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Gaya

Everyone talks about soft life, but very few people discuss the financial reality behind it. Online, soft life looks effortless. But in reality, a lot of money goes into it. From outfits to Uber rides, expensive meals, and event invites, millions can go into maintaining the ideal soft-life image for us all to admire and covet on the gram.

So, we spoke to a Lagos baddie and uncovered the hard truth about the lifestyle. Here's a breakdown of the glam you see online, excluding necessities like rent and electricity bills.

How much do you spend on your wardrobe?

"In a good month, the amount I spend on my wardrobe depends on the number of events I have to attend. Considering my career as a content creator and event host, I take every event I'm invited to as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to advance my career. Lagos is small, so you never know who you'll meet on a red carpet that could transform your life. You just gotta come correct at all times.

Regularly, I do a SHEIN haul once a month to stock up on wardrobe basics for casual everyday outfits. But for the sake of this discussion, I'll reference one of my busiest months, like December last year. I spent over three million naira on clothes and accessories alone, and I am just being honest. I had an event almost every other week, alongside several end-of-year parties to pull up for. So, I needed a lot of <a href="https://aura.ng/fashion/top-8-celebrity-fashion-designers-in-nigeria">custom-made outfits</a>.

And that's excluding my hair, by the way. If you saw any of my pictures in December, you'll notice I didn't braid my hair once. I just bought a new wig and kept alternating it with older ones I already had because I needed a hairstyle that fit the aesthetic of each event. Imagine getting new braids every other week. I for spend almost double wetin I use buy that wig.

Already, some parts of Lagos are status symbols. So, the beauticians in Lekki, VI, and even Magodo have the guts to charge one thousand naira per cornrow and an average of ₦50,000 for nails that are way cheaper elsewhere on the mainland because people will pay. If I weren't an event host, I'd go and learn how to do nails or laminate brows. You guys, there is money there…as long as you know what you're doing.

I don't want to give specific figures of how much I actually spend before you people come for me online and start billing me in my comment section."

Next, tell us how you can afford to go to the most expensive events and places in this same Lagos.

"When I'm working, brands usually sponsor the events I attend, obviously. And of course, I get paid to dress up and talk to random strangers on the red carpet like they're my long-lost friends that I'm very happy to reunite with.

But when I just want to go out and have a nice time, either solo or with my friends, I could spend hundreds of thousands of naira in a single night. I don't drive late, and, courtesy of President Tinubu, Uber drivers are charging a fortune.

The last time I went to Eko Atlantic with some of my girlfriends, I spent ₦75,000 on Uber alone. And the useless Bolt driver still wasted my time. But that's gist for another day.

Anyway, as for the meals... y'all know what the menus are saying, don't you? If you don't, just browse them. Let me not do bad PR based on my personal experiences of outrageous prices for nonsense services."

Now, let's talk about content creation. Do you make more money than you spend on it?

"In the words of Kim Kardashian, if you didn't snap it, it didn't happen.

I'll be honest with you. Most times when I'm out, I'm more concerned about capturing the moment for my next piece of content than I am about actually enjoying it. I know it's not ideal, and I'm not proud of it, but it's the reality for many of us content creators.

After spending so much on asoebi for your wedding, please tell me why I shouldn't hire my own photographer to take professional pictures and videos for social media. Yes, I am not the <a href="https://aura.ng/life-and-love/being-a-bridesmaid-was-the-most-expensive-mistake-i-ever-made-for-a-friend">brideee</a>. But I am the bride's invitee that needs to recoup the money she spent on the wedding so she can see road to one day be a bride too.

On a more serious note, I can't honestly say I spend more on content creation than I get from it because, as I said at the beginning, it varies. Some months are better than others.

I just try to maximise every opportunity and make myself feel better about my vanity by posting content from these outings that can increase my engagement, boost my visibility, and attract potential brand deals.

For those who didn't know, that's the cycle of <a href="https://aura.ng/culture/personal-branding-101-how-i-created-my-signature-aesthetic">UGC creation</a> – or at least, the Lagos, Nigerian version of it."

The last question is, where do you get all this money from?

"What many people don't know is that I run a full-time business outside content creation. I have a furniture business and a 9-to-5 (which I will soon quit, by the way, because Lagos traffic is not for the weak, and I don't think I can keep up with that life anymore).

But that's beside the point. Like I said earlier, even though you promised to keep my identity anonymous, I'm not going to disclose every single source of income I have or how much I make from each one.

Just know that the lifestyle is very expensive, and there is so much more to the glam you see on the gram than anybody is willing to tell you.

My candid advice? Cut your coat according to your size and don't lose yourself in the process. While you shouldn't be one of those baddies borrowing shoes and hair to attend events, be willing to invest in the <a href="https://aura.ng/culture/how-to-build-a-personal-brand-on-social-media">aesthetic</a> if it's part of the personal brand you're trying to build.

All that said, it is every man for himself and the aesthetic for us all! So you are at liberty to still do as you like. If you want to follow somebody’s husband to get the money…na you know.&nbsp;

Thank you, Aura Magazine, for having me yap about the lifestyle. In summary? E cost no be small."

From designer outfits and wigs to Uber rides, fine dining, and content creation, a Lagos content creator breaks down the real monthly cost of living the soft life in Nigeria.



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