Debt management advice | Western Cape Government

Debt management advice

In today's economy, where the cost of living continues to rise and unemployment is high, it's important to learn how to save and manage your money.  

If you’re not financially savvy, you could make bad decisions that can be costly. Basic knowledge and understanding of financial processes can help you make better financial decisions.

For many people, easy loans and other kinds of credit options are a quick solution to their financial challenges. 

For this reason, the Office of the Consumer Protector has put together a Financial Literacy Education Programme to help you understand the positives and negatives of credit.

Once you have the confidence to make responsible financial decisions, you can avoid financial mismanagement and considerable stress.

Why is financial planning important?

According to the Office of the Consumer Protector, there’s 5 reasons why financial planning is important.

1.    Save more, spend less

There are 3 types of savings methods: short-term, medium-term and long-term. Depending on what you’re saving towards, you’ll be able to determine your way of saving.

Short-term saving is when you save for a few months to a year, while medium-term saving is between 3 – 5 years. Long-term saving is when you save for 5 – 20 years.

2.    Learn how to budget and stick to it Office of the Consumer Protector Budget

A budget is a plan to make your money work harder and prevent you from overspending.

A budget can help you to:

  • plan and manage your own financial well-being,
  • develop an understanding of your income and expenditure patterns,
  • plan short and long-term financial commitments, and
  • plan your future carefully.

To see an example of a fully balanced budget, read our financial literacy booklet (page 7).

3.    Managing your accounts

There are many different types of accounts, each with its advantages and disadvantages. It’s important to understand how each one works to manage them correctly.

Tips for managing your accounts

1.    Know how much and types of accounts you have.

2.    Open account envelopes (balances and instalments).

3.    Buy what you need, not what you want.

4.    Managing your debt

To be in debt means that you owe somebody money. This could be micro-lenders (e.g. money borrowed to start a business), account purchases (furniture, clothes) or friends or family who lent you money.

What happens if I can’t pay my debt?

Besides creating a bad credit history which will make it harder for you to borrow money in the future, legal proceedings can be instituted against you if you don’t pay your accounts on time.  A garnishee attachment order can also be instituted against you.

5.    Preparing for the future

Nobody likes to talk about death, but have you thought about what will happen to your family after you die? If you die without leaving a will, the Master of the High Court freezes your estate. This includes any money you have and all your possessions and decides how to it should be shared.

Couple learning how to budget.

A basic will can be bought at a stationery shop and signed by you and 2 witnesses, but it’s best to go to consult a lawyer or your bank who will be able to help you  draw up a professional will.

There’s help available             

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your debt and interested to know more about:

  • why there's a need to budget,
  • how to budget,
  • what you can do if you're over-indebted,
  • who will be able to assist you, and
  • emolument attachment and garnishee orders.

Contact the Office of the Consumer Protector to learn more about the Financial Literacy Education Programme.

Tel: 021 483 9282
Toll-free: 0800 007 081
Fax: 021 483 5872
Email: consumer@westerncape.gov.za


Don't let your debt get out of control

 

The content on this page was last updated on 26 April 2023