena meaning i didnt give anybody a penny. all in all i spent close to roughly 200k minus flight fare ooo

greateros:

I don't understand. DOES IT MEAN THAT YOU GUYS ABROAD ARE THAT BROKE!!? AM JUST AN ORDINARY EVERYDAY GUY HERE IN NIGERIA, BUT I SPENT N5k PER WEEK ON ECONOMY SCALE! AND YOU ARE COMING HOME AFTER 5 YEARS EXPECTING TO COME HOME WITH JUST N200,000k. YOU BETTER STAY BACK! CAUSE YOU WILL JUST COME AND MAKE A FOOL OF YOURSELF.
YOU SHOULD BE TALKING OF COMING HOME TO SPEND N1.5M ON ECONOMY SCALE. Don't forget you are coming to the east you should keep extra N1m to bail yourself out in case kidnappers gbab you.

_{Reminder: Kidnapping bail out prices: Okada Rider - N3k, Taxi Driver - 5K, Ochanja Trade-50k, 200k, 450K depending on his trade, Obodo Oyibo returnee(with jeep) N3m, without jeep N500k - N1.5m depending on the family, politician N300m, nollywood actor N1.5m - N10m. Note: price maybe reviewed upward depending on deregulation and increased population based on yuletide.}

wetin u dey yarn my guy? cut your coat according to your size!
u think say for 'abroad' money dey grow ontop trees, shurrup man

@axeman85
which hotel accomodate u for 4k5? isit a standard room sha?

TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THE POOR TO LIVE. THE WE DEY RUN THINGS 4 DIS COUNTRY MI I NO GBADUN
. NA WE DEY SUFFER THE PAIN.
NASO BODE GEORGE STOLE OUR MONEY & THE GUY STILL DEY WAKA COUT OFF APPEAL.
ALSO THE LIKES OF IBORI, ETE, OBASANJO, AKALA, MORRIS IWU.
MAY GOD HEAL 9JA

1. you are coming home after 5 years of absence.
2. you are coming during the xmas festivities.

200k!!! you've got to be kidding, you've got family in 9ja shey? m sure they'll be expecting you to dash dem nothin less than 100k when you're leaving, talkless of the amount you are going to spend in 2wks, you are going to connect with long lost friends and you'll be the one footing the bills. seriously you should have nothin less than 500k! you are comin back from the uk for christ sakes!!! you ought to represent. and i pray u aint from the east, if u are, then you are in for it! my guy, you ought to do better than 200k, if not you would just be giving people the impression that you are stingy. make that extremely stingy. and all u guys deceiving him that 200k is enough; which country are u in? cos m sure it aint 9ja.

Chuks84:

1. you are coming home after 5 years of absence.
2. you are coming during the xmas festivities.

200k!!! you've got to be kidding, you've got family in 9ja shey? m sure they'll be expecting you to dash dem nothin less than 100k when you're leaving, talkless of the amount you are going to spend in 2wks, you are going to connect with long lost friends and you'll be the one footing the bills. seriously you should have nothin less than 500k! you are comin back from the uk for christ sakes!!! you ought to represent. and i pray u aint from the east, if u are, then you are in for it! my guy, you ought to do better than 200k, if not you would just be giving people the impression that you are stingy. make that extremely stingy. and all u guys deceiving him that 200k is enough; which country are u in? cos m sure it aint 9ja.

Una no go kill this guy sha.

200,000,00 4 2weeks is enough 4u,dats if u dash out gifts u've bought 4rm where u are coming 4rm.And since u said u've got where 2stay,wich i tink is d main problem.but i now assure u dat u've got no problem comin 2 nigeria wit 200,000,00.