The big December summer break is here, and plans are being made for holidays, family get-togethers, gifts, and fun activities. But these plans cannot be made in isolation: they need to be attached to a budget. Without a budget, the fun is either not going to happen or it’s going to break the budget to
Christmas day is almost here and while many families are going to financial extremes for this special time of year, numerous South Africans have to make the most of a tight budget. Has 2016 taken its toll on your savings, leaving you stressed about Christmas? Don’t worry there are quite a few ways to enjoy
South Africa’s economic news is understandably making everyone nervous. From recent fraud charges that were laid and withdrawn against our Minister of Finance, high tax rates for 2017 to escalating fuel prices. Although these financial realities are staring South Africans in the face, do not lose hope. There are a few things we can do
Car repossession has a major impact on your life. Everything becomes more difficult – getting to work, getting the kids to and from school, medical emergencies… So you want to hold on to your car as much as you can. But what if you can’t afford the installments anymore? Can the bank immediately repossess your
When was the last time you could look back at the past month and think “wow, I really saved a lot of money!” – And I’m not talking about “saving” money from the 25% discount you received when you bought clothes. No, I’m talking about saving cold hard cash, tucked away in a bank account
South Africans are panicking and holding their breaths while international markets decide our country’s fate. We have recently been thrown with words such as non-investment grade, junk status, and downgrading. But what does it really mean? Why the junk status and where does it come from? There are three international rating agencies including Fitch, Standard
After a few weeks of exciting talks and reviewing Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s Budget Speech, people are starting to have confidence in the economy. Taxpayers, for example, heaved a sigh of relief when the budget didn’t contain any income tax hikes. Consumers do not have to be over-indebted and take out loans to survive on
South Africans are facing radical increases in especially daily living costs and housing in a time of increasing unemployment and poverty. But, in reality, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s 2016 Budget Speech held no surprises… The greatest surprise of the minister’s speech was the fact that income tax rates will not be increased. But, by increasing
National Treasury this week announced changes to tax treatments of retirement fund contributions in provident, pension and retirement annuity funds, which will come into effect from March 2016. These are not the only amendments and most of the reforms are aimed to encourage South Africans to save money in their retirement funds. People are not
The holiday season is just around the corner and people are holding their breaths… 2015 has been a year filled with crazy increases in living expenses. So how do you spend less in December? Our advice… Think twice about spending too much of your hard-earned money during the holiday season. People tend to get carried