You’ve prepared weeks in advance for this day and now it’s here! You’re finally doing your few weeks stint in the NYSC camp and depending on how you see it, it can actually be a fun time for you. But be very careful not to let the fun get the better of you causing you to spend all the money you went into camp with. Remember you’ll need the money as you settle into your PPA after Orientation Camp.
To get you on the right path, here are things that are likely to swallow your money if you let them at NYSC Camp:
Don’t get carried away by Mami Market:
The temptation to skip camp food and stroll into Mami market to order sumptuous delicacies will stare you in the face every now and then. It will be more intense on the days you can’t bear to queue for food. But you must be careful how you spend your ‘alawee’ to avoid going broke in camp – best to create and stick to a ‘Mami Market budget’. Do the ‘mami style’ once in a while and save the extra cash, you’ll need it.
Do your own laundry:
In camp, lots of little foxes rear their heads to swallow your money without you even realizing it. Another of such is the ‘any wash’ people available to do your laundry at a small cost. The thrill of lounging in bed while someone else washes your clothes will pull at you, but resist the urge to succumb to this money-sucking privilege. If you plan yourself and your movement, doing your own laundry shouldn’t be too hard.
Guard your mobile data jealously:
There are many reasons you’ll want to constantly surf the social media while in camp. It could be out of boredom, to catch up on happenings in the outside world or perhaps to show the world what’s going on in your camp via photo and video uploads to the gram. Slow down champ – these activities will drain your data and force you to top up every now and again. While you shouldn’t abstain from social media, do so with caution and entertain yourself with a myriad of fun activities available at your camp. If you truly search, you’ll find some.
Buy a power bank:
If you don’t already have one, it is advisable to buy because if you’re unlucky, your hostel room might not have any sockets or boast of just a few. Know that every little service you require while in camp will cost you some money – even charging your phone at mami market is sure to incur some expense. Your power bank will make sure your phone is powered for longer at least until you find a place to charge it.
Loss of personal items:
Keep your personal items including money safe. In fact, make sure you carry your money in your waist purse to avoid losing them to thieves. You already know that when your items are stolen, it will cost money to replace them.
Now that we’ve gotten the little foxes out of the way, make sure you have fun and enjoy every bit of your stay in camp!