
14/07/2025
Let’s talk about money.
Shall we?
When I was practicing nursing back home, I use to think that nurses in the abroad are living on easy street financially.
I hear it all the time and I also say it😂😂
“She’s a nurse in the UK, she must be loaded.”
Now, I know better.
Let’s break it down.
Yes, it’s true that nurses in the UK earn in pounds, while those in Nigeria earn in naira.
Abi?
And because of the exchange rate, it looks like nurses in the abroad are all millionaires over here.
But the truth is deeper than just the currency.
See the reality👇
The same way a nurse in Nigeria earns in naira, spends in naira, pays rent, buys fuel, pays children’s school fees, and still ends up with little savings, that’s the same way a nurse in the UK earns in pounds, spends in pounds, pays rent, council tax, transportation, energy bills, childcare, and sometimes ends up with little savings too.
The main difference is that the value of the currency is stronger here.
So if I save, let’s say, £300 in a month, and you convert it to naira, it might look like two or three months’ salary for a nurse in Nigeria or even more.
That’s where the illusion comes in.
But let me tell you where some people make a big mistake.
When they look at their savings only in naira terms, they feel rich. I mean those who save pounds in naira, right?
Saving in pounds and getting richer in pounds requires blood and sweat.
I’m spending pounds, not naira.
My bills are in pounds.
Groceries are in pounds.
Transport is in pounds.
And don’t even get me started on rent, it can swallow half of your salary if you’re not careful, and it’s monthly parole😄
So yes, we might save more than what we could save back home, but it doesn’t mean money is overflowing in the abroad.
There are people working back-to-back shifts just to survive and send something home.
The stress is real…damn real.
Everything is structured and tracked.
If you don’t pay your bills on time, your credit score suffers, and that affects everything from getting a mortgage to buying a car. It’s not like back home where you can negotiate with your landlord for an extra month or skip a bill here and there.
I saw a video saying people in the youkay are stingy, I watched it with a big smile, because I would say same two years ago. I know better now.
People see us earning in pounds, they believe we have endless money to send home. They don’t understand that what looks like “small change” in pounds is a big deal for us because it can be the difference between paying rent or falling into debt.
Another thing is, some people abroad live above their means just to look good to those back home. Buying big cars, sending pictures of shopping bags, living in houses they can’t really afford all for the gram. Meanwhile, some are drowning in debt quietly.
Here’s my honest advice👇
If you’re planning to migrate, come with a realistic financial plan.
Understand that your expenses will be in pounds, not naira.
Don’t fall into the trap of endless conversions that make you feel rich, you’ll overspend and end up in debt.
Be disciplined, save, invest and plan for the future.
And if you’re back home, please have empathy, those abroad are not plucking money from trees.
At the end of the day, the UK offers better systems, better opportunities, and a chance for financial growth but it’s not automatic wealth ooo.
It comes with sacrifice, long hours, and plenty of bills.
I say let me put this out here✌️✌️