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Cost of settling down climbs up to N2 million

…From preparing for marriage and a family

Settling down in Nigeria can cost on arm and leg, little wonder many eligible bachelors have refused to quit that club. Most guys find their salaries inadequate to cover their daily costs of living not to talk of additional responsibilities of feeding and caring for a wife.

The cost of settling down starts from securing a good accommodation. If the man decides to live in the highbrow area of the Mainland such as Ikeja, Ilupeju, Surulere, Omole Phase I, etc, he must be willing to cough out at least N1 million for a decent apartment.

For an average young man, securing a two-bedroom flat in an area not too expensive would do. Securing a decent two bedroom flat in Surulere, Lagos, costs between N300,000 and N400,000 per annum.

He could chose to settle in other less expensive areas such as Egbeda. He must be prepared to part with N200,000 to N350,000.

The house must be furnished, even if not to taste. It must have a set of set of chairs which costs between N150,000 and N200,000. He will need electronic gadgets such as TV, decoder and fan. To purchase a 20 inch television, one would spend N40,000 and above. Buying a decoder costs a minimum of N5,000 depending on the brand.

His kitchen must also be moderately furnished in preparation for the woman of the house. At least, a cylinder that has a burner atop should be made available. That costs N10,000. A set of cooking utensils and plates would gulp N50,000.

The bedroom must have a wardrobe, a comfortable family size bed, shoe rack and a shelf. He could go for a mattress of N25,000, opt for a shelf worth N45,000 and leave the shoe rack till he can shoulder additional cost.

To get all the above requirements, it means, the man must be gainfully employed. Either he has a white collar job or is a businessman. This is followed by preparations for marriage. He must have a savings account that can shoulder the cost of staging a wedding.

Such expenses include the cost of renting a decent venue. A small but decent hall would cost between N800,000 and N1 million depending on the location. However, if he chooses to stage his reception on an open field, it would cost between N50,000 and 80,000.

Getting a moderate but classy suit for the groom is estimated at N25,000, a pair of shoes goes for N10,000, shirt for N7,000, tie and cufflinks would cost N3,000.

A wedding gown for the bride is sold for N70,000 upwards. She could decide to rent a classy one for N15,000. Getting that wedding shoes she has long dreamt of could cost a fortune but they might go for a less expensive one at the rate of N15,000.

The groom should be prepared to budget N100,000 for photographers, N100,000 for video coverage, the DJ could charge N40,000 while food and drinks is estimated at N300,000. Decoration will cost N50,000. A wedding cake costs N40,000 and another N10,000 for MC.

It is imperative to prepare ahead before beginning a family. There must be some funds to accommodate what the wife would need when she comes home.

A decent apartment moderately furnished and stocked with foodstuff. He must set aside N30,000 to stock the house with food before the bride comes home.

Within the spate of nine months after the wedding, the couple would be preparing to welcome their baby, hence the service of a gynecologist and good medical facilities would be needed.

To register for antenatal in a good hospital, the couple would need N30,000. It covers seeing a doctor and taking antenatal medicate.

The cost of delivery differs from one hospital to another. To have a normal delivery in most hospitals, the couple would spend between N35,000 and N50,000. For ceasarean section, it costs N150,000 to N200,000.

Before the woman gets to this stage, she would have prepared adequately for her baby by buying all it would need on arrival from pram or baby court, clothings, toiletries, diapers, feeding utensils, toys, setting up a baby room, bathing set – the list continues and it would gulp up to N400,000 or even more depending on their choice and the ‘size of their pocket’. They might not spend much for the christening – just a few friends and family members present. For that, they would budget N60,000.

 

Accommodation                  N350,000

Set of chairs                         N150,000

Television                            N50,000

Decoder                                N5,000

Cylinder                               N10,000

Kitchen utensils                 N50,000

Mattress                                N25,000

Shelf                                      N45,000

Wedding venue                  N800,000

Suit                                         N25,000

Shoes (groom)                     N10,000

Shirt                                       N7,000

Tie and cufflinks                N3,000

Wedding gown                   N40,000

Shoes (bride)                        N15,000

Photography                       N100,000

Video coverage                   N100,000

DJ                                           N40,000

Food and drinks                 N300,000

Decoration                           N50,000

Wedding cake                     N40,000

MC                                         N10,000

Foodstuff                              N30,000

Antenatal                              N30,000

Delivery                               N35,000

Baby things                         N400,000

Baby christening                N60,000

Total                                      N1.95 million

  • SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN
Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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