Effectively managing your debt is one of the best and most proactive ways of ensuring a sustainable financial future. It is deeply gratifying knowing that you’re doing something right when you see your debt shrinking! The journey of exploring the best ways to manage your debt can improve your attitude and enthusiasm towards settling it. Instead of seeing it as a burden to your financial goals, you’ll recognise that it’s an inspiring investment towards your financial […]
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We never plan to get ill
When we think about our own future, considering our goals and dreams, we generally think of a future where things will be better; where everything works out. And so, a big part of our planning revolves around how we can achieve these goals and dreams. From the finances we need, to the qualifications we should complete, career path and connections we need to make. We don’t plan for things to go wrong. When it comes to […]
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Are you a savings statistic?
Most Sub-Saharan African countries are chronic ‘dis-savers’. But, you don’t have to be. Before we look at the options, let’s take a snapshot of recent events. Last July, the South African Savings Institute gave the country a wakeup call when it said that the average household rate had fallen from 0.5% per month in 2018 to 0.4% in 2019. While 2020 figures are not out yet (at the time of this blog) anywhere in the continent, […]
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The long haul
Saving is not just about a plan – it’s a behaviour. Part of this behaviour is rooted in our mental ability to overcome our own fears. We reduce these fears by mentally preparing for life goals and recognising that we have what it takes to achieve them. Mentally preparing for long term savings is like preparing for a long-distance race or a trip. You start exercising today so you can cope with the physical demands of […]
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An honest approach to prevent failure
Honesty is the fastest way to prevent a mistake from turning into a failure. James Altucher Honesty is not just about telling the truth, it’s about being real with yourself. We all make mistakes, it’s a human tendency. Accepting our mistakes allows us to reverse-engineer the steps that led us to that outcome and reroute it to a path of success. Sometimes we convince ourselves that we don’t deserve a favourable outcome or that we are […]
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Soup’s on ain’t a soupçon!
As the days draw shorter, the sun stays hidden for longer and the colder weather encourages us to hibernate away, coupled with constrained financial conditions, we can be forgiven for falling into the trap of thinking smaller, trying to save both money and energy. When it comes to cooking for the family – here’s a great idea to stretch out a little, as if the sun is shining warmly again. Soups! They are jam-packed with vitamins […]
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Removing clutter from your financial decisions
We dive not to escape life, but for life not to escape us. Unknown What is the difference between a good dive and a great dive? Usually it’s a matter of meters – not in terms of depth, but in terms of visibility. With World Ocean Day being this month we thought it would be appropriate to reflect on the deep blue sea. Underwater visibility is measured in two ways: horizontally and vertically. The horizontal visibility […]
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When Rona hits your wallet
Whilst we may try our best to keep our bodies safe from the flu – we may overlook the sluggish money myalgia that can hit us around this time too! You might have financial flu… Every winter our communities are hit by different strains of coronavirus (root of the common cold and flu). COVID-19 is the latest strain that initially impacted our health systems, and then quickly affected our financial systems and virtually every other area […]
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It’s not always about being in agreement
Honesty may not get you a lot of friends, but it will always get you the right ones. John Lennon When was the last time you took a close look at the people you are surrounding yourself with? It is easy to fall into the routine of only associating with agreeable people. Naturally we always want to hear that what we are doing is the right thing. But we can’t be right all the time, and […]
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How to emotionally distance when investing in tough times
Current investors have seen more ‘interesting times’, more black swans and market freefalls, than any other generation gone before. From the 2008 global financial crisis, followed by the longest bull run in history, to Brexit, several downgrades for South Africa and then the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s investors have run the gamut. Their emotions have run the gamut too, whether they realise it or not. Our brains on investing Like being chased by a lion or falling […]
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