Manage Your Money Like A Grownup

Money might make the world go round, but it can also make our heads spin. Luckily, author and money coach Sam Beckbessinger is here to answer your questions.

- Tumi Moletsane

Q “I’m struggling to curb my shopping habit. How do I resist the temptation to buy without having to go cold-turkey?” – Nerine, 29

Open a second account. Call this your Fun Fund. I like to put stickers on my Fun Card to make it look silly. Your old bank account (that your salary gets paid into) is now your Grownup Account, for important bills only. Take that card out of your wallet and keep it hidden.

Now that you’ve opened a separate account, you can create a monthly budget and allocate specific amounts for frivolous spending. How to do this? At the start of the week, transfer a quarter of your fun budget into your Fun Fund. Spend that money, guilt free!

When your Fun Fund is finished, it’s finished. No arguments! But if you’re still struggling, use these simple behavioural tricks to help you curb your spending:

Delete the triggers

Avoid malls like you avoid your ex, unsubscribe from marketing emails and install an ad-blocker.

Displace the behaviour

When you get the urge to go shopping, do something else instead that gives you a similar emotional reward – call your mom, go for a walk, watch a Ryan Gosling-movie marathon.

Figure out what reward you’re really after

Are you shopping because you’re bored? Is it a way to connect with a friend? Are you insecure about how you look? If you can understand what’s actually driving the habit, you can find a better way to meet the emotional need behind it.

Q “Is it too early to be thinking about a retirement plan? When is the best time to start and where do I even begin?” – Danica, 19