Build your money know-how

When you understand the principles of managing money well, making it grow, and avoiding easily-made mistakes, you can make smart decisions for the rest of your life.

Use these 8 free online resources to help you get more money savvy:

1. The Live Better Academy: This online learning platform offers 4 free courses designed to help you reach your goals and build your financial future. Whether you’d like to repay your debt quicker, reduce your spending and stick to a budget, or save more for the future, the series offers practical tips and strategies to help you on your financial health journey.
   
   
2. The Live Better Podcast with Nicolette Mashile: Focused on inspiring listeners to build a better financial future, this local podcast features prominent guests such as Maya Fisher-French, Khaya Dlanga and K.O. Each episode looks at how your relationships, lifestyles and money are connected – and what you can do to make healthier life and money decisions. Episodes are available for free download.
   
   
3. Livin’ it Up: Balancing your career, happiness and financial dreams is not always easy. But the more you do it, the better you get at it! Capitec’s Livin’ It Up is a fun, strategic mobile game offering cool characters, mini-games and features – perfect for when you need a fun distraction. And best of all, if you download and test your money skills in the virtual world you could win R5 000!
   
   
4. Financial Bunny YouTube channel: From stokvels, village banks and society schemes to dealing with debt and understanding your home loan; Nicolette Mashile’s Financial Bunny channel covers it all. The videos are updated weekly and offer accessible, entertaining, no-nonsense financial information. 
   
   
5. The Fat Wallet Show: This award-winning South African personal finance podcast covers your questions on all things money – budgeting, investing, repaying debt, insurance of all types and everything in between. The hosts keep it simple and relatable – and it's hilarious!
   
   Warning: the hosts use colourful language, but there is also a censored version available.
   
   
6. Maya on Money: Maya Fisher-French is a well-known South African personal finance journalist and author. Her blog has a range of articles to help you with day-to-day money decisions. She offers tips on budgeting, saving, investing and how to choose products that are right for your needs. If there's a topic you'd like more info on, you can raise it in the blog's forum section.
   
   
7. Stealthy Wealth: If you like practical personal finance insights with a dose of humour and a range of downloadable spreadsheet tools, this blog may appeal to you.
   
   Articles cover cutting costs and building good habits, financial discipline, saving and investing, and local financial products.
   
   
8. Well Spent:  A series of articles, blog posts, and videos that cater for the financially clueless to financially clued-up, covering everything from budgeting, saving, and investing, right down to making wise money decisions.