A couple days ago, my former classmate and friend was wondering how young men who are still in their building or struggling phase manage to cope or sustain a relationship. Because, according to him, money is an integral part of a relationship. I mean, he said, a man cannot escape billing from girls and especially his girlfriend. And he’s right. In his tone, I could read something like “a broke or struggling man has no business with dating or relationship”. This broke man is what Yvonne Funmi calls the non-rich man in her debut “The Non-Rich Man’s Game”.
Now my friend has not stopped wondering: he also tries to imagine how these ‘broke’ young men manage or cope in not just a relationship, but in multiple ones, even to the extent that these women begin to adore and respect them and even spend on them. This feels like these ‘broke’ men are playing some game, right? I thought so, too. But now, after reading The Non-Rich Man’s Game, I have found the answers. And like me, you, too, can.
If you were like my friend, you’d agree with me that money is very important in a relationship. No doubt. But like I recently gleaned from Funmi’s latest book, there is something more, much more important than money that attracts a woman and keeps them. This ‘something’ and everything in between is what Yvonne Funmi demystifies in The Non-Rich Man’s Game in fifteen chapters with ample, relatable illustrations and examples.
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Yvonne Funmi’s The Non-Rich Man’s Game is not your typical relationship advice book. It doesn’t pat men on the back for being providers, nor does it recycle the tired old “just be nice” mantra that leaves so many men confused and frustrated. Instead, it rips the mask off modern dating, exposing truths that are both uncomfortable and liberating.
Right from the first chapter, the book makes its mission clear: women don’t stay because of what you provide; they stay because of how you make them feel. That alone is a wake-up call to countless men who believe that paying bills and showering a woman with gifts guarantees loyalty. Funmi argues—with a mix of blunt storytelling and sharp insight—that presence, confidence, and emotional intelligence matter far more than money in keeping a woman truly invested.
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One of the book’s strongest points is its use of relatable stories. You meet “Tunde,” the nice guy who does everything right yet gets left behind, and “Kene,” the broke guy with charisma who has women doing his laundry with joy. These real-life contrasts hammer home the book’s central lesson: it’s not about having the fattest wallet, it’s about having the right mindset and game.
In The Non-Rich Man’s Game, Funmi doesn’t stop at theory; she arms men with practical tools. From mastering silence as a weapon, to understanding that foreplay starts in a woman’s mind long before it ever reaches the bedroom, to learning the difference between being rich and being rare, I see this book as a forever handbook for any man who’s tired of being overlooked or undervalued.
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What I found most refreshing is how unapologetically direct and honest it is. There’s no sugarcoating, no pandering. It so strongly appears to me that Funmi writes this book from lived experiences, and from her years writing candidly about relationship and lifestyle. The author says things men often need to hear but rarely do: stop begging for closure, stop confusing provision with presence, stop thinking sex is a sport instead of a strategy. Each chapter is designed to shake you out of old beliefs and replace them with strategies that actually work.
Of course, not everyone will agree with the strategies Funmi outlines in the book. Some readers may find the tone a little too sharp or the ideas too daring. But that’s exactly the point, this book isn’t written to soothe egos, it’s written to challenge them. And in doing so, it forces men to think differently about love, sex, and power dynamics.
In the end, The Non-Rich Man’s Game is more than just a dating manual. It’s a manifesto for men who feel they’ve been playing the wrong game for too long. It’s about shifting focus from money to magnetism, from being nice to being smart, and from being common to being rare.
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If you’ve ever wondered why women leave “good men,” why charm beats cash, or how to truly become unforgettable in a woman’s life, this book doesn’t just answer those questions, it dares you to live them.
Bottom line: This isn’t a book you read and put aside. It’s a book you live by. And if you’re brave enough to apply what it teaches, you may never see relationships the same way again.
