You've Been the CFO All Along!

There's a title nobody gave you, but you've probably been doing the job for years.

You know roughly what the levies will be before the statement even lands in your inbox. You know exactly when school fees are due, when the debit orders go off and which child suddenly remembers, on a Wednesday evening, that they need R300 for the annual book drive by Friday.

You know exactly how far R2,000 will stretch at Checkers on a good month… and on a month when absolutely everything decides to go wrong.

You've navigated retrenchments, burst geysers, rising food prices and unexpected medical bills. Somehow, every single time, you've made a plan.

Not because you have a finance degree. Not because someone trained you. Simply because that's what women do!

And can we stop calling it "coping/surviving"? Because that's not coping. That's financial leadership.

This Savings Month and Women's Month, Liberty is putting a name to something women have been doing for generations: you're the Household CFO.

Confession time...

I am a spender. Yes, I know... the irony! People assume that because I work in finance, I must wake up excited to update spreadsheets and track every cent that leaves my account. Absolutely not.

I love eating out. I love travelling. I love Woolies far more than my bank account would like. If there was an Olympic sport for justifying a sho’t left, I'd probably make the finals! Lol!

But that's actually the beauty of personal finance. It's personal.

Some people are naturally disciplined. I'm not one of them. So instead of relying on discipline, I rely on systems. That's why I'm such a big believer in budgeting. Not because I enjoy budgets. Because I enjoy knowing where my money is going.

There is honestly no worse feeling than receiving your salary, or even a nice bonus and then, a few weeks later, wondering, "Wait... where did it all go?"

The groceries got bought. The debit orders went off. The kids needed something as they always do! The dog needed something. And somehow... the money disappeared.

That feeling used to frustrate me so much!

Now, budgeting gives me something money can't buy: peace of mind. I don't have to guess where my money went because I already know.

The job description nobody wrote down

Think about what a CFO actually does: they plan, they track, they solve problems and sometimes they have to make difficult decisions.

Sound familiar?

Planning is deciding how the salary will stretch before payday has even arrived. Tracking is knowing exactly which debit order goes off first. Problem-solving is finding money for the burst tyre, the broken geyser or the emergency dentist appointment that nobody budgeted for.

And making difficult decisions? That's deciding the family holiday can wait because the car needs new tyres. Or choosing to skip takeaways this month because school uniforms suddenly became more expensive than you remembered.

Women do this every single day. The only difference between you and the CFO sitting in a boardroom is that one gets a fancy title!

So why do so many of us avoid budgeting?

Honestly? Because budgeting has terrible marketing. Somewhere along the way, we decided budgeting meant saying "no" all the time.

No coffee. No holidays. No nice handbags. No fun.

But that's not what a budget is. A budget doesn't tell you what you can't do. It tells you and empowers you on what you can do. It tells you whether you can book the holiday without feeling guilty. Whether you can buy the couch without putting it on credit. Whether you can afford date night because everything else has already been taken care of.

A budget gives your money purpose. Every rand gets a job.

Another reason we avoid budgeting? Fear. Sometimes we're scared of what we'll find.

It's easier not to look than to realise we're spending more than we earn or that our lifestyle quietly became more expensive over the years.

And let's be honest...nobody taught us this stuff. We learnt algebra. We learnt trigonometry. Some of us even dissected frogs in science class. But nobody taught us how to build a household budget!

So we wing it. Then there's the biggest culprit of all: the invisible spending.

Tap. Tap. Debit order. Subscriptions. Takealot. Uber Eats. Tap again. And Unlike cash, you never really see the money leaving. Which is exactly why so many people get to month-end wondering where their salary disappeared to. And please... mental maths is not budgeting!

Keeping a running total in your head while juggling work, children, elderly parents, WhatsApp groups and life is asking far too much of yourself.

You need a system.

Your budget doesn't have to be perfect

Here's another myth we need to let go of: people think they have to create the perfect budget. You don't! In fact, your first budget will probably feel like; this does not work!

You'll forget December. You'll underestimate electricity. You'll remember halfway through the month that your child has been invited to two parties that you now have to buy two different gifts for! That's normal.

A budget is a living document. It grows as your life changes. You tweak it. You improve it. You learn from it.

At the end of the day, budgeting is simply telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went. Every rand gets a job before it leaves your account. That's it!

Why we created My Money, My Plan

Over the years, I realised most budgeting templates weren't built for real life. They certainly weren't built for South African women. They don't ask about stokvel contributions. Or helping your parents. Or funeral cover. Or aftercare. Or the side hustle that's helping you make ends meet.

That's why, together with Liberty, we created My Money, My Plan.

It's more than just a budget. It's a complete money management tool. It includes a household budget, a debt tracker, and even a separate business budget for those juggling nine-to-five jobs and side hustles.

One of my favourite features is that it shows you the annual cost of your monthly expenses.

Because R450 a month doesn't sound too bad...Until you realise that's R5,400 a year. Sometimes seeing the bigger picture completely changes the way we think about our money.

Start where you are

You don't need to wait for next month. You don't even need to earn more money before you start budgeting. All you need is about fifteen minutes and this month's bank statement.

Because: You've already been running your household like a CFO for years.

Now it's time to give yourself the title and the tools to match. Give every rand a job. And stop wondering where it went!

Download your FREE comprehensive budget template here: My Money, My Plan Budget Template | Liberty

This tool is intended for personal budgeting guidance only and does not constitute financial advice. Speak to a Liberty financial adviser for advice tailored to your personal circumstances.