As a result, we find ourselves making decisions and choosing to speed life up so that we can simply have ‘more time’. But speeding up our lives just seems to make room for more things to soak up our limited time and energy.

Here are two things that I am going to be working on:

SLOW DOWN

Deliberately tell yourself, repeatedly through the day “I am not in a rush”. Sure – you may actually be rushing somewhere… but let your mind relax and regain control, even if you are physically rushing around.

Not feeling rushed will place you in a mental place from where you will be able to consider more choices and ultimately; make better decisions,

APPRECIATE

When you are purposeful about slowing down the pace of your thoughts and your approach, you will find the space to appreciate what surrounds you. From your relationships to your possessions – you may even find yourself moving from a sense of feeling like you don’t have enough to a confidence that you already have all that you need and that anything else new is a bonus!

If you have hit the ground running, and are already feeling like you may lose your balance, try to restore that balance by slowing down and appreciating.

If you want to slow down with a chilled cup of tea or coffee – just drop me an email and let’s catch up!

The post Slow Down. Appreciate. appeared first on Finsure.

Many of us begin our new-year-financials with a hope to saving more money – and as the year progresses, we find that we haven’t achieved this goal as well as we would have liked. Whilst there are many factors that influence our saving – one key area is how we spend our money… because that determines how much we have available to save!

So let’s begin this year, not with ideas on how to SAVE money, but focussing on wiser ways of SPENDING our money!

Understand your monthly instalments

Don’t assume that your debit orders will remain the same. Most policies increase in January – especially Medical Plans. Make sure you have enough money in your account before the debits run so that you can avoid paying penalties on late fees, and protect yourself from overspending.

If you need to, changing the day that the debit orders run might help you manage money at the end or beginning of the month.

Debit not credit

Make a habit of using your debit card instead of your credit card for everyday purchases. That way you can make sure you don’t overextend your credit this festive season. The simple rule should be: if you don’t have the cash available, you can’t have the item.

Keep an eye on sales

The first few weeks of the year are often the absolute best time to get huge savings! This way you can spend considerably less and still fill your trolley.

Most stores offer sales from groceries to clothing to gift ideas. If you see gift options that will work for birthday presents – grab them now when they’re on special and save yourself spending double later in the year.

Remember, miserly spending makes for wiser saving.

The post New Year Spending Tips appeared first on Finsure.

I mean a complete break, with zero work contact.

This means that many of us need to find ways to relax ‘faster’, and hope that we can rest in the time that we have off. You don’t have to pay for a holiday at the coast, or go to luxury spas.

You can focus on getting your mind into a restful, relaxed space so that you can recharge.

READ A NEW BOOK
Our digital environments lead us to experiencing most of our reading on a backlit screen. This is not restful, and is not relaxing. If you want to read for leisure, a paper book, that has the smell and feel of your old school library, is a sure way to start resetting your emotional, cognitive and spiritual center.

PAINT/GARDEN/BUILD
Creating something out of the ordinary is a superb way to bring yourself back to your own self-energising state by making something that never existed before. It could be a painting of a landscape from your memory, or maybe you create something new in your garden by planting some new shrubs and flowers and decorating with some natural wood or rusted iron sculptures.

Maybe you can start a project with your kids where you build a dolls house, or a model plane or a cardboard fort that fills the whole garden.

LISTEN TO MUSIC WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED
When last were you able to listen to some music without any interruptions? I don’t mean when you are driving in the car, or working at your computer, or have it on in the background whilst cooking.

I mean; lying on your back, your eyes closed, and the music playing.

Whether it’s old music that brings memories flooding back, or brand new music that creates new memories, if you are able to stick those headphones in, take 30 minutes to yourself where you lie absolutely still and listen, you will find your brain will start to disconnect from work and explore new thoughts that will leave you inspired and feeling rested!

The post Rest. Relax. It’s all in the mind. appeared first on Finsure.

But we also often land up eating lots of foods that are richer and a little more special than our normal daily diet. One such food is Turkey. Whilst you may enjoy the odd shaved Turkey sandwich, cooking and eating an entire Turkey is mostly reserved for that meal where the extended family is seated around the table and are all digging into the celebratory meal.

If you are considering Turkey this year – here are some facts that few people know about this game hen.

The pros

• Turkey is a rich source of protein.
• Skinless turkey is low in fat. White meat is lower in kilojoules and has less fat than the dark meat. A typical turkey consists of 70% white meat and 30% dark meat.
• Turkey meat is a source of iron, zinc, potassium and phosphorus.
• It is also a source of vitamin B6 and niacin, which are both essential for the body’s energy production.

The cons

• Turkey can be high in sodium.
• Turkey skin is high in fat.

Turkey tips

• If you can, buy organic. Turkeys raised organically will have been treated humanely and are less likely to contain pesticides and herbicides.
• A turkey roast is cooked properly when it is piping hot all the way through.
• Turkey dries out quickly, so don’t overcook it.
• If marinating turkey meat, put it in the fridge straight after you’ve finished, as it is highly sensitive to heat.
• Store turkey separate from any gravy, stuffing or raw food.
• Refrigerated turkey will keep for about one or two days. If it is already cooked, it will keep for about four days.

Before you indulge in a rich meal this festive season, do yourself a favour and have a glass of water about 10 minutes before you eat. It will help you eat less and reduce your chances of over-indulging on richer foods that may have you wishing your eye hadn’t been bigger than your stomach!

The post Gobble. Gobble appeared first on Finsure.

Whilst paying out bonuses is a common way to do this, not all employers can afford to pay out bonuses and may feel stumped as to how to motivate their team and show them the love they so very much want to.

Here are some tried and tested ways to appreciate your staff without needing to necessarily up your overdraft.

SURPRISE BREAKFAST
Without warning, when they arrive at work – take your team out for the morning to have a lavish breakfast on your dime. Depending on your budget, you could choose anything from the local Woolies cafe through to a wine estate or fine dining establishment nearby.

Breakfasts are a great way to treat your staff but they are also a space where you can have some quality personal conversations and find out how their families are doing – and talk about non-work topics that you never really get to do in the rush of the day.

EXTRA TIME OFF
As you near the last days of work, you can let your staff leave at lunch time. This way, you are still able to keep your doors open until the most opportune moment, but your staff are able to start entering the holiday spirit, maybe run some errands before their leave, so that they can rest and relax during their time off and return to work energised and creatively ready to tackle the new year!

Giving them half-days will most likely have very little impact on your bottom line, but it will have a big impact on your team in terms of feeling appreciated!

ONLINE APPRECIATION
Take a look through some online flower/gift delivery websites, and have some surprise gifts delivered to the office. The novelty of having something delivered at work, that is for you, from your boss – has huge appreciation value!

Whatever you do, let your team know that they matter… and that you care!

The post Employee motivation appeared first on Finsure.

It’s best to start teaching these lessons early on in life, if you think about teaching manners or language, it would be near impossible to start teaching these fundamentals in their teens.

SET SAVINGS GOALS
A good way to start is with goal-based savings – liquid cash doesn’t mean as much to a child as, say, a new Barbie or Hot Wheels. It is also important because later in life they will understand that it is easier to save and invest if you have a goal to work towards.

VALUE OF EARNING
You have to teach them the value of work. Earning money doesn’t just happen, you have to make it happen. Whether you are granting them a gold star on a chart for doing their chores or putting R5 into their piggy bank for washing your car – the same concept of gratification applies.

SET REWARD TIERS
Reward tiers also help, so that they can decide if they want to cash-in now or save up for a bigger reward – it’s this kind of reasoning that will help them later on.

If you can convince your child, once they hit their teens and are wanting the latest gadgets, that it’s better to invest R10 000 rather than having the new iPhone then you know they are on the right track. The value of that phone will have diminished significantly over a couple of years, but that sort of investment over a decade or two can make a big difference.

It also comes down to values. By having a goal that they are working towards you are teaching them that it isn’t the money that they are working for, it’s the end-goal. It’s not about being rich, it’s about the lifestyle that we’d like to have.

Need to review your financial goals? Let’s get in touch.

The post Teach your children about financial goals appeared first on Finsure.

Mass plays a big role in saving fuel, a small engine in a small car will obviously require less fuel than a big engine in a heavy car. Removing unnecessary items in the car (such as baby seats) and keeping your boot empty (no need to take those golf clubs everywhere you go) can also increase your efficiency.

Here are some tips to help you use your fuel more economically:

• Plan your routes so that you can take the shortest route to where you are going and avoid travelling further than you have to. Sometimes your handy GPS can take you on a very roundabout route – check it out before you are on the road. (Also, try to embark on your travels during off-peak times.)
• Avoid harsh, stop-start driving and revving in traffic. It is just plain wasteful.
• Avoid unnecessary braking on open roads. It can be dangerous for others on the road trying to predict your movements and it uses more fuel to get back up to the speed you were cruising at.
• Following on from the previous point, try to keep your speed consistent as it is more economical. If you are driving a car with cruise control – use it (especially on longer journeys and on open roads).
• Always drive in the highest gear possible without straining your engine.
• If you have multiple errands to run try and combine them into one journey rather than taking your car on separate trips.
• Keep tyre pressures at specified levels and ensure that your wheel alignment is correct. Not only does this help with your fuel efficiency but it can reduce the chances of needless wear and tear on your car.

One of the best ways to reduce your fuel costs is to join a lift club. By commuting to work with just one person you could cut your monthly fuel costs by half.

Is your financial situation driving you mad? Let’s review where you’re headed.

The post Tips to make your fuel go further appeared first on Finsure.

Here are some tips to help you spring clean your finances:

Clean out your wallet

Starting with something simple to get the momentum going is usually a good idea. It’s nice to have a fat wallet, as long as it’s for the right reasons. I’m forever accumulating slips and cards in my wallet that don’t get used and either need to be stored more appropriately or discarded. (And yes, this includes loyalty cards with only one out of eight stickers.) It’s something most of us carry wherever we go; keep it light.

Break out the highlighters

It can be hard to visualise numbers and values when merely talking about it – so make it visual! This is a good financial review exercise that can be extremely eye opening.

Get your credit card statements from the past six months and three different color highlighters. Then use one color to highlight your necessary costs (utilities, insurance, groceries), another to highlight items you bought because you really wanted them (your Netflix subscription), and another to highlight less thoughtful purchases (those impulse retail therapy sessions).

This gives you an extremely visual representation of where the bulk of your budget lies and often shows ‘problem areas’ that could be better utilized. If you do this exercise every couple of months you can track how your spending has trended over time and determine some of your spending habits.

Create an ICE Folder

ICE stands for “In Case of Emergency”. Some people save contacts on their phone preceded by ICE (such as “ICE Mom”) so that a stranger would know who to call in the case of an emergency.

If you are the money manager of your household, would your loved ones know how to handle the finances “in case of emergency”?

An ICE folder is there to help them in such a case. This should include all of the info someone would need to manage your finances, such as your account numbers, login IDs and passwords, a list of bills you pay each month, investment and retirement fund info and anything else that would need to be handled in your absence.

Be sure to keep this folder, whether physical or digital, extremely safe. This isn’t the kind of thing you would want falling into the wrong hands.

It may be allergy season, but debt is nothing to sneeze at. If you feel like you need a financial review then let’s get in touch!

The post Spring clean your finances appeared first on Finsure.

Here are five more tips to prevent you from “throwing away” money:

Stop paying for something that you can get for free
There is just something alluring about a professionally brewed cup of coffee, but you are wasting money if you are paying for something that get at work for free. Water is another example of this. Some swear they can taste the difference between bottled water and tap water, it depends on your location really, but if you have a filtered water cooler in the office then do you really need to be spending money on water?

Stop buying ready-made meals and take-outs
The occasional take-out or ready-made meal can be a lifesaver, but if your fridge is full of ready-made meals or you are getting take-out every other day then you are definitely wasting money. It doesn’t take much to learn to cook healthy, cost-effective meals at home.

• Plan the week’s meals in advance and shop accordingly.
• If time is an issue, prepare meals over the weekend and freeze them.

Stop subscriptions and contracts that you don’t use
Are you using all your subscriptions and contracts? Is there a magazine you’re subscribed to, but never get around to reading? Do you always have loads of data left over at the end of the month? Do you even know what you are subscribed to? Track your bank statements to see what you are paying for.

• Cancel your unused subscriptions and contracts.
• Or, review your contracts to be more in-line with your current usage.

Stop wasting electricity
It’s a good idea to look at how much power you are using and how much you are wasting. Don’t forget the small things, many electronics still use electricity when they are plugged in even if they are switched off. Hooking up several appliances to the same extension cord can make it easier to unplug them and prevent them from using this vampire power.

• Use energy efficient bulbs throughout your home and switch off lights in unoccupied rooms.
• Unplug chargers when not in use.
• Switch off your printer, microwave, etc. when not in use.

Stop living on credit
If you are living on credit you are losing a lot of money every month on interest. It’s an utterly vicious cycle. Every month you have to use more and more credit because your cash flow becomes less and less.

• Tackle your debt.

Need help tackling that debt? Let’s get in touch!

The post Seriously, don’t throw your money away – Part 2 appeared first on Finsure.

As the famous Benjamin Franklin saying goes, “A penny saved is a penny earned”. An extra R50 in your bank account is an extra R50 no matter how it got there (or even if it never left!).

Here are five tips to prevent you from “throwing away” money:

Stop impulse shopping
Impulsive shopping leads to purchases that you want, but don’t necessarily need. If you have no idea what you are shopping for then you will usually end up making impulse decisions on-the-spot rather than shopping for the best possible price.

• Make a detailed shopping list.
• Don’t shop for food on an empty stomach!
• Take your time so you can make better choices.

Stop buying containers if there are refills available
Many products, such as coffee, spices, cleaning products etc, can be bought as refills so that you don’t need to turf out the containers every time – they cost less and are more eco-friendly.

• Save your containers and refill them.
• Shop for larger size refills and save even more.

Stop food from spoiling
Food wastage has been in the news lately with some European countries introducing laws to prevent supermarkets from throwing away food and instead donate it to charities. If you are throwing out food it means you need to plan better. This is the closest thing to throwing money in the bin (besides throwing actual money in the bin).

• Make it a habit to check the fridge.
• Plan meals according to the fresh produce you have and the produce that is nearing the end of it’s use-by date.
• Freeze your leftovers.

Stop being afraid to use coupons.
Some people will jump at the chance to get 15% off an item, or a two for one deal, but having to present the store with a coupon first will make them shy away from the saving. There is no shame in saving a buck, you will be the one laughing to the bank. Loyalty cards are another great way to get some savings out of your shopping trips.

• Always swipe your loyalty cards.
• Save slips that give you cash-back or discounts.
• Plan your shopping trips so you remember to take your loyalty cards, coupons, slips, etc. with you.
• Also try to remember shopping bags. Having a less wasteful approach to spending is also helpful to the environment.

Stop wasting money on ATM fees
Many people are not familiar with their bank charges. It just doesn’t make sense to spend money to get access to your own money. Luckily, these days debit cards are accepted at most till point, but there are occasions when you need cash on-hand.

• Try the cash back option at the supermarket.
• If you must draw cash from an ATM, make sure that you draw from your bank’s ATM.

Feel as though your budget is full of holes? Let’s take a look at it together over a cup of coffee!

The post Don’t throw your money away – Part 1 appeared first on Finsure.