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Budgeting Tips for the 2021 Bride (Nice-to-Have and Must-Have)

Are you overburdened with all the bills with no one to help you out? Or, are you worried about a long to-do list with numerous ‘advisers’ but no help in sight? This is one time to pause and breathe! Yes, Breathe in…Breathe out…  Now that you’ve taken a breath, here’s what to do to get control of your wedding expenses three months before your wedding: 1. Make two lists; a Must-Have List and a Nice-to-Have List. Grab your fiancé to do this with you.  Your Must-Have list contains things you know you need to make the wedding the most successful to you.Your Nice-to-have list is for anything else that will be good to have but does not determine your wedding’s success or your happiness. Let’s not deceive ourselves, not everything is a must-have so be true to yourselves as a couple and make that clear from the beginning. ​2. Review your Must-Have list and put a timeframe to each item with the corresponding cost. Thankfully, I have created a wonderful Wedding Budget Template to help. ​3. Make notes of when the next stream of income will come and plan for it. If you earn monthly, plan ahead on how much of it goes into your wedding. ​4. According to priority, review your Nice-to-Have list and add the maximum you can spend on each item. 5. When money comes in, check off something on your Must-Have List. Repeat until everything is checked off. ​6. Use extra income to start checking things off your Nice-to-Have list, in order of priority. 7. When help is offered, as long as you have items on your Must-Have list, channel all help to this list first before anything else. ​8. Repeat as often as required. In my line of business, I’ve realised that the smartest brides are those who always stay on top of their finances. Remember, the whole essence of this is for you to take one day at a time. There is no need getting so frustrated about what isn’t available or living beyond you.  You’re on your own budget! #NoComparison. Always remember, you’re not alone and I’m always here to help.

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: Transunion ClearScore 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. 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. 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.

Here’s how to switch up your money management style!

[adrotate banner=”4″] [bctt tweet=”Much of our anxiety stems from the fact that we just don’t know what’s going on with our money” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Have you ever interrogated your feelings about money? How would you define your relationship with money management; comfortable, in control, dysfunctional? Even with solid financial advice, some people still feel a level of anxiety around personal financial management. Sadly the topic of money is still viewed by some as ‘the last taboo’, and as a result, many of the attitudes we have towards it go unexplored. As budding #MotherlandMoguls, building a healthy mindset around money management should be a priority. Here are a few tips to help you to make peace with your bank balance, manage your personal finances and develop a healthy money mindset. Determine your ‘money personality’ A useful place to start is to try and understand how you instinctively relate to it. Similar to taking a regular personality test, this will help you to understand some of your predispositions toward money management. You can find a whole bunch of free ‘money personality’ tests here. Keep good records, make good plans Recognizing your financial patterns and setting financial goals is the key to building a healthy relationship with your money. Much of our anxiety stems from the fact that we truly just don’t know what is going on with our money. Sound daunting? Don’t worry, we are here to simplify the struggle. Finance guru and friend of SLA Samke Ndlovu Ngwenya put together this worksheet to help you think through your goals, and keep track of your personal financial management. While you are doing this, take a look back at money management mistakes, or successes you have made and look out for patterns and lessons. Figure out your conditioning We all have a certain level of conditioning when it comes to money which has been proven to affect how we relate to it. For example, if you sincerely believe you deserve to make money, and that you are able to do so, this conditioning is considered positive. It can also be negative and limiting, for example, thinking about money with fear or scarcity. This conditioning is the filter through which you interact with your money. Money coach Lynette Khalfani-Cox says, “You have to ask: what falsehoods and ideas am I believing that are actually sabotaging my efforts, or keeping me from fulfilling my potential?” Work to change these ideas. You could even try out money affirmations if that’s your thing. To help you out with all the serious introspection you are about to do, I caught up with two savvy businesswomen. They gave me some insight into how a successful entrepreneur relates to their money. [bctt tweet=”Money means the ability to uplift – Carol Bouwer” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Carol Bouwer is the Founder and CEO of Carol Bouwer (CB) Productions. This pioneering businesswoman is a committed champion of women. Her company PB Productions is behind The Mbokodo Awards which celebrate the work of South African women, as well as The African Odyssey experience. What does money mean to you? For anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to be part of shaping our community for the future- money gives you the ability to uplift. Materially and psychologically- money gives you the opportunity to create employment and empower others. It gives you the ability to inspire others to see what results could be possible if they apply the same level of discipline. Money is not the goal but it helps you achieve the goal. Is there a specific event/lesson that has shaped how you relate to your money? Losing it young. Some of the mistakes I made with money management as a youngster have been the greatest gifts in my financial life. The lessons are etched in my mind so they can never be repeated. My big thing with this as in everything in life- don’t lose sleep and lose the lesson- lose the former and gain the latter at all times! What do you wish you knew about money management when you received your first salary/ paycheque? Budgeting! I had a whole list of needs and wants but lacked the wisdom to differentiate between the two. To this day I remain grateful for being raised by an “interfering mom”… many of the mistakes I could have made did not happen thanks to her wise interventions. What habit have you formed, or what trait do you possess, that you believe helps you with your finances? Sobriety and respect. This applies to finances and many other aspects of life. It is easy to be impulsive but the most important trait one requires is respecting the work that goes into building one’s wealth. Being mindful of the energy you put into making every cent is what makes you more discerning about the choices you make when parting with it. Mindless spending is sometimes unavoidable in our youth but in this day, if I am not mindful of what I am spending my money on then I don’t deserve a cent of it. [bctt tweet=”If I’m not mindful of what I’m spending my money on, I don’t deserve a cent of it- Carol Bouwer” via=”no”] Where do you go to get sound financial advice? I could tell you to get a financial adviser or acquire financial planning services but I am not one to say that. My answer is, go internal. You inherently know what to do. You had the wisdom to acquire it, trust in your wisdom to grow it. Read and study the markets. Even when you go to your broker, ensure you are not solely an audience but participate. This is even more important for times when there are losses. It allows you to feel you made empowered and informed choices rather than blaming those to whom you hand your money over. [bctt tweet=”Be honest with yourself and those who need your financial support – Nicolette Mashile” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Nicolette Mashile is a social entrepreneur, property investor

Want to Join an Investors Club With a Low Budget? Here’s what you need to know

Ever heard of the term Plutophobia? Plutophobia is derived from Pluto (wealth) and Phobia (fear) is the fear of wealth. Yes, it is actually a thing that there are people who are afraid of being rich. It sounds funny, I even feel like laughing out loud as I type this, but looking at it deeply makes it not so funny. Like, how can someone be afraid of being wealthy when we all know that money answereth all things? (We are well aware of immaterial wealth but for the sake of this article, all mention of wealth refer to money and all the riches that come with it). There is also something called Chrometophobia. Chermato (money) and Phobia (fear) which is the fear of money. The key triggers of phobias are external events which might be heredity or life experiences. You might have heard time and time again that investment is not for the rich only. But then, you don’t know how exactly to invest with a low budget. What if I told you that you do not need huge amounts of money to invest in portfolios that can give you beautiful rewards. All you need is to have the right information and go where the opportunities abound. Before you invest, first decide if you are willing to invest either for a short term or a long term. This will enable you to look in the right places, thereby saving time and being decisive from the onset. Pay attention to the following before your first investment: Beware of “too good to be true” offers. Examples are investments that offer high returns just after two days. Understand the risks that come with the investment you are taking up. Do your own proper research. Always get the second opinion from friend, family or an investments expert. Ensure that there is physical paperwork stating all the terms of investment. Now that you have the information on what to do before you invest. Here are some investment opportunities you can start investing with as low as N5,000 monthly: Mutual funds Money market funds Real estates Treasury bills via i-invest app Agriculture Invest in a friend or family’s business with properly drafted contracts There are also private investment opportunities where you get up to 10% monthly on commitments from as low as N50,000 Remember that you won’t get rich by hoarding money in your savings account or leaving them in a piggy bank. It is by investing. A change in mindset would help you navigate away from societal misconceptions about being wealthy as a woman. It would also help you overcome the fear of charging your worth for services you render or the good you sell. And as time goes on, you will see yourself making the money that you were long due to make, but afraid to ask for. Like I mentioned earlier, decide on the type of investment you want and why you want it then go for a suitable opportunity. Now that you are well informed about investments and how it can help you become wealthy, do you still hold any reservations about it? How are you improving your spending habits this month? Click here to join the SLA #SecureTheBag challenge.

How to monitor a budget to inform business decisions

[bctt tweet=”Budgets play a key role in the day to day decisions, here are 4 scenarios” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] The budget is not only important for future decision making but for day to day decisions as well. To be able to use it this way, you must monitor it frequently by comparing your actual income and expenses versus what you had budgeted. When you notice differences in actual performance compared to your budget that is major, consider what caused the variance and what action you can take if the variance is negative or positive. To give you a look at how you can go about this process we will take you through four types of variances that can occur in your business and the kind of decisions you can make to remedy. 1. Sales aren’t coming through Sometimes the projected sales fall short of what was expected due to unforeseen circumstances; maybe a new competition came in or business was just slow. What this means is that you will have a stock in excess of what you had expected. This needs to be followed up by decisions that will enable your business to perform better; your options may include changing the sales strategy or buying less stock than was budgeted for the next month. 2. An employee disses you Maybe you had a bit of a tiff with one of your employees and they ended up walking out on your business. What does this mean for your business? Can the work be done without him/her? Can those left do additional hours? Do you need to budget for overtime? These are all possibilities that can arise based on losing an employee. This will determine whether the positive change in your budget will be a temporary one or a permanent one depending on how it affects the running of your business. 3. Your landlord is acting up… Unfortunately, this happens quite often than we would like to think about; worse still, you might not even get enough notice to organise yourself if the landlord increases the rent at the last minute. Based on the overall outlook of your budget, you can decide if your business can sustain the costs of an increased rental expense. The options you might have would be to negotiate the exact amount of increase or when the new rent amount can be effective to give yourself time to plan. You might also opt to look for more affordable space elsewhere, which may lead to double charges in the month of booking and moving. 4. Repair expenses went up Your loyal van is coughing, your mechanic is charging more for his services based on your desperation. Repairs will be higher than usual. You may not have very many options here except maybe try and find out if the rates are competitive and if it warrants you looking for another mechanic. If this specific expense is on a continuous rise then you might consider getting another van to reduce the monthly expenses. A new van brings in a whole other dynamic to your budget and your financial accounts. In addition to giving you a picture of how your business will look in the future, budgets play a key role in the day to day decisions. It is important to constantly monitor the difference between the budgeted expense and the actual expense and make decisions accordingly. Remember that the decisions should be based on the overall outlook of the budget and how one decision will affect another aspect of the budget. Consider the budget holistically and not as standalone budgeting decisions.

The 3 C’s of the budget cycle

[bctt tweet=”Before you create a budget for your business, you need to know what the budget cycle is” via=”no”] You are probably asking yourself what this thing called the ‘’budget cycle’’ is. You have heard about the budget and how it works but you are less likely to have heard about the budget cycle. The budget cycle simply refers to the phases or stages that you should go through while working on the budget for your business. Following this step-by-step process will help you make sure that your budget is actually beneficial to you and not just a dreaded process. 1. Coordinate This is the very first step of the budget process and is highly dependent on what you want to see happen in your business within the period that is relevant to your budget. Three questions you need to ask yourself What do I plan to do and achieve? How much money do I have to spend? What method will I use to budget? Obviously, you can only budget to spend money that your business already has or is expecting to get. You can project your sales based on past performance and consider that as expected revenue in your budget. The methods for preparing and presenting business budgets vary and are as many as there are businesses. If you haven’t been budgeting for your business though, this is a simple template that can get you started. 2. Construct This is where you get your hands dirty and prepare the actual budget. The past performance of your business and what you want to do in the year should drive this stage of the process. Also, consider engaging other pertinent people for your business. For example,  your suppliers’ credit policies will determine how much you intend to pay out to them at what time. Carry out this process on a monthly basis before coming up with a full year budget. Just as with the financial accounts, have your budget reviewed by external parties and make any necessary changes and then communicate the final budget to all stakeholders. 3. Control This is also referred to as the monitoring phase. We mentioned earlier that the budget is not meant to be 100% accurate. The monitoring needs to take place at periodic intervals e.g monthly; it involves comparing the budgeted numbers with the actual numbers. This step is important for three reasons: Helps you compare what you estimated with what is actually happening Helps you pinpoint why things are not going according to plan It’s an opportunity to react to the costs and respond to them In a case where the first two months monitoring process shows that the sales budgeted are less than the actual sales because business was slow, then you can consider whether you need to order as much stock as you had intended to or you could decide at that point to try a new technique to increase the sales. Similarly, if the rent expenses go up because the landlord increased your rent at the last minute you can adjust the budget accordingly for the subsequent months.

Take charge of your finances with this budget template

[bctt tweet=”Budgeting is not difficult, but sticking to the budget is where discipline comes in” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Most young women in their 20s and early 30s dream about quitting their jobs and starting their dream businesses. But if you ask them how they manage their salary, you will be met with “uuumms” and “eeers”. How will you manage your business income, expenses and plans of you can’t manage your salary? Welcome to feminancial management! As women, we need to stop being controlled by our finances and take charge of it! Let’s get started with 5 easy tips to begin taking charge of our money. 1. Budget How many sisters budget their finances? Let’s talk about Achieng. Achieng is 26 years old. She works in a bank and her career is just starting to take off. Achieng lives from hand to mouth waiting for her paycheck at the end of each month. She spends on hair (with the natural hair trending, products are not cheap hehe!), clothes, social hangouts and such like expenses. Come one week before pay day, she is already broke, with just enough cash to last her till exactly payday. Does Achieng budget her salary? No. Does she track her expenditure? No. Has she allocated some money for investments or savings? No. Her reason will be she just earns enough for her upkeep. Once she’s promoted or gets a better paying job, she will start saving. Chances are she will not. Actually, no, she won’t save. What am I saying here in short? Budget your income. Distinguish between your “wants” and “needs”. You want that designer bag, you don’t need it! Budget “Savings” as your first expense in your budget. 2. Discipline Once you budget your finances, you need the discipline to stick to the budget. Meet our other sister, Fatma. Fatma is a 24 year old entrepreneur. She does online jobs and her income is intermittent. Once she gets paid, what does she do? Remember that nice dress she saw in that shop? She buys it and spends and spends and spends till she is broke and waits for the next gig to come along. The truth is, budgeting is not difficult, but sticking to the budget is where the rubber meets the road. That’s where discipline comes in. Track and monitor your expenses on a daily or weekly basis to help you stick to the budget. Separate your finances as per your budget e.g. if it’s bills, pay them immediately your salary comes in, if it’s savings, put up a standing order to a separate Savings account Remind yourself of the target, create a board even with pictures of your goal to keep you focused. 3. Goals Have I told you about Maame? Maame is a 30 year old stay-at-home mum. She recently had her second baby and can’t wait to shed the baby weight. What’s her goal? To shed off 20 Kilograms. What is she doing about it? Nothing! What gyms or exercising videos has she researched on to start her off? None. Doesn’t that look like most of us making New Year resolutions? It’s definitely me. We make plans in our head about our financial goals but we don’t put in the work needed to reach those goals. After a few months, we’ve forgotten all about it or have a myriad of excuses on why we couldn’t attain our goals. What can we do about that? Write down your goals. Break it down into sub-goals with time frames. Lastly be realistic about your goals otherwise you will get discouraged along the way and quit. [bctt tweet=”Keeping up with the Kardashians is great but keep up with news and current trends too” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Knowledge Meet Bola, a 32 year old doctor. She is a high-flying woman with the world at her feet earning a six figure salary and living the life. What investments has she made since she started working 8 years ago? You guessed right! None! Why? She doesn’t know where to start in investments. Is it real estate or stocks? She has no clue which direction to take. Most young women know a lot about their field in careers but no zilch about investments. But here is a chance to start somewhere Find a field of investments that interests you, and research on it. Make Google your friend. Mentors –talk to someone older, not even necessarily in your field who can guide you and perhaps you can learn from their success and failures. Keep up to date with current trends. Keeping up with the Kardashians is great but keeping up with news and current trends and innovations will help you a huge deal. Time Say hello to Esihle. Esihle is a pretty 23 year old in her first job after university. Esihle now has the “financial independence” she has been waiting for and no longer has to ask her parents for money. So where does she spend her free time? Social media, just stalking her friend’s timelines seeing what they have been up to, posting photos on Instagram with hundreds of filters and catching up with her friends over drinks after a hectic week of work or just catching up with the latest series or movies. According to research, the average millennial spends 9 hours a day on social platforms. How many years did she spend in the university learning about let’s say Journalism? About four years. How many hours does she spend learning about something financial related? Well, not enough. If she took four years to study in University and can afford to spend 9 hours on social platforms, how much more informed can she be if she spent one hour learning about investment opportunities like stocks for example each day? The point is we become empowered when we are more knowledgeable. We become knowledgeable when read and learn. We can only read and learn when we create time to do it! *Drops mic! What are you waiting for? Get empowered! Start by

‘Why should start-ups care about the budget?’ – Top 3 budget myths debunked

[bctt tweet=”Time to bust some myths around budgets for business with @StanChart” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Here at SLA, budgeting is not a new concept. I am sure by now we know why we need to set up a personal budget and how to go about it. However, how many of you #MotherlandMoguls spend time budgeting for your businesses? Did you know that there is a difference between the budget and other financial accounts? During Standard Chartered Bank’s Financial Education workshops we have had small business owners give several ideas about budgeting, most of them are misconceptions that we need to debunk. Have you found yourself making one of these statements about your business budget? “As long as I have prepared the financial accounts I don’t need a budget.” “Only big businesses need to do them.” “They always turn out differently.” Read through as we debunk each of these common misconceptions 1. “As long as I have prepared the financial accounts I don’t need a budget.” Here we need to understand that the financial accounts for your business are very different from the budget. Whereas the financial accounts look backward, the budget looks forward. The two do not play the same role for your business. The budget is a financial plan for the forthcoming period while the accounts are a report for a period that has passed. In our view, the budget is more important as it is a predictor or a guiding light for your business. 2.  “Only big businesses need to do them.” It might look like only big businesses need to draw up a budget because they handle such huge amounts of money or because they have much more to lose BUT the reason why you need to draw up a personal budget is the same reason why your business needs a budget. It is actually much more important for a start-up to begin the habit of budgeting so that as the business grows the process becomes easier. Start-ups and small businesses are more likely to go bankrupt in the early years and a budget is one of the important tools that can save your business. 3. “They always turn out differently.” Surprise! Surprise! Budgeting for your start-up is a tricky business; things do not always turn out the way you write them down. Your sales estimates are not always right; your expenses hit the roof sometimes. We have some good news for you though, this is absolutely normal! Your business’ budget does not have to be 100% accurate. You should review your budget ever so often to adjust and check on the variances as you get more information. Yes, budgets always turn out differently because they look to the future and we are never 100% sure what will happen in that future; and it acts as a blueprint to ensure your businesses is not groping around in the darkness. As important as it is,  a budget works hand in hand with the accounts to help you measure the performance of your business, period after period. It is great to have both documents, and if you need the help of an accountant, by all means, go for it.

Why should you budget for your business?

[bctt tweet=”Ever wondered how multinational organisations control their financial calendars? It’s simple” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] “I was always running out of money, constantly struggling and missing my orders was the order of the day. Having my lights turned off, sometimes in the middle of a client presentation was not surprising anymore; all this because I had either forgotten to pay the bills or I had no money to pay, the devil is a liar”. Rosanne told us. In small businesses, these kinds of confessions abound, and most of the time, they are blamed on external forces or things beyond our control. Have you ever stopped to wonder how a big organisation, with thousands of branches across the world, hundreds of suppliers and millions of customers can control their financial calendars, knowing exactly whom, why and when to pay? The answer is; they meticulously prepare and monitor budgets, which helps them figure out these details. Since budgets have served big organisations well, we have misconstrued them to be a tool for big organisations. Yet, by the very nature of small businesses, the scarcity of funds, the reliance on the founder, and the advantages of a budget means that these small organisations need them most. Yet we find that most micro businesses don’t maintain budgets and struggle through financial management like dream walkers. If you have experienced any of the symptoms below, either in your personal or business life, then you are suffering from a disease called lack of a budget and you should immediately take the steps provided below to return you’re to good health. Symptoms of lack of a budget Run out of money unexpectedly Unable to pay for emergencies such as medical Unsure whether you can afford good business opportunities Have too much money lying around Losing suppliers due to your inability to pay them Unsure whether things are going well in your business, you have no idea where you stand Receiving reminders and chasers for payment from tax authorities, suppliers etc. Unable to identify business decisions such as when to increase your prices or hire more staff. Not knowing when to talk to your bankers about loans, investments or deposits. To remedy these symptoms, you need to start preparing budgets, it is as simple as ABC. In upcoming articles, we will be teaching you in length. The phases or stages that you should go through while working on the budget for your business. How a budget influences important business decisions. Debunk the myths around budgeting in the article and guide you towards changing the mindset on why we must budget. Simply put, a budget is a plan on how to earn and spend money. Maintaining a budget, updating and monitoring it often will help you avoid all of the above financial pitfalls that can harm your business. Stick around and reading all articles in the series -as well as any other on budgets- to enable you to master the budgeting process. Remember, failing to plan, is planning to fail.

Facebook Live with Mapalo Makhu: Planning your personal finance and investments (Mar. 28)

Are your expenses greater than your revenue? You may have all the designer cloths and bags right now, but if your bank account balance is flashing red, then now is the time for you to start investing and planning towards your future. Join us for a Facebook Live session on Tuesday 28th March, with one of South Africa’s  finance experts – Mapalo Makhu, founder of Woman & Finance. She’ll be talking extensively about planning your personal finance and investments. [bctt tweet=”Join @WomanAndFinance to discuss personal finance and investments on Facebook Live (28 Mar)” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Some of the the topics we’ll cover:  What you need to understand about investments 3 financial questions every woman should ask herself Planning a budget Top 3 things to look out for when selecting an investment advisor Identifying your investment goals (safety, income and growth) Date: Tuesday 28th March 2017 Time: 1pm Lagos// 2pm Joburg// 3pm Nairobi Where: facebook.com/sheleadsafrica/   About Mapalo Mapalo is a financial planner, wealth coach and founder of Woman&Finance , a platform that empowers and educates women to make the best financial decisions for their current and future selves. Having completed a Bcom finance degree from the University of Johannesburg and recently obtaining her post graduate diploma in financial planning, Mapalo created Woman&Finance to educate and inspire women to take charge of their finances and make the best financial decisions for their current and future selves. Woman&Finance was established with the goal of giving power back to women and showing them how to have control when it comes to managing their personal finances.