How Do I Change My Life With 1000 dollars

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This isn’t click bait. It’s a real question.

I stumbled upon radar last year, and I’ve been an ardent follower. I had to beckon on the community here. Loads of intelligent minds.

I’ll start with a background intro about myself, so as to aid the community consider all factors, before proffering a solution.

PS: This is detailed.

I finished secondary school back in 07. Due to Financial constraints, I wasn’t able to advance. I’m 25. I currently work as a security guard in one of the estates on the island and my job sucks. Every day I live my life in fear. That I may end up, old and broke like my father. My surroundings doesn’t help matters at all. I see peeps my age, or below cruising G-Wagons and I’m like…
I’ve got no skill whatsoever. I dabbled into programming once, but I never really got the knack of it… Every day, I live in constant fear that I’d end up 40 without a reliable means of income.

I’ve never earned above 20k. My current salary is 18k. Just enough for me to feed and get on with life. No savings. This is why furthering my education was hampered.

I had a classmate, back in secondary school. We were really close friends, but we’d lost contact since 08. I reconnected with him recently on Facebook and got to find out that he’d moved to the States and was doing quite well. At some point in our convo, I told him about my difficulties in Lagos and he sincerely promised to help. Last night, he called me up and said he would send me $1000 to start up a small business. He didn’t say it was a loan.

To most peeps here, I would guess $1k isn’t that much of a deal. To me. $1k is everything. For someone who hasn’t handled N50k cash sef.

He hasn’t sent the money yet, but I’m already thinking how I can change my life with the sum. I feel it’s like an opportunity I should not blow.

Starting a small business seems limiting… It’s a risk too heavy for me to play with. I’m like, what if d biz (I don’t even know which biz) fails.

School is also tricky. $1k might take me tuition till 200level… What happens after… Even if It somehow gets me done, who’d want to employ a fresh 30year old grad without the necessary experience. (Perhaps Mark, but I’m not sure I’m a genius)

Acquiring a skill seems to be the right investment… But what kind of skill?

Because of my frequent reading of techblogs; I’ve thought up some “online -aided” (Trying to avoid the word startup) ideas that seem viable, at least to me. I could do some wordpress and get an MVP up and running…

But the risk… I just want to get it right with the 1k. I don’t want to mess up.

Hence my question:
How do I change my life with $1k?

@wkyo I appreciate your incoming gif.
@All. … I’d appreciate your words of wisdom…

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  1. Get an android phone
  2. Open account on www.safaribookonline.com
  3. Get safari queue android app,
  4. (Retracted)
  5. Read as many books as you can lay your hands on
  6. Ask Radar peeps to suggest titles for you
  7. Keep reading while keeping your day job
  8. Just keep reading… Answers will show up :slight_smile:
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  1. Really?
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First, I have to say, your English is quite good for someone that didn’t advance. Sadly, it’s not supposed to be impressive but some university graduates have pretty bad grammar.

Now back to the main subject. It’s not easy to get it right, and given that you don’t have a safety net, you really really have to think things through.

Since you’re interested in startups, maybe you can do something in your current field. You may hate the job, but a startup in the sector might be interesting. Something like a neighbourhood residency management system. Managing records of residents’ and visitors, making custom NFC residency cards, one-push panic buttons for homes etc. It’s worth exploring.

I’m sure guys here might have better suggestions though.

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If you can keep your 1k safely, you should, first you’ll need to learn and that’s what’s going to change your life.

Go and intern at any of the tech startups, there are lots of CEOs and MDs in here that can assist you, but, you will need to show a certain skill that can be developed.

Do you write?
Can you draw?
How elementary is your graphic skill?
What’s your core strength?

P.S - Don’t even look at G-wagon twice, not now, not anytime soon.

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Really touched by this.

Don’t get hung up on the startup zest, it will easily blindisde you from your best possible chance.

You write impeccably well. Maybe @lordbanks has a desk open for a paid internship, or any other here who runs a media gig.

I may be able to throw in an offer later. Just maybe.

Keep your head up. Stop invoking those images that beat you; “That I may end up, old and broke like my father”.

If you must, admit there is a chance of that happening but that you will actively look the other way and make sure it never happens by all the wit and strength left, God helping you!

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At 25 years old with 1,000 USD and a secondary school certificate I would find my way to Libya and cross over to Italy or Spain and start from there. Or I would head to Qatar or Saudi and work in construction.

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Ordinarily, I’d have advised you find something within your current employment sphere that you can enlarge and work on.
But since you don’t like your current job, a paid internship would work.
Also, think about your talents and other things you love doing or are good at, those can also be good areas to look at.
You will definitely get there. Don’t give up.

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Yo @ngc. How long did it take you to write this? This is a real question.

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I’d say, 10 minutes.
Although I didn’t keep count, it could have been more.
Thanks @all for the suggestions.
Key points noted so far:
“Internships”
“Construction Jobs in Qatar”
“Courses on Safari.”

I’m still listening and I’m grateful.

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You write too well not to be educated. I am sure someone reading can get you a job to get started. If you write this good, you shouldn’t be a security guard. Very seriously and honestly. That in itself is a sellable skill. Customer care support that can pay N90k upwards merely requires ability to write and speak good.

If you really, really had written this, I believe the powers of Radar and @lordbanks influence should be able to get you a job by the end of the month. I believe you will be great. For now, I would say you save your $1000. Don’t burn it on any business yet but rather seek employment where you can learn.

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Do away with those negative thoughts blah! Just that can screw things up

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@akindolu is right. Keep the 1k. Fill out this questionnaire.

https://bigcabal.typeform.com/to/wYPG9Q

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Hmmm!! This is so deep! Your prayers have been answered already, thanks to your faith and good works! Well done.

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Please don’t buy any android phone biko… at least not yet…

@ngc dont get caught up in the hype. I don’t think there is any technology startup that would yield immediate source of income with $1000. Any decent developer will charge at least $500, also considering it is your first try at entrepreneurship , you will make alot of mistakes, the money will be gone fast. Here is my advice: Save extra cash and then buy something concrete like a keke Marua or okada. I hear folks make some decent cash with that these days. This will be yur first steps to financial freedom.

whatever you do ensure the cash goes into something concrete, or else you will spend it buying food and fuel for your generator.

If you can make btw 2,000 to 3,000 daily it will be a far cry from 18k monthly. while doing this you can then save or run a degree on the side. and then do a lot of reading.

As per your interest in startups, start a blog, and then register for affiliate marketing with konga, jumia, web4africa.net (web4africa has decent affiliate commissions). This is painless and requires no startup cash… you can post content to your blogs in the evenings… contact that guy who is always telling us about his blog… whats his name anyone?

this is what I would do in your predicament and $1000 in had.

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Update: @ngc

Lemme know when you’ve done it, I can see a ton of people filling out the questionnaire for fun, lol.

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@ngc…Keep the $1,000 as backup. You should definitely start a blog…“Life of a Lekki Gateman” ??

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don’t go to some middle east country to do construction work. abort abort

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@ngc I must also commend your writing skills. @lordbanks will guide you aright in blogging since you already have interest in Tech.

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Sshh…who knew the questions will be so tricky! If I pass, does it mean I’m eligible for a BSc. degree in Memelogy and Zikokoism studies?

@ngc whatever you end up doing next; stay teachable & keep learning. To be honest I don’t know what $1k will do, but I know that asking for feedback in a concise manner (which you’ve done), is a talent on it’s own. You’re talented. You will be fine. Just stay teachable. Good luck!

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