Fearless FINANCING

Money is everywhere. From the moment you wake up, you’re making decisions that impact on your pocket. Some may be big decisions, and other smaller, such as deciding where to go shopping, how to travel to work or what to cook for dinner. Some decisions can be easier to make, but others may be quite stressful

- SYLVIA WALKER

Money and emotions go hand in hand, but it’s not all bad, according to psychiatrist and author Prudence Gourguechon. She says emotions are a barometer – they tell us what really matters and makes us feel alive. Mild levels of stress and anxiety can be motivating, fuelling us to tackle issues because we know we’ll feel better when it’s done.

ON THE BACK FOOT

We’re not taught about money at school so we take our cue from our parents and friends. Being self-taught may lead to uncertainty and anxiety when making decisions. If you are living from payday to payday, making a stupid financial decision can be disastrous in the short term, and if it’s a big decision, it can take years to recover from the fallout. Then there are other issues we have to deal with:  ✣ Women in South Africa earn between 23% and 35% less than men, so we need to do more with less  ✣ Women also outlive men by 5 or more years so we need more money than men over a lifetime

FOCUSED, FEARLESS AND FIERCE