Let’s be real: Detty December is not for the faint of heart or the light of wallet. That glorious, chaotic stretch from mid-December to early January when Lagos transforms into an endless carnival of parties, beach hangs, and reunions with your day ones is absolutely worth it. But if you’re flying in from abroad, the financial reality check can hit harder than that first blast of humidity at Murtala Muhammed Airport.
The culture is unmatched, the vibes are immaculate, and yes, you will spend more than you planned. But here’s the thing: you can do Detty December without returning to your abroad base broke, stressed, and dodging your bank’s overdraft notifications. It just takes strategy, self-awareness, and the confidence to say “I’m not attending” to at least three events.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About
Before we dive into budgeting tactics, let’s address the elephant in the room: Detty December is expensive in ways you don’t anticipate until you’re already there.
- Flights are just the beginning. You’ve booked your ticket months in advance, feeling financially responsible. Great. Now add visa costs if you’re traveling from certain countries, excess baggage fees because you’re definitely bringing back provisions, airport transfers that somehow cost more than your Uber rides for an entire week in Toronto, and the inevitable “dash” at the airport because someone helped you with your luggage.
- The dollar-to-naira mathematics will humble you. Even with a favorable exchange rate, watching your hard-earned foreign currency evaporate is an experience. That ₦50,000 party ticket? That’s real money when you convert it back. That casual lunch at a nice spot? You could’ve meal-prepped for a week abroad with that amount.
- Everyone assumes you’re rich. The diaspora tax is real and it is relentless. Family members need “small something,” vendors quote you premium prices, and your friends from university somehow expect you to fund the third round of drinks because “you’re doing well over there.” The pressure to maintain appearances while protecting your finances is a delicate dance.
- FOMO costs actual money. When your group chat is buzzing about boat cruises, when Instagram stories are flooded with people at Quilox or turning up at private villas in Lekki, when your favorite artist announces a surprise performance, the temptation to say yes to everything is intense. But here’s the truth: you cannot attend every single event and maintain your financial sanity.