While in a taxi to work one day, I sat next to a beautiful lady who seemed to be in a good mood. She was reading a book on one of the latest reading gadgets. When her time to take off came, she stood up and said, “Now I know where to start”. It was like a movie scene which made no sense but affected the rest of my trip.
Later that afternoon, I bumped into her in another taxi. Something told me to ask her what she meant that morning. It turned out, at the time, she was reading an article about financial freedom and it motivated her so much that she finally found answers to her debt problems.
Before these problems, her life was simple. Born and bred in Tembisa, Mandisa knew the only way out of poverty was education.
Passing matric was a ticket to greatness, off to varsity she went. She decided to stay at home and commute to varsity daily as this would mean she would still be able to have her “Tembisa” life. As with everything in life, there were challenges but that did not stop her from finishing her studies.
After graduating, she felt that change was something very important as her internship turned into a permanent job.
Living at home while peers lived in suburbs was going to lower her ‘street cred’.
She settled in Kempton Park in a nice flat which she soon named Palace. All this happened without a proper affordability analysis.
What followed was debt after debt, trying to keep up with the Khumalos.
She is not the only one; there are many youngsters who move out of their parents’ homes in Tembisa before they are stable. A first job doesn’t necessarily mean you can live like the Khumalos. Watch your spending and if you can, draw up a reasonable budget. Your lifestyle should be guided by your payslip.
