Making finance fun

A mix of creativity and business savvy inspired a series of finance books that make topics like banking and international exchange fun to read.

Maureen du Toit, who showcased her books at some of the schools on the North Coast last week, said the more than 20 years she spent in the banking industry showed her that people did not understand the basics of how to handle money.

Realising that education is best when started young, the banker turned into an author and wrote two books, A Purple Economy and The New Commodity, that are apart of The Funeconomix Series.

The books that are coupled with workbooks, teach children about finance with a fun and interesting storyline.

“It gives an understanding behind the use of money. So in the first book, the characters invent money and they start to barter with the money.

“In the second book, money becomes a commodity and they start to trade with the money. That is when they come across things like inflation and deflation.

“The books include elements of the history of money. Topics like money policies of the Reserve Bank and interest rates are discussed in a fun way.”

Saying there are more books to come in the series, the Limpopo author said her passion for storytelling was realised when she taught workshops on finance while being employed within the bank. She then pursued a journalism qualification and left her job to take up writing on a full-time basis.

“It made me sad to see people lose money because they did not understand the basics of finance from a young age.

“There is a need for people to be financially literate and most do not want to sit down and read an economics book because to most fairly normal people, that is beyond boring.”

The Funeconomix Series fits in with the national curriculum and includes topics that are in the syllabus of grade 6 to grade 10 pupils. Du Toit said about 10 years of hard work and dedication went into writing the books and that she would not have had it any other way.

“I had a teacher use these books in her classroom for more than two years and give me feedback on the way pupils responded.

“I worked closely with children, teachers, economists and bankers to make sure the information is relevant and accurate. As much as these books can be used in the classroom, or for children, adults who want to brush up on financial knowledge will also find it enjoyable.

“I have had accountants read it and be most entertained.”

After years of research and first-hand experience, the author’s best financial advice to both adults and children is to be very wary of high-interest rates.

Anyone with questions of finance or for more information on the books can email maureen@funeconomix.co.za or visit her website at www.funeconomix.co.za

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