Choosing to Live in Iyana Ipaja or Maryland

So you are a single guy, working on the Island, earning at least 100k monthly and you are contemplating whether to live in Iyana Ipaja or Maryland, Egbeda or Yaba, Abule-Egba or Surulere, Okokomaiko or Ikeja? Let me help you break it down.

A lot of factors need to be considered before making this decision. Most young people I see consider the huge rent they must pay to landlords in the “mainland highbrow”. This is where they get it wrong! You don’t consider that first, you need to sit down and do the calculations. Have you considered the transport fare you will pay daily to and fro work? How about the Danfo and Conductor Wahala? Did you consider the number of hours you will spend (waste) on the road to and fro work? Proximity to everywhere? How about the health implications?

It is usually not advisable to spend more than 30% of your salary as rent. So, you have 30k from your 100k monthly salary which is 360k to pay for your rent. I am sure you can get a decent self-contain apartment in the “mainland highbrow” for this budget. You can plan the rest of your budget on the remaining 70% and still live a comfortable life here in Lagos. Please try not to spend more than this except you are willing to make further sacrifices from other areas.

You deserve to be comfortable and you need some time to yourself to think. You need to have time to engage in other of life’s activities and not wasting 5 hours in traffic everyday wishing life was fairer even when you could make it fair for you.

I will leave you with this conversation between a guy and his girlfriend.

Girlfriend: Do you drink beer?

Guy: yes, I do

Girlfriend: how many bottles per day?

Guy: 3 bottles

Girlfriend: How much is a bottle?

Guy: 300 Naira

Girlfriend: That’s 900 Naira every day, 6k every week and 25k every month?

Guy: Yes, that’s correct

Girlfriend: How long have you been drinking

Guy: 20 years thereabouts

Girlfriend: That would have been 302k annually amounting to N6m and with interest in a savings account would have been about N10m to buy a brand new car!

Guy: Do you drink beer?

Girlfriend: No

Guy: Where is your brand new car?!

Girlfriend: ???