Welcome to #ChopLifeDiaries, a series documenting how Nigerians eat and all the ways they spend their money on feeding. In a country where people spend up to 59% of their income on food, we’re following our readers’ food journeys during the week and documenting expenses related to shopping, fast-food meals, market runs, restaurant dates, and every bite in between. In this time of rising food inflation, #ChopLifeDiaries reveals how folks from different walks of life are figuring out their food budgets in different cities.
Today, a data analyst walks us through his weekly eating habits and meal plans.
Income
Today’s subject is a graduate fresh out of school who is also a Data Analyst. With the type of beard that can make any Nigerian lady drool, our subject today could be described as an enjoyment minister. He lives in Edo state, Nigeria. Apart from being a data analyst, he also does interior decoration as a side business. He is willing to tell us some of the things he does, his income and schedule and how he still manages to be a part of the Chop Life gang in his little way.
Can we meet you?
My name is Ehinomen Winners Ehinomen; I’m a Data Analyst from Edo state. Hmmmm I am the 2nd of four and I love being in my space so much. I’m a loving person…I’m calm and sometimes very reserved. I’m a critical thinker and I love making money a lot.
What’s your annual income, and what’s the payment structure like? Give us an estimate
Well, I can’t tell oo for real. I have different sources of income because I’m a businessman alongside others. I engage in minor transactions that pass my table. I don’t know how to say no to any legitimate opportunity to make money. I can’t tell for sure so let’s leave it at a couple of million annually. About 6,000,000 -7,000,000 annually, it depends on how good the year is. It could be more, you know, we always pray for a good year. Monthly I get to earn about 500,000 or more depending on how good the month is though.
What are your recurring monthly expenses apart from food?
Ahhhh FUEL!!! So crazy! I spend so much on fuel
The Budget
Give an estimate of how much you spend on food per week. You could run us through your typical food timetable daily. What do you like to eat? If you skip breakfast? Typical hacks you have to cut down food costs e.t.c
Hmmm! I deliberately don’t eat three times daily. On a typical day in my life, I skip breakfast because I feel it’s healthy. Then, I make food by afternoon against evening, then eat only dinner. It feels good, I can’t lie, but most times on an actual busy work day, I buy my dinner, which is around 2500(the lifestyle is not too expensive like that), and then I’m good until dinner.
What’s your earliest memory of money?
Oh! I think that should be in my 200 level. Then I started selling bedsheets and deodorants of which my mom was my sponsor then. She made sure I took notes of my capital and profit and then paid my tithe before having to save and spend. All this was in a bid to ensure I earn and be able to provide basic things for myself without calling home. So yeah, from that moment, I began to be very conscious of my income and expenses
What’s your most recurrent meal and how much does it cost you to prepare?
I think that should be spaghetti and that doesn’t cost me much because I already got the spaghetti as part of my foodstuff. So I only buy tomatoes, pepper, fish and eggs. That’s roughly 2000 Naira, but most times I eat out.
Cooking at home and Take-outs or eat-outs which do you prefer and which do you feel is cost-efficient?
I buy food from a restaurant nearby called Oshare. I alternate between eating there and taking out, depending on my mood.
What’s your favourite meal to cook at home and how much does it cost you to prepare?
Spaghetti ohhh! It’s so easy to prepare. I spend roughly 2,000 when I want to prepare it cause I don’t do too much when making spaghetti. I don’t cook a lot but when I do I prepare spaghetti.
When you buy food, where are your favourite places to eat out or order from? You could list specifics.
I buy my food from “OSHARE.” It’s a not-so-local restaurant where they sell proper African dishes. Anything I crave, I get from there…especially their Banga soup and catfish with starch. 100 over 100 don’t play. I’m an African man, and I love African food.
What weird food Combination have you tried?
That should be Bread and Noodles, I don’t know if it’s weird.
What’s your monthly food budget? Do you sometimes spend more than your budget or are there specifics you put in place to ensure you do not spend more than your monthly food budget?
Sincerely, I don’t keep a monthly budget for my feeding at all. I eat to the fullest as far as my body needs it and I can afford it. Health is wealth. My mantra when it comes to food is Chop first! In everything, Make sure you chop ohh!
Have you ever been scammed? Please share your experience and how you were able to pick yourself up
Scammed!
Hmmmm! I won’t say I’ve been scammed like that but I’ve been involved in some Ponzi scheme activities that my money went down the drain! It was not funny, honestly. It felt like I was dreaming. It was like a film, and NO, as a hard guy now, I did not speak out. Who do you want to speak out to? My guy that got me on it was also speechless. Since then, I have always been skeptical about putting my money on anything online. And to think of how I was already planning to spend the money once school resumes…ALL IS WELL. Well, we moved on, made more money, and now we are here.
Have you ever tried cooking a recipe you found on the internet, only to realise halfway through that it was a complete disaster?
Hmmm! Complete disaster, NO!
I’ve tried this plantain frittata because I saw it on IG but the outcome wasn’t so bad. Even my fried rice on the first try wasn’t so bad. I used YouTube then to cook family Christmas Fried Rice.
If you were a food spice, which would you be and why?
Curry ohh! Somehow I love the aroma of my food more when there’s curry in it, so I’ll pick curry. When there is curry in a food, you will know, that the aroma is so solid. I don’t mind being curry oh!
Are you likely to start a food business anytime soon?
YES!!!!!!!YESSS!!!!
An Italian restaurant! Just pasta only and other uncommon Italian dishes.
Thank you for letting us in on your earnings and how you Chop Life.
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