Who said winter is cold and tedious? It is never too late (or chilly) to apply new financial habits to help you clear old debt. Make the last bit of winter your spending freeze to practice financial fasting by curbing all non-essential expenses. This temporary arrangement can range from a few weeks to a month
Who said you can only set goals every New Year? Not to mention financial goals. No, goals should be a hot topic year-round and that includes financial goals. There is no better way to keep it simple than by keeping it SMART. “S.M.A.R.T. is an ideal framework for setting goals, including financial goals,” says Matthys
As many consumers may have noticed, July is National Savings Month. It is, therefore, the best time to start afresh and rethink savings strategies. Matthys Potgieter, spokesperson, and expert at DebtSafe, believes in the GROW coaching model to achieve his life goals and his savings goals. The GROW model enables everyday South Africans to plan
A personal financial disaster can happen when you least expect it. Although you may feel that the bank, creditors and every other provider are to blame, a combination of your own bad financial habits can ultimately lead to a debt disaster. It is often the small things that you neglect, like repairs, that push your
RECESSION First South Africans received the shocking blow of being downgraded to junk status, then the fuel price increase was announced and NOW consumers are trying to make sense of a curse, yet crucial, word – recession. Recent news about the technical recession is leaving some individuals feeling a bit topsy-turvy at this stage. Just
July is National Savings Month and there is no better time for us South Africans to get proactive with our savings habits. By improving our own savings behaviour and by encouraging others to save we can be the start of a much-admired nationwide savings culture. National Savings Month is an initiative that came about in
Face it, spending a few minutes doing fiscal planning, budgeting and continually improving your finances, cannot be seen as a waste of your time. If, however, you are a first-timer and you can only relate to an unending financial winter, it is time to get your money situation back on track. You are not the
Anyone’s financial situation can change overnight. It is nothing out of the ordinary for unforeseen crises (like retrenchment, divorce, life-threatening illness or an emergency) to occur. This can make it difficult to pay your debt instalments. There are two things that you can get confronted with if you can’t pay for the goods that you
Don’t fool yourself; a personal credit card equals DEBT. When you use a credit card, it feels so easy and it’s so much fun until you get hit by a confused reality – your debt spiralling out of control. You need to ask yourself an important question: Why do you actually want to use a
Having your own garden, garage, braai area and a place to call home gives you peace of mind, doesn’t it? Owning a home is indeed also considered a privilege, but there are things to take note of before you can even think of buying a house. Here are some considerations and certain questions you need