11/07/2025
Let’s Do the Math Since You Think It’s Too Easy For Everyone "Abroad". By Chioma Amaryllis Ahaghotu
Since some of you are still arguing on the previous post that “abroad people earn in dollars,” let’s walk through it with real numbers:
Let’s say a Nigerian couple in the U.S.
Husband earns $19/hour, wife earns $20/hour
That’s roughly $3,040 + $3,200 = $6,240/month BEFORE taxes which is automatically deducted via paycheck.
After taxes and deductions (federal, state, Medicare, Social Security), they’re likely taking home about $4,800–$5,000.
Sounds like a lot?
Okay. Now let’s subtract their monthly non-negotiables:
Rent: $2,100 + (They picked this area so their kids can attend a decent public school. In the U.S., school quality is tied to property tax — no money, no good school.)
Car payment, gas, maintenance: $500 (they only have one car, which both parents rely on to get to work)
Groceries for a family of 4: $800
Utilities (electricity, heating, water): $300
Phone & Internet: $200
Health insurance (even with employer help): $500
Childcare or after-school program: $400–$600 minimum (especially if both parents work long shifts)
👉🏾 Total: $5,000+
That’s everything gone , and we haven’t touched school supplies, clothes, emergencies, birthdays, family events, or the money you keep asking them to send home.
This is what many are calling a “better life.”
You see the dollar sign and assume comfort. But the system is structured to take it all back , in bills, taxes, and survival. And for alot of YOUR relatives this is their reality the first few years of their arrival. Some are in school, without the right documentation, some are waiting to take exams.
So when you say, “They should be able to send something,”
Ask yourself: From where? From what pocket?
They’re not stingy. They’re stretched.
They’re not wicked. They’re exhausted.
You’re in Nigeria , maybe staying in a family house, not paying full rent, maybe you have your mum watching your kids. Or you are paying yearly rent.
You cook once a day and stretch the soup for 3 days. You spend ₦500 on okada instead of $80 on gas.
But you still feel entitled to the pocket of someone one ER visit away from financial ruin?
Stop. Just stop.
There’s no shame in needing help. But there’s deep shame in refusing to understand the cost of that help.
If you’re too proud to work the kind of jobs they’re doing,
At least be humble enough to stop demanding their sweat like it’s your right.
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