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Good Money Management Tips to Protect your Future

The pandemic has admittedly done a number on some of us and our money. It came unexpected and nobody knows how long until a vaccine is found. Though some of the countries are slowly moving towards opening their economies, our pockets have undoubtedly felt the pinch.

If you’re an avid spender on things you ‘absolutely must have’ or enjoy going rampant on sales or specials, well, then grab a cuppa and notebook. We’re about to get real about some of our nasty (or savvy) money habits and look at some hacks to help us navigate towards a money relationship that is as healthy as our laid edges.

What does smart budgeting look like?

It is up to you to decide how you’re going to split your funds, take time out to make a tally of the activities you have planned with your girlfriends, the commitments you have agreed on with bae and the spoils you’ve got up your sleeve for the tiny humans- or just some funds for the everyday needs. Let’s not forget that we’re intentional queens. So this includes that stash you’ve set aside for intentional self-care Saturday or Sunday.

If we’re to piece this puzzle together, we need to unbox it first. Let’s see what this looks like:

Budget planning

From a horizon perspective, have a 3-month or 6-month projection in terms of what it is that you would like to do. Think about how much accessibility you’d like in terms of the cash component of your budget.

Tracking your monthly spend

Take stock of the accounts you have, transactional, savings or any investment accounts you have in your arsenal (retirement annuity or shares). Pay yourself, honey! Set aside some money for your savings/investments, your future self will thank you. Shed some of that debt weight, sis. If you can inject a little extra towards your credit agreements, go for it, this will help ease the strain of the interest rate and you can pay the debt off faster.

Then look at how much you spend on average per month, and if you can make changes and reduce the spend list. If you can do this? Kudos to you! This means you’ll have more cash flow available.

Checking (and improving) on your credit status

A considerable part of being savvy is knowing exactly where you stand financially. How you can gear yourself up for the power shift, is to know what you have and what offers are available to you. This is not only so that you improve your credit score for creditors, it is so that you can make an informed decision about your money moves.

Here are 2 sites in South Africa that offer a free credit status for you, check them out:

If you’re outside South Africa, you can find similar sites in your country.

Is there value in having a Money Coach or a Financial Advisor?

Whether you’re mulling over the idea of purchasing property, getting a car or investing, you should always be thinking about how you can get more bang for your buck.

Do not be afraid to ask questions- there can never be a silly question when it comes to how to manage your funds better. Click To Tweet

You can keep yourself on track and accountable by having someone to help you make the right decisions based on your current reality. Having someone in the know helps to eliminate the pain points of navigating the terrain. Your coach or advisor will assist with your financial ABC’s.

Before you look for an advisor, you need to know what you want out of the relationship. Have an idea of what your state of monetary affairs looks like. Doing this groundwork means you will be able to get the most out of your initial session.

Start documenting what it is you’re looking for. Do not be afraid to ask questions- there can never be a silly question when it comes to how to manage your funds better.

Being smart about your expenditure is especially important in the current context and it shouldn’t take a pandemic for us to get this right. Either way, we’re thankful for the grace of learning through lived experience. The benefit of having a coach or advisor is that the pressure is removed from you and you get to have a professional as your sounding board. They’ll offer guidance and help unlock your financial prowess or potential.

Stay pushing to arm yourself with the knowledge you need to plan for your future. Continue to share your money experiences with your girlfriends. Eventually, we can shift the conversation from being inactive participants in our financial lives to owning the narrative.

We can shift the conversation from being inactive participants in our financial lives to owning the narrative. Click To Tweet

Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and geared towards motivating a more hands-on approach to your money habits. This is derived from my experience personally and as someone who works in the Financial sector. For a tailored financial or a specific needs analysis, you should contact a financial advisor or money coach.

Ready to crowdfund using social media? Read this first

by Tiisetso Gama

Crowdfunding is no longer the buzzword it was in 2006. Social media has undeniably taken over and changed the way we interact and connect online. Gone are the days when discussion forums were the go to tool for getting numerous opinions. Crowdfunding by definition is, “the practice of funding a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.”

This is basically asking strangers around the world to help you get your project or campaign off the ground by financing it as a collective. Not only does this mean you’ll have the necessary capital to get going, but you will also have peace of mind. Through the indirect market research crowdfunding provides, you’ll know that a community of backers believe in your service or product.

The average person has 5 social media accounts, this means you have a few options on how to get your message across. Sometimes, all you need is a quick update on any platform and you will be flooded with an array of responses from your followers, catapulting your crowdfunding plans into the stratosphere. The next step is knowing how to harness the power of those platforms to bolster your crowd funding efforts. However, there are dos and don’ts when it comes to crowdfunding. You’ll need to ensure that people don’t view your suspiciously while ensuring long term success beyond the initial campaign.

Build a good foundation before the launch

30% of your donations will come from people you know. With this in mind, you need a solid network of people you have already been connecting and engaging with online before launching your campaign. This could take months so make sure you are ready to put in the work. There is no shortcut to a strong social following of engaged users.

Even more important is to ensure that you have the ‘right’ kind of followers. Through a great social media strategy, you can discover people who have shared interests. These are those will be more likely to support your cause.

Don’t rely on one platform

It’s very easily to rely on one platform. You may think your Facebook friends know you well and will support you but avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. Pick the right platform based on where your audience is, where you receive the most engagement and where you will be able to monitor things easily.

Rather than using your personal profile (which could get spam-like towards your friends and family), start a separate page for your campaign and get people to like and follow it for updates. You can also have a separate page for yourself. This way people can see the woman behind the campaign, you never know, it will probably be one of many projects you undertake.

Content is king

You need consistent and engaging content in order to stay current and pull in the crowds. Your copy should be punchy, to the point and shareable in order for the word to spread. Use rich imagery where you can, as well as other content types such as infographics, videos, podcasts etc. Share updates and milestones in order to keep the excitement going among your backers. Keeping content consistent and frequently updating will ensure you stay on top of people’s minds.

Don’t jump the gun

Asking for money right away makes you seem greedy and desperate. These two words can taint your campaign. How you frame your requests also matters, no one wants to feel like you are begging them to send money your way. Refrain from, “Please give 30 dollars to my campaign.” Instead go for subtle ways of encouraging support such as, “Could you be my next backer?”

Listing the amount of money you require in your update might seem daunting to someone who only has a little to give. Rather, post a link to your landing page where people can decide for themselves how much to give.

At the end of the day, even if you don’t reach your required amount through crowdfunding, you will still have a great community of people who believe in your ideas. Don’t ditch them. Instead, thank everyone for their efforts and keep doing what hooked them in the first place (consistency, remember?). You never know when your next bright idea might come and you need them again.

Have you run a successful crowd funding campaign? Let us know in the comments section below.

For young African women II: How to build wealth at every stage of your life

by Omilola Oshikoya

In Part One of How to Build Wealth at Every Stage, I discussed how to build wealth at the younger stages of life, from childhood to 19 years old. Here I discuss how to build on those stages.

Stage 3: The Young African Woman

This is known as the accumulation stage and is typically between ages 20-30/35. At this point, a person has just graduated or has started working and has some disposable income. Income is typically larger than expenses at this stage. Some may live with their parents while some may begin to consider getting their own accommodation.

This is also a stage when people begin to think about settling down etc. This is the best time to begin to develop a personal financial system. The earlier you start the more time you have for your money to grow and enjoy the benefits of compounding.

I love Albert Einsteins quote which says “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it…he who doesn’t pays it”. Basically, compounding interest simply means that the money you earn as interest is put back into your account or investment thereby allowing your money to grow faster. An individual at this stage should develop a savings and investment culture, learn and practice the principles of personal finance which is budgeting and also consider setting up an emergency fund. In terms of investing, this is a good time to invest in riskier assets and take advantage of long term growth opportunities.

You can also begin to buy valuable jewelry like gold, which appreciates over time and can be sold when cash strapped. It is very important to withstand peer pressure at this stage. Focus on your vision and goal.

Key things to consider at this stage include:

Have a vision board
Set financial goals
Prepare monthly budgets
Establish a savings culture
Invest in the stock market
Pay off any debts accumulated in University such as student loans, credit card debts etc
Invest in yourself.
Start a business

Stage 4: The African Woman

This is called the Consolidation stage and is typically between ages 30/35-55. At this stage your expenses are rising higher than your income. You may be married or starting a family. You may have moved out of your parents’ home and live on your own. Needs include education for kids, rent, mortgage, planning for retirement, higher education etc. Financial discipline is required at this stage.

It is important to be strict with budgeting and not forfeiting savings and investments. In terms of investment it is also important to begin to diversify your portfolio. This is also a good time to take some risks depending on the side of the spectrum you fall on.

Key things to consider at this stage include:

Set up an education trust fund
Buy land and or get a mortgage
Health insurance
Life insurance
Build up your assets
Plan for retirement
Create multiple streams of income
Invest in yourself

It is also important to note that you are never too old to dream. Mrs Betty Irabor started her magazine at this stage. Mo Abudu started her tv station, Ebony Life TV in her late forties.

Stage 5: The Older African Woman

This is called the retirement stage and is age 55 and above. At this stage most individuals would be getting ready to retire or be retired. In most cases there is no steady income except from pension allowances. Needs include healthcare, retirement home, and vacation, maintaining a standard of living, estate planning and leaving a legacy.

A woman who was financially intelligent in her younger years will enjoy this stage. She may have set-up a business that is running on its own and therefore be enjoying the fruits of hard work during her youth.

This is also a time to ensure you are fulfilling purpose and at this stage you may even start a new business.

Please note that these age ranges are just a generic template and not cast in stone. Individuals may past through these stages at different ages.

Once you have determined the stage you are in your financial life cycle, it is important to set financial goals and to determine action steps required to achieve your goal. An important point is to ensure that you create a plan to achieve this goal and that your plans are as flexible as possible.

For example you could have a goal to set-up an emergency fund of 6 months’ worth of living expenses by 30/12/16.

Action Steps:

∙ Track spending

∙ Create a budget

∙ Pay-off all outstanding debts

∙ Reduce excess spending on eating-out and eat home-cooked food

∙ Reduce spending on aso-ebi

∙ Set up direct debit with bank

What are some of your goals for your financial future? What phase of life do you find yourself in? Could you begin to implement some of these key elements now?