Naira Life Vol 173

Good Morning, 🌞

Financial anxiety is a familiar concept. For example, people who grew up poor and achieved their big break in adulthood will often confront the fear of losing everything. Someone who has more responsibilities than they can conveniently handle will struggle with another kind of anxiety. Multiple realities. Multiple contexts. Same lingering fear.

For the subject in this week’s #NairaLife, this anxiety is rooted in one event: rapid income growth. In one year, she’s 10x’d her salary and built a sufficient buffer. That said, she can’t help but wonder what could go wrong — even though the odds are slim.

I found this line particularly revealing: “I earn the most among my friends, but — this might sound dramatic — I feel like since I was the first to 'blow,' I’ll probably be the first to lose everything down the line.”

That’s the tension at the centre of her story. Rapid growth hasn’t erased fear. The anxiety isn’t about surviving the present. It’s about anticipating a future collapse. It's a tough feeling, but how's she holding up?

Let’s get into this week’s stories.

In this letter:

• #NairaLife: Her Salary Grew 10x in a Year, but She Fears She Might Lose Everything
• I’m Head of Finance at a Multi-Million-Dollar Nigerian Company. Here’s How I Invest My Money
• I Gave Up My Career for My Husband. Now, I’m 40 and Starting Over
• Where The Money At?!

Last year, the 24-year-old in this #NairaLife earned ₦100k/month. Now, she makes ₦1.4m/month. Despite the impressive income growth and her structured approach to investments, she deals with crippling financial anxiety. She doesn’t think it’ll go away soon.

Why?

Saving doesn’t stop life from happening.

When things come up, Carbon doesn’t force you to choose between progress and survival. Your locked savings keep growing, and you can use it as collateral to access a loan at just 3% interest.

It’s saving, built different so you can move different.

Catherine (30) is Head of Finance at a multi-million-dollar Nigerian company.

While she oversees huge sums at work, her personal investment portfolio is a mix of safe, steady growth. Here’s exactly how she allocates her money. Get the full gist here

We've been telling relatable stories about how Nigerians earn, save and spend their money for years, and now we'll have a dedicated platform for more honest and open conversations about money.

Our promise is simple: No fancy jargon, just the information and clarity you need to make confident financial decisions!

At 30, Dora* was a rising professional with a solid financial map. But after a decade of "temporary" sacrifices for her husband’s business, she’s now 40 with a drained bank account and a vanished professional identity.

She shares how she’s reclaiming her life from the wreckage of a one-sided partnership.