The Financial Cups Method: Managing Money in the 21st Century

(Bonus - The Project Cup)

Oct 09, 2025

Wait, We Forgot Something! 🤦🏾‍♂️

Omoo, I cannot believe we almost completed this series without properly addressing the Project Cup. You know that feeling when you’re about to sleep and you remember you forgot to lock the door? That’s me right now, except the door is your financial future, and the key is this cup.

How did I catch the missing cup? This is the part that makes me happier. I sometimes write articles and receive zero likes or comments. Naturally, I don’t bother about it so long as it adds value, then I got a DM on Instagram on Wednesday, someone read through everything and then told me I had skipped a cup. The feeling of satisfaction that I got from the fact that people actually follow through was more than a thousand likes! Thank you so much, Ogunlade Micheal. I’ll dedicate this article to you.

The Complete Journey So Far:

So we’ve talked about surviving (operations), giving (generosity), emergencies (the just-in-case), investments (compound interest things), development (skill acquisition), savings (retirement cushion), and leisure (flexing responsibly). But there’s one more cup that deserves its own spotlight.

The Project Cup.

What Is the Project Cup?

This is the cup that holds the money for your big girl/big boy purchases—the things that are not operations, not emergencies, not flexing, but actual life goals that require you to save with intention.

Let me paint you a picture:

You want to buy a new laptop for your side hustle
You need to change your wardrobe for that new job
You’re planning to visit your friend abroad next year
You want to renovate your room
You’re eyeing that camera for your content creation dreams
You need to pay for a wedding you’re in (aso-ebi, gifts, accommodation)
You want to move to a better apartment

These are projects, not emergencies. These are goals, not operations.

Why You Can’t Use Other Cups for Projects

Here’s where a lot of us scatter our financial structure. You’ve been diligently filling your cups, then December comes and you need to:

Buy Detty December outfits.
Travel home for the holidays
Sort family gifts
Pay for that wedding in January

Then you look at your emergency cup and think, “This is kind of an emergency sha, Detty December cannot pass me by.”

NO, KUNLE! STOP IT! 😭

The Cup-Mixing Disaster

This is what happens when you don’t have a project cup:

❌ You steal from your emergency fund (now you’re vulnerable)
❌ You dip into your savings (retirement don’t concern you again abi?)
❌ You use your investment money (compound interest just dey look you)
❌ You raid your operations cup (then suffer till next salary)

Before you know it, the entire cup system has collapsed, and we’re back to vibes and Inshallah.

Projects vs. Operations: The Confusion

Let me clear this up because I know some of you are confused.

Operations (Monthly Recurring):

Food every day
Transport to work
Light bills
Data subscription
Water bills

Projects (One-Time/Occasional Big Purchases):

New phone (not a monthly expense)
Laptop for business
Furniture for your room
Christmas/holiday expenses
Aso-ebi (wedding contributions)
Birthday party expenses
Gadgets and electronics
Travel and vacation
Car down payment
Apartment deposit

You see the difference? Operations are like rent—they come every month. Projects are like buying a fridge—big money, one time (or at least not every month).

The Project Cup in Real Life: Meet Ngozi

Ngozi earns ₦300k monthly. She has been managing her cups well:

Operations: ₦120k (40%)
Giving: ₦45k (15%)
Emergency: ₦30k (10%)
Investment: ₦30k (10%)
Development: ₦30k (10%)
Savings: ₦30k (10%)
Leisure: ₦15k (5%)

Total: ₦300k allocated! Perfect, right?

Then Reality Strikes

In November, Ngozi’s cousin announces her wedding for January. The costs:

Aso-ebi: ₦35k
Hair and makeup: ₦50k
Gift for bride: ₦20k
Transport (out of state): ₦30k
Accommodation: ₦25k

Total: ₦160k

How the Project Cup Actually Works

The project cup is different from other cups because it’s the most flexible and strategic.

Rule #1: Plan Your Projects in Advance

At the beginning of the year (or any time you start this system), list out your known projects:

January: Sister’s wedding - ₦160k needed
March: Buy new laptop - ₦250k needed
July: Travel home for holiday - ₦80k needed
December: Christmas expenses - ₦100k needed

Total for the year: ₦590k

Monthly savings needed: ₦590k ÷ 12 months = ₦49,166 monthly

So Ngozi needs to allocate ₦50k monthly (about 17% of her income) to her project cup to meet her goals.

Rule #2: Adjust Based on Your Projects

Not everyone has the same projects. David might not travel home, so he saves less. Tunde might be saving for an apartment deposit, so he saves more.

Your project cup percentage is personal:

Minimum: 5% (for small, occasional projects)
Average: 10-15% (for regular life goals)
Maximum: 20%+ (if you’re saving for something big like a car or relocation)

Rule #3: Project Cup Can “Borrow” from Leisure

Here’s a secret: Your project cup and leisure cup are cousins. If you have a light year with few projects, you can allocate more to leisure. If you have a heavy project year, you reduce leisure.

But you NEVER touch emergency, savings, or investment cups for projects. NEVER.

The Five-Year Project Vision

This is where financial maturity separates the boys from the men, the girls from the women.

Some projects take years to fund:

Year 1-2: Save for new laptop and phone (₦500k total)
Year 3: Save for professional certification (₦300k)
Year 4-5: Save for car down payment (₦2M)

Your project cup is where you stack funds intentionally for these big moves. This is not your investment (that’s growing separately). This is accessible money for life upgrades.

Common Questions About the Project Cup

“Can I use my project cup for business?”

Yes and no. If you’re starting a side hustle and need ₦100k for equipment, that’s a project. But if it’s your main business operational cost, that should be a separate business operations account (that’s another topic entirely).

“What if my project costs more than I’ve saved?”

Three options:

Delay the project until you have enough
Reduce the project scope (buy a cheaper version)
Reallocate from leisure cup ONLY (not other cups)
Want more articles in your feed?
“My friend’s emergency is not my emergency, but what about their wedding?”

Wedding contributions go to your project cup if planned, or giving cup if unplanned and you choose to help. But if you blow your project cup on someone’s wedding and then suffer for your own goals, you don played yourself.

“Is aso-ebi a project or operations or giving?”

Project cup! Aso-ebi is a one-time expense, not recurring, and it’s for an event you’re choosing to attend. If you cannot afford it from your project cup, you politely decline or buy a regular outfit instead.

The Project Cup Saved My Life (Testimony Time)

I’ll be honest with you—I didn’t always have a project cup mentality. There was a time when my friend invited me to his wedding. I was so excited, bought suit (₦50k), planned the trip, other expenses (> ₦35k), and then... I had a financial breakdown after the wedding, a very long January.

I had three choices:

Miss the wedding (I’m the best man, so no)
Scatter all my financial plans and use my emergency fund

I chose option 3. And you know what happened? For the next 4 months, I was financially vulnerable because my emergency cup was empty. Thank God no real emergency happened, but the anxiety? Sheesh.

If I had a project cup then, I would have:

Known the wedding would cost ₦100k total
Saved ₦50k over 2 months
Had ₦50k buffer for unexpected expenses (like other wahala)
Attended the wedding and handled my January issue stress-free

That experience taught me that life is full of projects, and financial discipline means planning for them.

Your Project Cup Action Plan

Step 1: List Your 2025 Projects (Do This Now!)

Grab your phone notes and write:

Known Projects:

Weddings I must attend
Events I must celebrate
Travels planned
Big purchases needed (gadgets, furniture, etc.)
Events and owambes
Family obligations

Estimated Total: ₦________

Step 2: Calculate Your Monthly Project Savings

Total Project Cost ÷ 12 months = Monthly Project Cup Savings

Example:
₦600k ÷ 12 = ₦50k monthly

Step 3: Adjust Your Cup Percentages

If your projects are heavy, you might need to:

Reduce the leisure cup from 10% to 5%
Increase project cup from 5% to 15%

Remember: Operations, Emergency, and Savings are non-negotiable. You adjust between Giving, Investment, Development, Leisure, and Project based on your season of life.

Step 4: Open a Separate Project Account

Don’t mix your project money with operations or leisure. Separate account, separate purpose.

Platforms you can use:

PiggyVest: Create a “project” savings plan
Kuda: Open a separate “project” pocket
Any bank: Just name it “PROJECT CUP - DO NOT TOUCH”

The Revised Cup System (Now Complete!)

Cup Percentage Purpose Flexibility

1. Operations 40% Daily essentials Non-negotiable

2. Giving 10-15% Charity, family Adjustable

3. Emergency 10% Income loss, crisis Non-negotiable

4. Investment 10% Long-term wealth Non-negotiable

5. Development 5-10% Skills, courses Adjustable

6. Savings 10% Retirement Non-negotiable

7. Project 5-20% Big purchases, goals Very flexible

8. Leisure 5-10% Enjoyment, flex Adjustable

TOTAL: 100% of your income, fully allocated with purpose!

Final Word: The Cups You Can’t Skip

I know some of you read this and thought, “Abeg, 8 cups is too much. I’ll just do 5.”

But here’s the thing: The project cup is not optional. It’s the bridge between your daily life and your future goals. Without it, you’ll keep scattering your other cups whenever life happens (and life WILL happen).

You don’t have to fill all 8 cups perfectly from day one. But you need to acknowledge all 8 exist and plan accordingly.

Start small:

Month 1: Operations + Savings (focus on surviving and securing your future)
Month 3: Add Emergency (prepare for uncertainties)
Month 5: Add Projects (planning)
Month 6 - 12: Gradually add the rest

The goal is progress, not perfection. Don’t wait till January, start in October.

Now the series is truly complete. No more forgotten cups, I promise! 😅

Key Takeaways:

Project Cup = 5-20% of income (based on your goals)
Projects ≠ Operations (one-time vs. recurring)
Plan your projects annually for better financial control
Never use emergency/savings for projects
Flexibility between Project and Leisure cups is okay
Aso-ebi is a PROJECT, not an emergency 😂

Another point to note, any extra cash you earn, probably through side gigs or giveaways, should also be diversified into cups, not spent on impulse.

Series Now Actually Complete: 8/8 Cups Filled ✅

Your financial structure is now unshakeable. Go forth and prosper! 🎊💰

Yours projectedly,
Biodun ✨

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