Budgeting and knowing where your money is going is all well and good, but how do you use this knowledge to reach the goal of being debt free? The whole point of budgeting and money management is to help you get in control of your finances, but it’s...
Over the last few weeks I have been working on the Show Your Money Who’s Boss campaign, a collaboration between Maya on Money, City Press and 22seven.com, which required me to test drive the money management app 22seven.com. I had tried out...
Don't fall into the trap of taking on unnecessary consumption debt in a misguided attempt to build up your credit record. Far too many 20- and 30-year-olds are struggling to meet monthly debt repayments, impacting their ability to break the...
I recently required surgery to my ankle after sustaining a serious injury quite a while back. Thanks to this ongoing ankle saga, if I ever want to be able to hike and run again I am going to have to commit to some serious rehabilitation work which...
My husband and I keep a household budget and have done so ever since 2004 when our finances went pear-shaped. It was only by creating a budget and learning to live within our means that we were able to survive when we hit financial Armageddon. Both...
Watch Episode 2 of the Change In your Pocket series for tips on how to draw up a budget. https://youtu.be/x8yK7_RgzyU - Video supplied by BrightRock So you’ve just landed the job of your dreams along with that salary bump that’s going to solve all...
So you’ve just got your first pay cheque and the temptation to go and blow the whole lot on a new wardrobe or a deposit on the car of your dreams will be huge. But you know that you also have to pay those boring expenses like rent, food and petrol....
The One Rand Family project followed the experience of a relatively well-off family living on cash only ‒ in fact R1 coins ‒ for a month. If you haven’t followed the trials and tribulations of the One Rand Family aired on e.tv during July, it’s...
Wikus Olivier, debt counsellor at DebtSafe, highlights a number of common financial mistakes that individuals often make, resulting in debt. However, these can be mitigated if discipline is practised and changes are made in spending behaviour....
Financial Planning Week: 25-29 August CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals Craig Torr, Paul Rossouw, Ian Beere and Laverne Slater will be giving four free financial planning workshops in Cape Town on 26, 27 and 28 August, as part of...
I was recently interviewed by a magazine who asked if it is possible for a family today to live debt-free. My reply was “absolutely”. I believe that because of the proliferation of credit cards and easy access to credit, we have forgotten how to live without debt. If...
“In 2011 after getting advice through City Press I managed to pay off all my debt. I have since gotten married and we bought a house and a car. Now we are in debt and a financial mess. I have two credit cards totaling R27 000, an overdraft of R21 100 plus a revolving...
Putting a personal financial plan into action After writing my review on the South African version of Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, I received an email from a reader who shared his experience of getting his finances in order after reading the US edition of Total...
Isaac shows how with discipline and a goal it is possible to build up a portfolio of properties on a limited salary that will one day pay you an income. It is important however to make sure that you do not over extend yourself and risk losing your entire investment....
One of the questions I am often asked by self-employed people is how to budget. Most self-employed people tend to live in a world of feast or famine. When times are tough they skimp, beg and borrow, but when times are good they spend like the good times will never...
What we can learn from our parents who survived the inflation beast of the 1980’s There is no doubt that our day to day living expenses are becoming increasingly more expensive as necessities like electricity, travel and food take a bigger bite out of our salary each...
Your favourite brand of toothpaste, chocolate, chips, rice or tomato sauce may be costing you the same, but are you getting the same amount of product for your money? As consumers watch their pennies some manufacturers are shrinking the amount of product they put into...
Every year the same tips circulate about how to get your finances in order, but every year they are worth reading. Even if you just follow one tip, it is a step in the right direction. John Manyike, head of financial education at Old Mutual suggests the following...
The head of consumer education at one of the banks was blowing off some steam earlier this week as she lamented about how people never plan for the festive season. “This is an annual event, we know we will be spending money, this does not come as a surprise yet every...
When my husband opened his FNB account at the end of last year he opted for a "Bank Your Change" savings account which is linked to his transactional account. Each time he uses his bank card, the transaction is rounded to the nearest R5 and the difference is credited...