WHY IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE TO BE POOR THAN TO BE RICH
Many people don’t realize just how costly it is to be poor…
Very, very expensive!
Being poor is not just a lack of money—it’s a lifestyle filled with penalties, mark-ups, and quiet suffering.
Let’s break it down:
Imagine someone struggling financially buying 5 cups of rice every two days for ₦2,000. Meanwhile, another person buys a whole bag for ₦80,000.
Now, do the math: Over time, that first person ends up spending over ₦100,000 for the same quantity of rice!
The rich buy in bulk while the poor pay in pieces. Poverty forces people to spend more for less, just to survive day-to-day.
It's not just about money—it's a cycle that punishes the most vulnerable for not having enough in the first place.
Here are some examples to illustrate this:
1. A low-income earner may buy a cheap dress for ₦4,000. It’s poorly stitched with low-quality fabric. After 2–3 washes, it fades, and the seams tear, forcing them to return to the market. They may end up purchasing the same type of dress 5 times in a year, totaling ₦20,000.
In contrast, someone else may invest in a custom-made, high-quality outfit for ₦18,000 once—a durable, classic piece that lasts, allowing them to still wear it confidently the following year.
2. The same goes for shoes: A person might buy “affordable” flats for ₦3,500 every two months because they wear out easily. That’s over ₦20,000 a year.
A better-made pair for ₦12,000 could last an entire year or more!
3. A mother working two minimum-wage jobs can’t afford a car, so she spends hours waiting for public transport in rain, snow, and sun—time that could be spent resting, upskilling, or with her children.
She can’t afford to buy groceries in bulk, leading to higher costs per meal. She can't afford quality healthcare, so a small untreated illness becomes a major emergency. Needing to support her family, she goes to work sick, delaying her recovery and worsening her condition.
4. When it comes to wigs, if someone buys ₦5,000 synthetic wigs 6 times a year, that amounts to ₦30,000. Investing once in a ₦25,000 quality wig can last much longer.
5. Nutrition is another aspect to consider. Eating cheap can be double-edged: Every morning, quick, cheap options like akara and puff puff may seem convenient, but by age 40, diabetes or cancer may set in, leading to thousands spent on treatments, medications, and hospital bills.
This cycle of poor nutrition, high stress, and lack of preventive care results in higher long-term medical costs, often paid out-of-pocket.
6. Sadly, there are tragic stories too: Parents who lost a child because they couldn't afford ₦5,000 for needed medications; a man who lost his pregnant wife due to an inability to pay for a necessary operation; or Mrs. Jose, who had to live in a hazardous environment due to limited finances, leading to her daughters being abducted and assaulted.
7. Poor individuals often spend more time commuting on unreliable public transportation and have to juggle multiple jobs or gigs, increasing stress and reducing opportunities for rest or personal growth.
8. A low-income family might take payday loans with sky-high interest just to keep their lights on, spending months paying it back. On the other hand, a wealthy person borrows at lower interest rates to invest in opportunities that increase their wealth.
This is why a corrupt government may prefer its citizens to remain poor—because they profit more from poverty than prosperity.
Cheap choices today can ultimately cost you your life tomorrow.
The moral of the story?
Poverty is expensive. It forces people to “get by” until they end up spending more for less. This is why empowerment and financial access matter; true savings lie in quality, not constant replacements.
Being poor limits your choices, and those limitations create a cycle of additional costs—often making day-to-day living more expensive than it is for someone who has the means to plan, invest, and save.
Don’t give up. Don’t count yourself out. There’s strength in perseverance. Learn to make money, manage your money, and grow your money. Pray for financial abundance, and it shall be well with you. The same God who turned water into wine can turn your nothing into something.
May God help us all to find the right empowerment and finances that elevate us from poverty.
WHY IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE TO BE POOR THAN TO BE RICH
Many people don’t realize just how costly it is to be poor…
Very, very expensive!
Being poor is not just a lack of money—it’s a lifestyle filled with penalties, mark-ups, and quiet suffering.
Let’s break it down:
Imagine someone struggling financially buying 5 cups of rice every two days for ₦2,000. Meanwhile, another person buys a whole bag for ₦80,000.
Now, do the math: Over time, that first person ends up spending over ₦100,000 for the same quantity of rice!
The rich buy in bulk while the poor pay in pieces. Poverty forces people to spend more for less, just to survive day-to-day.
It's not just about money—it's a cycle that punishes the most vulnerable for not having enough in the first place.
Here are some examples to illustrate this:
1. A low-income earner may buy a cheap dress for ₦4,000. It’s poorly stitched with low-quality fabric. After 2–3 washes, it fades, and the seams tear, forcing them to return to the market. They may end up purchasing the same type of dress 5 times in a year, totaling ₦20,000.
In contrast, someone else may invest in a custom-made, high-quality outfit for ₦18,000 once—a durable, classic piece that lasts, allowing them to still wear it confidently the following year.
2. The same goes for shoes: A person might buy “affordable” flats for ₦3,500 every two months because they wear out easily. That’s over ₦20,000 a year.
A better-made pair for ₦12,000 could last an entire year or more!
3. A mother working two minimum-wage jobs can’t afford a car, so she spends hours waiting for public transport in rain, snow, and sun—time that could be spent resting, upskilling, or with her children.
She can’t afford to buy groceries in bulk, leading to higher costs per meal. She can't afford quality healthcare, so a small untreated illness becomes a major emergency. Needing to support her family, she goes to work sick, delaying her recovery and worsening her condition.😭
4. When it comes to wigs, if someone buys ₦5,000 synthetic wigs 6 times a year, that amounts to ₦30,000. Investing once in a ₦25,000 quality wig can last much longer.
5. Nutrition is another aspect to consider. Eating cheap can be double-edged: Every morning, quick, cheap options like akara and puff puff may seem convenient, but by age 40, diabetes or cancer may set in, leading to thousands spent on treatments, medications, and hospital bills. 😭
This cycle of poor nutrition, high stress, and lack of preventive care results in higher long-term medical costs, often paid out-of-pocket.
6. Sadly, there are tragic stories too: Parents who lost a child because they couldn't afford ₦5,000 for needed medications; a man who lost his pregnant wife due to an inability to pay for a necessary operation; or Mrs. Jose, who had to live in a hazardous environment due to limited finances, leading to her daughters being abducted and assaulted.😭
7. Poor individuals often spend more time commuting on unreliable public transportation and have to juggle multiple jobs or gigs, increasing stress and reducing opportunities for rest or personal growth.
8. A low-income family might take payday loans with sky-high interest just to keep their lights on, spending months paying it back. On the other hand, a wealthy person borrows at lower interest rates to invest in opportunities that increase their wealth.
This is why a corrupt government may prefer its citizens to remain poor—because they profit more from poverty than prosperity.
Cheap choices today can ultimately cost you your life tomorrow.
The moral of the story?
Poverty is expensive. It forces people to “get by” until they end up spending more for less. This is why empowerment and financial access matter; true savings lie in quality, not constant replacements.
Being poor limits your choices, and those limitations create a cycle of additional costs—often making day-to-day living more expensive than it is for someone who has the means to plan, invest, and save.
Don’t give up. Don’t count yourself out. There’s strength in perseverance. Learn to make money, manage your money, and grow your money. Pray for financial abundance, and it shall be well with you. The same God who turned water into wine can turn your nothing into something.
May God help us all to find the right empowerment and finances that elevate us from poverty. 🙏
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