Students get broke financially all the time, due to many reasons. At times due to unexpected expenses, which can seems unending, to a failed promise from a relative and sometimes it could be from not being prepared enough financially before heading to school.
Follow me for a story of my major hardship period as a student. Before I got admitted into school, I got a photo lab job, during which I was saving from my salary. I saved as much as I could to avoid me being totally dependent on my parents for all my financial needs. But then before I resume for my first year, I made one terrible mistake; trusting the wrong person with my money.
One day, a relative I trusted so much and even looked up to told me to borrow her the sum of ten thousand Naira, that she would pay me back before my school resumption, I do not hesitate, she was someone I love and trusted a lot, aside this, I could afford to give her the said amount even if she would not pay me back as promised.
Little did I know my trust in her would backfire. I just handed over my ATM card and my pin to her and told her to take the ten thousand from it.
I was working in the nearby town, going to the bank and getting the money for her wasn't convenient, so giving her the atm was the easiest thing to do. I even forgot the card in her care until after some weeks had passed. During those days there was nothing like an sms alert from banks or banking apps, the only way to check your balance was to visit your bank and print out a statement of account.
My relative knew this so she used it to my disadvantage. She took 30 thousand Naira from my account without informing me and she never paid back as she promised. I never found out while I was still at home until the day I wanted to pay my school accommodation fee, I went to the ATM stand to make some withdrawal but was met with insufficient balance. To say I was shocked is an understatement, I was supposed to still have money left in my account that could afford me an accomodations fee of twenty thousand Naira so while can't I take out the money?
Shocked and confused. Only to found out through my banking statement that a sum of 30k was taken from my account the same time that a relative of mine used my ATM card. I confronted her, but guess what? She denied it, and made me look like a fool. She told me she only took ten thousand Naira even when the statement of account was showing thirty thousand Naira. She told me the bank must be mistaken that she will visit the bank branch back at home to help me retrieve the 20k balance, I just lost it at this point. She not alone took my money but she was blaming the bank for it and at the same time trying to manipulate me to believe it was the bank.
I just forgot about her at that point, knowing that she wasn't ready to admit she stole from me. I spent the remaining first semester broke because I had to manage with the little fund I had left and as well relied on my parents for more assistance.
It wasn't a cool experience at all, but that taught me that just because someone is related to you by blood doesn't mean they can't betray you when money is involved. If I had gone to get the ten thousand Naira for her instead of trusting her with my ATM card, she wouldn't had gotten the chance to steal from me. I learned to be very careful when putting my money in anyone's cares and never lend money to people any amount I can not afford to lose.
What it your story like been broke as a student, join us in this week #hivestudentconnetweek32 and share it with us.