Good morning ☀️

The journey to financial freedom is rarely a straight one. For many, it involves many experiments — throwing different things at the wall, hoping one would stick and light a path out of the “trenches”.

Two of the stories in today’s newsletter follow this pattern. On the one hand, there’s a 28-year-old nail and lash technician who has tried just about everything to maximise her income before finally landing on a venture. On the other hand, we have four crypto traders who keep trying their luck with meme coins, hoping to become overnight millionaires. How’s that working out for them?

Let’s get into the stories. 👇🏾

In this letter:

• #NairaLife: The Lash Technician Who Isn’t Looking for a 9-5
• Love Currency: This Lagos Photographer Isn’t Built for an Indefinite Long-Distance Relationship
• Meme Coin Madness: 4 Nigerian Traders on the Wild Profits and Devastating Losses
• Ask Aunty M: I Have $2k. What Should I Invest In?
• Where The Money At?!

The 28-year-old nail and lash technician in this #NairaLife might be a jack of all trades, but she’s also a master of all. She’s currently on her most profitable venture yet, and if her plans work out as she hopes, it might be the one that moves her from entrepreneur to multi-business owner.

Let’s Make Money Talks Less Awkward (And Way More Fun!)

Let’s be honest, talking about money is like frying plantain—you start with good intentions, but somehow, it gets tricky. One moment, you’re discussing “splitting the bill,” and the next, things get awkward. But what if money conversations were fun and stress-free? That’s where gomoney’s goPlay Cards come in.

Jerome* (26) and Patricia* (24) have been together for three years—two of those spent navigating long distance.

For #LoveCurrency, Jerome opens up about how their relationship has shaped his finances and why, despite his love for Patricia, he’s preparing for the possibility of a breakup. Read the full story

Despite having no fundamental value, meme coins have made people overnight millionaires and bankrupted them just as quickly.

We spoke to four Nigerian meme coin traders who have experienced the madness firsthand. From wild profits to crushing losses, here’s what they said. Read more

I currently earn ₦390,000 and I have a side hustle that brings in about ₦150k monthly on an average. I currently have $2k savings in Risevest and my savings for the year is estimated to close at ₦2m. I’d like to invest this money. Please could you advise on what to invest in and what platforms to use? – Tee, 26

Hi Tee, So happy to hear that you’re saving and thinking about investing. Here’s where I would start:

1. Pick your investment platform – you can use Bamboo, Chaka, Trove to name a few. This will allow you to invest in the US stock market with ease.

2. Define Your Investment Goals – ideally I like to invest for the long term. You need to know your time horizon, the purpose behind investing (growth, stability, etc) and what your risk tolerance is in order to create a solid portfolio.

3. Choose Your Investments – I believe beginners should start by investing in the stock market. Forget crypto, forget forex…the stock market is a great place to start. There are these things called ETFs, exchange traded funds, that hold lots of different companies inside the fund. Start there. A good beginner index is the S&P500. These are 500 of the largest companies in the US and if you purchase a fund that tracks this interest, you will own all 500 of those companies. Some examples are $VOO, $SPY, you can purchase those on your investing app.

4. Purchase & Automate – Investing is not just about buying once and holding forever. Instead, you should purchase and automate the regular purchase of ETFs so that every time you get paid, you’re investing a bit more.

Xoxo, Reni

• If you’re here, you probably have a money or work dilemma. Ask your question and we’ll figure out an actionable solution for you.

We can’t say we’re about the money and not actually help you find the money.

So we’ve compiled a list of job opportunities for you. Make sure you share this with anyone who might need it because in this community, we look out for each other.

Again, don’t mention. We gatchu.

• Legal Assistant – Dana Group
• Visual Designer – Canonical
• Human Resources Intern – Schlumberger Limited
• Support Engineering Manager – Canonical
• Retail Strategy Manager – Ardova Plc
• Customer Service Agent – Lifebank

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All good things must come to an end. But not this good thing. We’ll be back next week.

In the meantime, keep reading Zikoko’s articles and be sure to share the love.

See you next week…

Yours cashly,

Tife,

Zikoko’s resident money girl

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