Build the safety buffer
Until one month of essentials is protected, split progress between resilience and expensive debt.
Start with your budgetHow To Money assistance tool
What should your next R1 000 do?
Give the next amount one clear job—then see what should change after that milestone is reached.
01 Check the foundation02 Allocate transparently03 See what comes next
01
Money available
Make sure the next amount really exists.
This amount must remain after essential expenses and required minimum payments. The tool reduces it automatically if the available cash flow is lower.
02
Pressure points
Protect the plan from the things that derail it.
A safety buffer, expensive debt and a meaningful protection gap can deserve attention before optional long-term investing.
Emergency reserve
03
Future priorities
Tell the money what you are building towards.
The calculator does not assume every person has the same next step. Enter the priorities that actually apply to you.
Retirement saving
Model assumptions +
Your next move
Split the next amount: protect your buffer and attack expensive debt.
Available to allocateR 1 000 / month
Clear consumer debt
The entered debt rate is above the expensive-debt threshold, so part of the money attacks it immediately.
This is a priority illustration, not a product recommendation. Repeat the check whenever income, expenses, debt or goals change.
04
Twelve-month impact
What repeating the allocation could change.
The projection applies the same priority rules every month. When a milestone is reached, later money automatically moves to the next job.
Build the safety buffer R 6 000Clear consumer debt R 6 000
05
The handover roadmap
The same R1 000 should not keep the same job forever.
This roadmap shows the first six changes over a maximum 10-year illustration. It changes as soon as a threshold, debt or goal is completed.
Months 1–20
Build the safety buffer + Clear consumer debt
R 500 to build the safety buffer · R 500 to clear consumer debt
Months 21–63
Build the safety buffer
R 1 000 to build the safety buffer
Month 64
Build the safety buffer + Strengthen retirement saving
R 449 to build the safety buffer · R 551 to strengthen retirement saving
Month 65 onward
Strengthen retirement saving
R 1 000 to strengthen retirement saving
06
Transparent decision rules
How the tool decides.
Nothing is hidden behind a score. The ladder is intentionally cautious and the thresholds remain visible.
- ✓
Keep essentials and required minimums current
The model only redirects money that remains after essential expenses and required minimum payments.
- ✓
Clear arrears
Entered arrears are addressed before optional saving, extra debt payments or investing.
- ✓
Build a starter safety buffer
The starter threshold is 25% of one month of essentials: R 6 250.
- ✓
Investigate an important protection gap
No recurring protection gap is entered.
- 5
Balance resilience and expensive debt
Debt at or above 15% pa is treated as expensive. Until one month of essentials is saved, the next amount is split 50/50.
- 6
Complete the emergency reserve
Build towards 3 months of essentials: R 75 000.
- 7
Move retirement saving towards its target
R 5 000 currently versus R 7 500 a month at the selected 15% target.
- 8
Finish non-mortgage debt and fund the priority goal
No separate savings goal is entered.
- 9
Compare the bond with long-term investing
If the rates are within 1.5 percentage points, the illustration splits the money; otherwise it favours the stronger entered rate.
Important: This calculator is an educational, rules-based illustration. It assumes the entered cash flow, rates and returns continue, does not model tax, investment volatility, product charges or every personal circumstance, and is not financial, credit, tax or insurance advice. Expected investment returns are uncertain; reducing debt produces a more certain interest saving. If you cannot meet essential expenses or required debt payments, contact your credit providers and consider guidance from an NCR-registered debt counsellor. Retirement-fund tax treatment is not calculated here; use the income tax calculator and verify current rules with SARS.