Hey Tribe,
What a year this has been so far! With all the hope we had of 20plenty it seems like covid19 has put a damper on things. We had all written down our goals and were ready to smash them. Covid19 has affected life as we know it.
With that being said, I am an optimist at heart and I always believe in looking at things that I can control. Whenever I face a difficult situation, I often ask myself; what can I do about this? Is there something I can control or change? Even with covid19, your goals are still relevant and valid.
If you want to get out of debt, you can still work towards that, if it is to start your savings journey, you can still do that. Even if you start small, it does not matter, just start.
How I have managed to continue to save is because of the principle I have practised since I started working ~ paying myself first. This is the principle I live by; whenever I get paid, I transfer money into my savings accounts or investments.
You see, this has allowed me to also keep my expenses low, because I know that a minimum of 20% should go to my savings and investments first even before I move on to my expenses. If you do not want the trouble of having to transfer money every time you get paid, the best strategy is to automate your savings/investments. With Nedbank, you can do this easily on the Nedbank Money App
By this, I mean that you set up a debit order that goes off your account on the day you get paid. This takes away the admin of having to do it manually, or having ‘something’ coming up that will eventually prevent you from saving and possibly even lowering your transaction costs depending on the account you have.
I know paying yourself first can be challenging especially if you work for yourself; but it is very important because it ensures that you have a buffer for the months when things are slow.
Another way I stay on top of my finances is that I have different accounts for different purposes and I know the goal amount for each. What motivates me to stay the course of saving and investing is that my goals inspire me and I love seeing myself get closer and closer to them with every conscious decision I make about my money.
Does that mean, I never dip into my savings or go on a bit of a shopping spree, nope it doesn’t. Covid19 has affected us in different ways, not just financially but emotionally/psychologically too. And we all have tried to cope in different ways; for example, my money personality type is that under stress I want to spend! So I saw a pattern that throughout the lockdown, I got obsessed with buying stuff for my house, this was a coping mechanism but I nipped it in the butt quickly before it got out of hand.
That is why I always encourage my tribe to know their money personality so you can understand your triggers, and you can do the same HERE
What is your savings and investment goals Tribe? How do you plan on reaching these goals despite of the crisis we find ourselves in? What is your plan to turn your goals into reality?
Let me know?
Comments