Work & money

Lagos Life budget calculator

Use the Lagos Life budget calculator to test a furniture purchase or house move against your current cash and the bills still unpaid. A Mushin LAPO example leaves ₦43,600 after an ₦18,000 laptop, ₦2,400 rent and ₦12,000 loan reserve.

Updated

Quick answer

Ending cash = current balance + receipts still to arrive − unpaid costs. Set future earnings to zero for a buy-now test; add a future paycheck only for a plan ending after that paycheck.

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Lagos Life budget calculator

With ₦16,000 cash and ₦2,400 unpaid rent, you have ₦13,600 left before other costs.

Budget calculator: buy now or wait for a paycheck?

For a purchase available now, enter your current balance and set Wages and Other money still to arrive to zero. That tests whether the purchase fits the cash you already have. For a plan ending after a shift, add a chosen net-pay estimate and the costs due before that end point.

Use one game-time period for rent, LAPO repayment, food and travel. A ₦12,000 loan installment due inside that period belongs in the loan field; an installment outside it does not. A paid charge is already reflected in Current cash.

What belongs in each calculator field?

FieldUse this amountLeave out
Current cashThe wallet now, after completed transactionsAn older opening balance unless this is a labelled scenario.
Wages / Other moneyChosen net receipts still to arrive before your end pointA wage, loan or gift already inside the wallet.
Rent / LAPOThe unpaid bill due in this period, including shown arrears or penaltyRent already covered by move-in advance.
Food / Travel / PowerGroceries, quoted journeys or fuel still to buyStocked pantry ingredients and fares already deducted.
Other costsFurniture, medical treatment or the full move-in quoteThe same payment entered in another field.

An ₦18,000 laptop belongs in Other costs. A normal Yaba move’s ₦18,000 quote also belongs there, including the advance and agent fee. Do not add that advance again as an immediate rent bill.

If a wage receipt is already after tax, enter that net amount without deducting the same tax again in Other costs.

Rent and LAPO: check the next collection

Base rent is collected on Saturday from 09:00 and can include outstanding arrears. Enter the unpaid amount relevant to your period, rather than multiplying weekly rent into an assumed monthly charge. A normal move pays two weeks in advance and creates a 14-day covered period; a rent bill already covered by that advance should not be deducted again.

LAPO collections are at least seven days apart and begin from 10:00 when due. The starting terms are ₦72,000 debt with ₦12,000 regular repayments. A missed collection adds a 10% penalty on the current amount due. Read the outstanding figure if you have missed a bill; using only the original weekly payment can understate what you need.

Nepo’s Daddy normally pays rent unless Daddy debt is active. The UNILAG fresher start has different terms and no LAPO loan. Use the obligations shown for your Sim; another player’s example does not determine your loan entry.

Example: a paycheck, commute, rent, and food

Lagos Life budget waterfall exampleA 16,000 opening balance plus a 2,900 receipt, less 150 commute, 2,400 unpaid rent and 500 food leaves 15,850. A bill already included in the starting balance must not be subtracted again.Follow the money through one short planExample amounts · include only bills that are still unpaid.₦16,000Start+₦2,900Receipt−₦150Commute−₦2,400Unpaid rent−₦500Food₦15,850Left₦16,000 + ₦2,900 − ₦150 − ₦2,400 − ₦500 = ₦15,850
Replace the example receipt, fare and food cost with your own amounts. Current cash already includes payments that have arrived.

Choose a scenario with ₦16,000 current cash, a ₦2,900 wage still to arrive, ₦150 travel still to pay, ₦2,400 unpaid rent, and ₦500 food. Leave the other fields at zero. The result is ₦15,850: ₦16,000 + ₦2,900 − ₦150 − ₦2,400 − ₦500.

If you already received the ₦2,900, use your new current balance and set future wages to zero. If the commute already came out before the balance you entered, set that travel cost to zero too. The calculator works from the starting point you give it; the same receipt cannot sit in both current cash and future wages.

Example: can a Mushin LAPO Sim buy a laptop?

A Lagos Life LAPO start in Mushin combines ₦16,000 home starting cash with the ₦60,000 loan, giving ₦76,000 before spending. To test a laptop purchase while reserving the next unpaid bills, enter ₦76,000 cash, ₦2,400 rent, ₦12,000 LAPO repayment, and ₦18,000 in Other costs. With no future earnings or other costs, the result is ₦43,600.

That leaves room for the purchase in this scenario, but food, journeys, and power have not yet been reserved. Add their planned amounts before deciding. Do not enter the ₦60,000 again as future side income: it is already part of the ₦76,000 starting balance. If you have spent money since creation, begin with today’s lower balance instead.

Example: paying Yaba’s move-in charge

At Yaba’s ₦6,000 base weekly rent, a normal move costs ₦12,000 advance plus ₦6,000 agent fee, or ₦18,000 upfront. Enter the current move quote in Other costs. The advance covers 14 days, so leave that covered destination rent out of a short plan unless another unpaid rent obligation also applies.

Keep current arrears, a loan due during the period, and furniture purchases separate from the move quote. See the housing and storage guide for moving and stored furniture. With homes in more than one city, consider each unpaid obligation rather than assuming one move clears every other bill.

A budget surplus is tied to its starting date

A result of −₦4,400 is a ₦4,400 shortfall under your entries. Reduce the proposed purchase, earn that difference first or change the period. A paycheck expected tomorrow does not increase today’s wallet.

A result of +₦4,400 is the remainder after the payments entered. If the plan omits a ₦5,000 return journey, adding it changes the result to −₦600. Run a second calculation with future wages at zero when you want to see the purchase’s reliance on unfinished work.

Your numbers stay in this browser

This calculator runs on your device. It does not connect to your Sim, fetch bills, or submit your balance. Read amounts from the game and enter them here yourself. This Wiki does not store a copy of your inputs. Keep a note of a plan you want to reuse.

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