Hello everyone,
Everybody has their own way of describing what it means to be broke some people will say they are broke when they don’t have millions sitting in their account others only feel broke when they cannot afford their usual lifestyle for me being broke has a much simpler meaning and honestly, it is something I have experienced more times than I would like to admit when I say I’m broke, it doesn’t mean I have nothing at all most times, it means the money left with me is not enough to cover even the smallest important needs for example if I have less than ₦3,000 or ₦2,000, I consider myself broke at that point, I can barely buy foodstuff, recharge my phone, or take care of emergencies I begin to live on strict management, cutting out things that normally make life a little easier.
Being broke also affects the way I think and behave once my money gets low i start avoiding calls from people because i am scared someone might ask me for help i stop buying snacks or soft drinks outside even when I want to cook I calculate every spoon of rice or measure of beans, trying to make it last longern that constant mental calculation is a clear sign for me that I am broke there was a particular time I can never forget I had only ₦1,200 left with me, and my transport to work alone was about ₦500 daily i tried to manage it for as long as I could, but by the third day, I was completely empty I had to swallow my pride and borrow money just to get through the week that experience taught me that being broke is not only about money it brings along stress, embarrassment and sometimes even shame.
To me, the real definition of being broke is not about having zero balance but about being stuck in a place where you cannot afford the things that matter most to you at that moment for instance when I cannot buy data to work online, I already feel broke if I cannot afford to give my children what they need for school i feel even more broke if I have to think ten times before spending ₦200, then it is clear i am in a broke state.
At the end of the day being broke is personal the amount that makes me feel broke may not make someone else feel the same way but one thing we can all agree on is that being broke takes away your peace of mind it limits your choices it makes you uncomfortable, and it forces you to manage life in a way you don’t like that is why, whenever I say I am broke I mean I am simply struggling to survive with what I have in hand and everything feels like a burden.
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