Doughnuts or Crackers?
Doughnuts or Crackers?
+Fill in the Gap
Doughnuts or Crackers?
If you’re very hungry at work or school and need something to fill you up, but you can only afford snacks, would you choose: Doughnuts or Cracker (biscuit)?
A study conducted at the University of Sydney, Australia said Crackers would fill you more than Doughnuts
Do you agree?
Well, you’ll need to join the next set of volunteers in constructing another Satiety Index.
The Satiety Index is a tool that assesses the capability of various foods to provide a feeling of fullness. The study compared the satiety value of different foods, and it is evident that some foods are more effective in satisfying hunger than others.
When it comes to satisfying hunger, protein is considered the most effective nutrient due to its energy density and ability to provide long-lasting fullness. Carbohydrates are also a good option. Surprisingly, fatty foods are not as filling as many people assume.
This is good news for those trying to lose weight. High-fiber foods are also a great choice as they are filling and contain fewer calories, the study noted.
“Generally speaking, foods that rank high and satisfy your hunger for a longer period of time are foods with high protein, -water- and/or fiber content. These foods will help make you feel full, literally by filling your stomach, and with a full stomach you can more easily avoid nibbling,” the study noted.
The Satiety Index helps you choose filling, slimming foods instead of fattening ones. Eating smartly and knowing about the index can keep you on track with your diet goals. The index helps you find slimming foods that satisfy your hunger for a longer period.
“Fatty foods are surprisingly not filling, even though people expected them to be.
Best news for low food budgets!
Rent Wise
So, in other news, Nigerians living in rented apartments spend over 40% of their income on house rent, which exceeds the United Nations’ recommended range of 20-30%.
This is largely due to the high housing deficit which has worsened by 300% from 7 million in 1991 to 28 million in 2023.
Housing ranks alongside food and transport as people’s most essential needs.
The moment your rent exceeds 25% of your income, you should start considering some smart pocket science.
While alternative housing options may not be readily available, an honest review of your personal budget can work wonders. What percentage of your income do you spend on rent, food, transport, groceries and other essential needs? What percentage do you save?
The 50/30/20 budget rule recommends spending only 50% on essential needs—which covers and not limited to rent, groceries, insurance and health care and utilities, 30% on wants and 20% on savings.
This rule suggests that 50% of your income should adequately cater for your essential needs which include rent and other things.
For instance, getting a modern apartment on the Island is beautiful but if it strains your budget, why not consider affordable housing options in descent areas in the mainland and commit the extra funds into savings that may afford you a descent home either through mortgage or direct purchase.
Although the demand for housing and its delivery is predominantly influenced by both the public and private sectors, making smarter housing decisions personally is essential.
While we wait for the government to address the increasing housing deficit, we can focus on fixing our rent/mortgage budget.
Cooking Gas: Buy more, Spend Less
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), is used in Nigeria mostly as a cooking fuel. The unrelenting inflation in cooking gas prices further strains pockets as people spend more to refill their gas cylinder(s).
However, data has shown that, amid inflation on cooking gas, Nigerians can still save more in their pockets if they are strategic about their cooking gas purchases.
An analysis of NBS Data shows that one can save a few thousand bucks if one fills a 12.5kg gas cylinder at once instead of buying in retail of 5kg or less, especially from vendors who keep retail stocks.
People in 26 states and the FCT, who bought 12.5kg of cooking gas at once saved between N36 and N3,741 than those who bought it in smaller retails of two 5 kg and one 2.5kg.
Residents in Lagos save the most with N3,741 each time they fill up a 12.5kg gas cylinder instead of buying in smaller retail.
However buying in bulk seemed to cost more in the other 10 states, NBS data implies. It appears difficult to cheat the price of cooking gas in Cross River, Kogi, Ondo, Abia, Ekiti, Enugu, Nasarawa, Delta, and Edo States.
The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), said the cause of sharp increases in cooking gas prices resulted from vessel scarcity, increase prices of foreign exchange and oil.
This matters to people’s pockets because the number of people using gas as their cooking fuel keeps increasing yearly.
Kerosene: Where to Use it
Hey, if you’re living in Bayelsa and Kaduna States, you could still be saving some extra bucks by cooking with kerosene!
Do you care to know why?
Next to the problem of how to get food (Agricultural+Economics) is how to cook it (Health+Economics). The latter poses a new set of questions for those who have to choose between using firewood, charcoal (coal pots), briquette, kerosene stoves, cooking gas, or heat cookers, etc.
For those who cook with kerosene stoves, here’s the economics:
Kerosene is cheaper in Bayelsa State than in 34 states and the FCT. What more? The price decreased further last month, the NBS’ National Household Kerosene Price Watch (December 2023) informs.
In Kaduna too, Kerosene is cheaper than in 33 states and the FCT, and this price still got cheaper last month.
Delta has the cheapest kerosene price of all 36 states and the FCT, but the price increased slightly by 5.8% from an average of 3,057 per gallon in November 2023 to 3,234 per gallon last month.
If you’re living in Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Zamfara, Edo, and Kebbi States, you’ll save more of your pocket budget on kerosene per gallon than anywhere in Nigeria.
In these states and another nine, namely, Bayelsa, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Gombe, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ondo, and Kwara States, kerosene, measured in gallons, was cheaper than in previous months.
For those in Benue, you might even be buying it cheaper than it was this time last year.
On average, the price of kerosene decreased in Nigeria last month compared to the month before it (less in December 2023 than in November 2023).
This is due to the marked decreases in these 15 aforementioned states.
For instance, in Benue, the average price of kerosene reduced by 23.6% from N5,017 per gallon in November 2023 to N3,833 per gallon last month.
Kerosene prices increased in the remaining 21 states, and the FCT with the highest increase in Oyo State.
Data shows that the states with the highest average price of kerosene retailed in gallons are Bauchi, Lagos, and Ekiti States, in decreasing order.
So, if you live in these 3 aforementioned states, you may be battling with not only high prices of kerosene but also increasing prices of kerosene.
Of course, the states with the lowest prices of kerosene retailed in gallons are Delta, Bayelsa, and Kaduna States.
Fill in the Gap
As multinationals and big businesses begin to leave Nigeria, they leave with them a trail of opportunities for small businesses to thrive.
Unilever Nigeria plc, one of the oldest manufacturing companies, has ceased production and sales of its home care and skincare products which include omo, sunlight and Lux since December 2023.
The company revealed that it leased its factory to a third party.
This decision opens opportunities for households to engage in the production of affordable skincare and home care products which usually do not require huge capital to start up.
Households can consider the production of personal care products such as perfume, toothpaste, and personal hygiene products as a lucrative source of primary or secondary income.
Good thing is: There’s a ready market for it!
Survey conducted by statista shows that there’s an increase in the use of skin care and personal hygiene product with 72% and 65% usage.
NAFDAC has rolled out measures to assist micro and medium enterprises(MSME) mitigate the increased cost of running their businesses, especially after the removal of all fuel subsidies. The review marked a significant reduction in processing fees for product registration renewals.
Specifically, there is a 65% decrease for locally manufactured products, bringing the fee down to N44,200. For foreign products, the processing fee is reduced by 45%, now standing at $450. These adjustments represent a more affordable cost compared to the current charges for both categories. This will enable ethical business practices under the supervision of NAFDAC.
If good looks and a fresh scent are everyone’s desire. Body care products are everyone’s business!
This edition of Pocket Science was composed by Kafilat Taiwo, Funmilayo Babatunde, and Tope Moses. It was edited by Oluseyi Olufemi.