Khadija Speaks: How to Soft Life on a Hard Budget

By Khadija Yahaya Uthman 

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Welcome to my weekly column Khadija Speaks on Abuja Network News! If you’re new here—buckle up. Every Sunday, I drop the truth, sprinkle it with sass, and serve it piping hot. Trust me, you’ll want to come back next week.

Now, let’s get into it:

Picture this—your account balance is looking like a joke, but your lifestyle dreams are whispering soft girl aesthetic. You’ve been manifesting yacht days, Sunday brunches, and skincare routines that require refrigeration, but all you can afford is Noodles & Prayers™.

Sis, I get it. Nigeria is doing the most right now. Electricity tariffs are high, fuel is acting like a luxury item, and even the price of suya is auditioning for Banana Island rent. But guess what? We’re still gonna soft life—just on a hard budget.

Let’s start with the essentials:

1. Romanticize everything.

You’re not just drinking pure water—you’re hydrating with locally sourced, eco-friendly natural mineral spring essence. That okrika top? Vintage Y2K. That walk to school? A meditative wellness hike (with traffic background noise).

2. Budget like a babe, not a beggar.

Download those free budgeting apps. Write your spending goals in a pink notebook. Use colorful pens. Make it cute. Because if we must suffer, let it at least be aesthetically pleasing.

3. Side hustle or side flex?

Reviewing lipgloss, writing spicy columns (like me), selling thrifted fashion, or even doing soft TikTok vlogs of your day—all are ways to earn small coins. Who says broke girls can’t brand?

4. Prioritize soft joy.

Sometimes, joy is ₦300 groundnut and gossip with your girls. Or a ₦1000 pedicure from that one salon aunty who always says, "Your leg fine but you no dey take care of am." Take care of it, babe.

5. Ignore the pressure.

They’re flying private jets on the gram, but some of them don’t even have bedsheets. I said what I said. Curate your peace. Your soft life isn’t less valid because it didn’t come with a designer tag.

So yes, Nigeria might be in hard mode, but we soft babes don’t fold. We glow. We hustle. We romanticize our chaos. And we laugh through it all—lashes lifting, edges sweatin’, but still serving face.

Catch me next Sunday for another episode of Khadija Speaks right here in Abuja Network News. Until then—spend wisely, slay daily, and never forget: soft life is a mindset.

💅🏾✨