Can ₦10,000 Feed a Family for One Week in Nigeria?
The cost of living in Nigeria keeps rising every day, and feeding a family has become one of the biggest struggles for many households. But here’s the big question. Can ₦10,000 really be enough to feed a family for one whole week?
Last week, I decided to put this to the test. With just ₦10,000 in hand, I headed to the market determined to see if it was possible. Here’s how it went.
1. Planning the Budget
The first step was listing out the basics we couldn’t do without. Instead of buying luxury foods or snacks, I focused on essentials that could stretch over the week.
Here’s what I bought:
5 cups of beans – ₦1,500
2 cups of rice – ₦2,000
Garri (1 small paint bucket) – ₦1,200
Tomatoes, pepper & onions – ₦1,800
Palm oil & groundnut oil – ₦1,500
Small stock of seasoning cubes, salt & spices – ₦700
Vegetables (ugu/scent leaf) – ₦800
A little fish & kpomo – ₦1,500
Total: ₦10,000
2. Cooking Smart
Instead of cooking in small bits daily, I planned meals:
Beans porridge and garri with groundnut for breakfast options.
Rice and stew for lunch.
Vegetable soup with garri for dinner.
Cooking in bulk saved both money and cooking gas.
3. No Eating Out
One of the biggest ways families lose money is by eating out. A simple plate of food for one person outside can cost ₦1,500. Multiply that by four family members, and that’s ₦6,000 gone in one meal! By cooking at home, the ₦10,000 stretched farther.
4. The Reality Check
By the end of the week, the food wasn’t fancy, but nobody went hungry. It was repetitive, beans, rice, and garri most of the time, but it proved that with careful planning, ₦10,000 can feed a small family for one week.
But here’s the truth: it’s not sustainable. The meals lacked variety, and bigger families (or those with young kids) would struggle with this budget.
Final Thoughts
So, can ₦10,000 feed a family for one week in Nigeria? Yes, but only with serious sacrifice, bulk buying, and home cooking.
This challenge opened my eyes to how much we underestimate planning and how quickly money can disappear when we don’t budget.
What about you? Could your family survive a whole week on ₦10,000? Share your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to share this article with friends!
You must be logged in to post a comment.