Thanks for dropping by Safe Investing South Africa. I am on a journey to build wealth my way. For any questions or comments, feel free to contact me.

30 May 2019

MONTHLY SAVINGS CHALLENGE

Since I posted the daily savings challenge plans two posts ago, a few readers requested that we embark on a monthly savings challenge as well. It makes perfect sense as most of my readers get paid once a month.
monthly savings challenge
Anyway I also want to thank all of you for joining the savings drive. Those who follow us on Facebook have sent amazing messages. Remember to like our Facebook and our Instagram page. It is easier to inspire and encourage each other in social media platforms. And our hashtag is off course #SavingCommunitySA because we are building a community of savers.
We will once again choose the plan we are comfortable with from the four in this article. By the end of the month or whenever we get paid, we will open our emergency (or any) fund accounts. We will post the suitable accounts here for each reader to choose. The 24 hour (one day) notice account requires about R500 initial investment. The ETFs require about R300 per month. Please remember that each plan has our investment or own contribution and no interest added. We will save everything in interest bearing accounts or stocks.

Know your WHY. Are you saving towards building:

  • Emergency fund.
  • Children school fees fund.
  • Deposit on their home.
  • Deposit on their car.
  • Investment for retirement.
  • Investment for passive income.
  • Business capital.
  • ETC.

 I wish us all the very best in this monthly savings challenge. Keep pushing.

28 May 2019

GET FEATURED ON SAFE INVESTING SA


We would like to have you get featured on Safe investing SA.
Safe Investing SA has, since 2011 been inspiring readers to do better, live better, attain financial freedom, spread their wings, get that extra income, diversify their portfolio, excel at their jobs, raise level-headed children and just be better citizens. For eight years we have built a community of doers and influencers. Some of our readers are successful investors, entrepreneurs and have built various streams of income.
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In the aim to continue promoting a debt-free lifestyle, financial freedom, and a great lifestyle community we would love to publish your story. Have you changed careers, started from the bottom up, started a business, paid up debt, saved and invested for retirement or any cause at all? Please share your story and inspire our financial freedom community.

Calling all:
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Freelancers
  • Career persons
  • Investors
  • Debt Free Enthusiasts
  • Early retirees
  • Wealth builders
  • Anyone with a story.
Let us learn from your journey in order to grow and be better. Let us also support your hustle. Get featured on Safe Investing SA today.

Email: editor@safeinvestingsa.com

Facebook: @safeinvestingsa

Instagram: @safeinvestingsa

27 May 2019

DAILY SAVINGS CHALLENGE

This daily savings challenge is my idea of fun. I know, I'm even more boring in real life. Get over it people. Here goes the fun. We have six daily savings plans for you to choose if you are joining. I so hope you are. We are saving up to R150,000 (about $12,500) per year each. This is an accountability stokvel and savings club of sorts.

How it Works:
We will each choose the plan we are comfortable with from the six listed below. We will then save our daily amount mentally and leave it wherever it is. We will then open our emergency (or any) fund accounts in 2 weeks time. The 24 hour (one day) notice account requires R500 initial investment. The ETFs require about R300 per month. Please remember that each plan has our investment and no interest added. We will save everything in interest bearing accounts or stocks.

Some of our readers are saving towards building their:
  1. Emergency fund.
  2. Children school fees fund.
  3. Deposit on their home.
  4. Deposit on their car.
  5. Investment for retirement.
  6. Investment for passive income.
  7. Business capital.
  8. ETC.
Remember, depending on each one's needs, one can save in a notice account, money market account or invest in exchange traded funds (ETFs) for better returns. For those who prefer a monthly plan, we'll work on a few options for the beginning of next month. For now, choose from one of our daily savings challenge plans below.

daily savings challenge
This is our basic daily savings plan. You may just save R280 per week. If you convert it into a monthly savings plan, you will save less because there are a few extra weeks in a year. A year is not made of exactly 4 weeks per month. Keep records of this and follow us on Facebook to keep track of where we are.

daily savings plan
 Above is the double of the basic plan. A number of the readers can spare more than the R500 per week. Remember again that if you convert it into a monthly savings plan, you will make less because there are a few extra weeks in a year. Keep moving with us.
And now we look at half of the basic plan. Students and young professionals who are starting out might go for this plan. The most important part of building wealth is consistency. We are developing a culture of saving here more than anything.

Below are R50K to R150K daily savings plans.

All the best to you. I will keep reminding all of us on our Facebook page. Stay tuned.

23 May 2019

BASIC FINANCIAL PLAN

The logical step, following the previous post on financial independence is drawing a basic financial plan. Wouldn't you agree? We are unpacking ways to reach financial freedom. It is as much a journey for me as it is for my readers. I am also investigating the best ways to improve on how I handle my finances, how I save, how I invest, how I diversify and balance my portfolio, how I build various streams of income and how I  plan to eventually retire comfortably.

basic financial plan
Let us look at the very basics of financial planning and set some milestones together. Like both our Facebook and Instagram pages to follow my progress whilst you work on your own plan. I am right now growing my medium term savings.
Oh well, let us dive right into our exercise by firstly taking stock of where we are.

1. My Assets (What I own):
The beginning is how our finances look at the point of this review. We start with what we own. There are broadly 4 asset classes that we will use for this exercise. We are not going to break the assets down to sub categories. Check the examples in the third column below to get an idea.

Asset Class Asset Description Examples
Cash Cash is generally short-term and low-risk in nature. My shortest term account is the one day notice account. Money market, notice accounts, savings, etc
Bonds Savings bonds is money one lends to government or an institution that needs to raise funds. This is also low risk. Government or company issued bonds.
Real Estate Property investment for holding, leasing and/ or flipping. This is obviously my weakness. Residential, commercial and real estate investment trusts (REITs).
Shares, Stocks or Equities Company shares in the stock exchange or even offshore. This is easier than most people imagine. Individual stocks and/ or exchange traded funds (ETFs).


2. Debt (What I owe):
The next step in drawing a basic financial plan is listing liabilities or what we owe. This has to be the most scary step. No stress though, a problem identified is as good as conquered. 
  • Homeloans or Mortgages are more longer term debts that we have. Get the exact amounts owed to banks and add them up;
  • Short to long term loans;
  • Car loans;
  • Credit cards and other revolving debt like retail store accounts;
  • Any other debt.


3. Net Worth (What I am worth):
This is where we add up all our assets and subtract our liabilities (debt) to get an idea of how much we are worth. Not to be fazed though, a negative net worth can still be rectified. 

4. Setting Financial Goals
Now that we have an idea of how much we are worth, let's go ahead and set our finance goals. How far do we want to grow our net worth? Are we looking at developing passive income, diversifying our portfolio for more streams of income, invest for a comfortable retirement? What to we want to achieve? What is our basic financial plan?

5. The Plan and Strategy
  • My main focus has always been on paying myself first. This involves saving before spending, growing funds for various purposes like emergencies, saving for larger purchases like cars, etc.
  • Drawing and sticking to a monthly spending plan or budget. It's not that hard really.
  • Paying consumer debt off, including credit cards, retail cards, cars, mortgages, etc.
  • Reviewing the essential policies like life insurance. This is a need when one has dependents.
  • Reviewing funds for retirement, including the retirement annuity. Learn how to maximize the RA.
  • Growing savings for children's education.
  • Growing the investments for a balanced portfolio. Are you happy with your stocks, bonds, savings, real estate investments, etc.
Please share your own personal finance strategies in the comment below, on Facebook or Instagram.

22 May 2019

FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE

I thought a refresher post on financial independence makes sense, in light of new developments in my life. I finally quit my part time job over a year ago. I am not retired yet but I only work on what I enjoy working on at any given time. I realize that I have almost reached the goal I had set from the very beginning. That of living my life in my terms.

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financial independence
A lot of people have ruled early retirement out as a dream that is impossible to achieve. They are so wrong. Anyone can achieve the state where they have enough wealth that they do not need a job or any form of paying work. How lovely it must be to know that you own your time and thus your life. But even better, how exciting it is to believe in that possibility and claiming it for your life. Make that happen for yourself. You are so deserving.

I am very proud of myself for being so close to my idea of reaching financial independence. I am so close, I can almost touch it. I will break down how I am ensuring that I will reach the ultimate goal and retire or do whatever I want to do with my life. Travel would be very nice. Every single strategy listed here is within our control. We are not building castles in the air.

1. Lowering Expenses.
Most of my readers are fortunate enough to have formal employment and therefore an opportunity to save and invest. We all know by now that we should pay ourselves first and only spend after. We also need to know what our priorities are and cut costs on any expenses outside those. I love going to a beauty spar and not so much eating out. However, with my current setup of working from home, I have decided to go out for coffee every week and rather cut on doing my nails. I have not visited my nail technician in six months. I will probably stretch it to a year or longer. I paint my own nails. That is already saving me some R400 per month. I will survive my healthy natural nails. I know I am trying hard to convince myself.

2. Building Multiple Streams of Income.
I am currently using all the skills in my possession to earn some income. I am a personal finance speaker, as I'm sure you can imagine. I also do some technical economic work to keep my brain active and of course earn some income. My speaking assignments used to be for free. I have started charging a fee as I need to take valuable time to prepare. And of course the property income which is the main source of my income. Writing is still a hobby but definitely not for long.

 3. Investing in High Return Vehicles.
Apart from real estate, the stocks are an amazing way to grow one's equity. I am still a huge fan of exchange traded funds (ETFs). I am diversifying with a number of off-shore options. ETFs is one of the most exciting investment tools. It is relatively easy as management is fully outsourced.

4. Building Passive Income.
Over the years I have realized that real estate is not a source of passive income. I do not even manage my properties, but I somehow find myself doing a lot from marketing to working on the physical structures. However, dividends from stocks are one hundred percent passive. I love that a lot. 

5. Start Early.
I think I started early enough. But starting at any point is great. Just start where you are. Working on reaching financial independence is very much worth it. We owe it to ourselves.