I used to think my aunt was the most boring person alive.
At every family gathering, Aunt Chidinma would go on and on about money, discipline and planning for the future. While everyone else debated football or the latest Nollywood drama, she was talking about investing and building wealth.
One Christmas, I was 21, fresh out of university, and feeling unstoppable. She pulled me aside and said, “Amaka, the money you are spending on those shoes, invest it. In ten years, you will thank me.” I smiled, nodded, and still bought the shoes, wearing them three times before they fell apart.
Fast forward to today, I am 31, and Aunt Chidinma was right about almost everything. The advice I once rolled my eyes at now makes perfect sense. Growing up has a quiet way of humbling you.
Let me share some of the things that finally clicked for me.
- Saving gives you peace of mind
When I was younger, I thought saving meant you were afraid to enjoy life – what was the point of earning money if you could not spend it? ‘You only live once’, they say!
Then one random morning, my car broke down, and the repair cost N200,000. I did not have it. I had to borrow from two friends and spent weeks feeling uncomfortable every time I saw them. That was when I finally understood; saving is not about being stingy, it is about having choices when life happens and life always happens.
The people who save are not missing out; they are just not panicking when things go wrong.
- Starting early really matters
The investment advice I ignored still hurts to think about. When you are young, time feels endless, yet it is actually your most powerful tool when it comes to money.
If you start investing even N20,000 a month in your mid-twenties, time does most of the heavy lifting but wait ten years and suddenly you are playing catch-up. You do not need to start big – the important thing is to start. Even N5,000 a month adds up, and I know because I am living with the cost of waiting. Now is the time; no need to feel bad about starting late, they can start today, like right now
- My parents were trying to help
Back then, I thought my parents were just being dramatic, but now I am the one moving around the house switching off appliances like my life depends on it. They were not nagging, they were teaching responsibility.
If you cannot manage small habits, bigger responsibilities will overwhelm you later, and the routines you form early quietly become the foundation of your adult life. I wish I had paid more attention.
- Rest is not a reward
I used to believe that exhaustion meant I was doing something right; late nights, skipped meals, constant fatigue. I thought that was what ambition looked like, until I completely burnt out.
I woke up tired every day, my health dipped, and my motivation disappeared. Somehow, I was achieving less, not more.
Rest is not laziness, it is maintenance. If you do not choose to rest, your body will eventually make the choice for you.
- There is no perfect time
I delayed so many things waiting for the “right moment”; the right time to invest, the right time to start something new, the right time to take a risk.
The simple truth, the perfect time does not exist. There will always be bills, fear, and uncertainty, and the only real difference between regret and progress is simply starting anyway.
I cannot return and talk sense to my 21-year-old self. All I am saying is start saving, start investing, and protect your energy. Please think twice before buying expensive shoes that do not last.
Your future self is watching, and she will thank you for every small step you take today.
