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Data from Floatpays, an early-wage payment solutions provider, has found that 76% of South Africans regularly run out of money before the end of the month, and more than half run out halfway through the month.
Although there are many contributing factors to South Africans’ struggle to save and make their money last, Stanbil’s 2020 Saving Report found that the single most important driver of low savings in the country was slowing income growth and a decline in income per capita.
While these two factors are largely affected by external conditions, there is still hope for consumers to put their money back into their own hands and make it stretch. The best way to do this is to take what little income we might have and strike a balance between saving and investing.
One bank that has committed to helping citizens find a balance in their budget is Nedbank. This savings month, the bank conducted a social experiment that gave South Africans a much needed #RealityCheck on what life will look like if they don’t save. The bank took over a restaurant in the heart of the richest square mile in Africa, Sandton, and replaced their usual younger waitrons with paid actors who were past retirement age.
It was only when the bill came that unsuspecting patrons realised that they were part of a social experiment with a very simple and impactful message: most South Africans are not saving enough for retirement.
READ: WATCH | 90% of South Africans don’t save enough for retirement
Savings and tips
Vanesha Palani, Executive of Financial Management at Nedbank says, "Nedbank offer a number of saving vehicles, like the 32-Day Notice account. This allows you to earn higher interest rates as your money grows and enjoy the preferential rates of a digital only account. With the 32-day account, you can access your funds easily and there is no monthly fee; all you need is R250 to open the account."
"Adopting good money management that can help you make ends meet until month end isn’t just about putting money away, it is also about knowing how to use your money wisely."
- Set financial goals: define your financial goals and determine why saving is important to you. Having specific goals, such as saving for a deposit on a house or building an emergency fund, will motivate you to save regularly.
- Create a budget and stick to it:it is important toassess your income and expenses to create a monthly budget. Allocate a portion of your income toward savings each month. Be realistic and start with a reasonable amount that you can comfortably save without straining your finances
- Track your expenses no matter how small: keep track of your spending habits to identify areas where you can cut back. There are numerous apps and budgeting tools available, such as My Smart Money on the Nedbank Money App, that can help you track your money effortlessly
- Minimise debt: in so doing you will be able to put money towards savings and other priorities
- Save and invest: prioritise and build a habit of saving and investing, thereby building a more secure and comfortable future for you and your loved ones, for every life stage.
Reframing banking value
Palani further adds, "another way to make your money stretch is ensuring you mine your day-to-day activities for added value, and this includes your banking products and services. Nedbank’s new transactional suite of accounts called MiGoals helps customers unlock value and benefits from their everyday banking."
For example:
- You have the option for a zero-account fee with the MiGoals account
- Alternatively, you can get great value bundled in transactional accounts such as the MiGoals Plus and MiGoals Premium, with the below benefits:
- Free linked MyPocket that helps you budget and pays interest
- A saving of 50% on Nu Metro tickets
- 25 cents cash back per litre at bp that help combat the high fuel prices
- Over 1% cashback on Grocery and Pharmacy Spend
- Over 50% off monthly fee for your spouse showing the power of a family banking approach
- Up to 12 domestic airport lounge visits per year
When you add all of this up, it literally puts money back into your pocket to help you manage your budget a bit better.
Visit Nedbank HERE to help you Save and invest for the future you want.
This post was sponsored by Nedbank and produced by Adspace Studio
