19/02/2026
FIND AND FIX YOUR FINANCIAL STRESSORS
February 18, 2026
(Please see the links below)
A recent survey of working South Africans shows that money is the top stressor for more than half of the respondents, outweighing concerns about a job, relationships or health. According to Nedbank’s latest NedFinHealth Monitor Report this stress is quite severe for many, affecting family life, sleep, self-worth and mental health. It is easy to believe your situation is beyond your control, but this keeps you trapped and worrying.
Most money stress can be relieved by making plans or managing problems better. Deciding to do something about a stressful situation typically brings some instant relief. Identify your money stressor from the list below and consider the practical ways to address your problem suggested in the links provided. The stressors are listed as they were identified in the Nedbank survey starting with the cause of the greatest anxiety. Fixes may take time but sticking to the plans you make with small consistent steps can turn your money problem into one that is well-managed and does not keep you awake at night.
1. Struggling to pay bills each month
• Almost 30 percent of those Nedbank surveyed do not budget and therefore struggle to meet financial commitments. Those who budget tend to spend less than they earn, pay their bills on time, have less debt, save more and have more confidence about their financial future. If you are struggling along without a budget, find out how to quickly set up a workable plan using our easy-to-download budget planner.
• Once you have a budget, you need to stick to it by living within your means. This is tricky especially if your earnings are low, you are a single parent or you are faced with high, or multiple, unexpected costs. Building a buffer in your budget can help you cope with unexpected costs for anything from electricity or water outages, above-inflation increases in private healthcare and education, to unanticipated schooling expenses.
2. Helping others financially
• If you are the first in your family to get a good job and are expected to support dependents at home through what is often referred to as black tax, take a few minutes to consider how to manage the requests and set healthy boundaries.
• If you are supporting those who have stumbled financially, here are some tips to manage expectations of your parents or adult children.
3. Avoiding long-term planning
Steady inflation, interest rate cuts and a bit of growth in the economy mean we mostly managed to pay expenses better last year than over the past two years, Nedbank says its survey shows.
But its survey highlights that there hasn’t been much improvement in our inability to plan for the future with just 28 percent of those surveyed stating confidently that they were planning for financial goals.
• If you don’t yet have a retirement plan that gives you peace of mind about the pension you may enjoy in retirement, it is time to start planning and saving, even if you can only make a small start. Our retirement savings calculator will help you make a plan.
• If not saving for your children’s tertiary education is stressing you, here are few easy ideas to get started. Even if you can only manage a small contribution now, it means less to borrow when they need to start studying towards a qualification.
• If you have a goal you want to achieve, watch this quick video for the steps you need to take and some tips on how to plan to move your dream to reality.
4. Debt and credit cards
• If debt is the source of your money stress, take stock of the problem and what you can do to solve it. Letting it linger, makes it larger and more unmanageable.
• If carrying credit card debt or using your card for living costs that you can’t settle at month end is stressing you, it is time to find a better way to manage this expensive form of credit.
Ref: Smart About Money
Written by: Laura du Preez
APC Financial Services (Pty) Ltd - FSP 47435
Please phone
André Cronjé on 081 212 3717 or [email protected]
Sandi Cronjé on 082 533 8555 or [email protected]
Drawing up a Budget:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/planning-for-life/a-good-financial-footing/how-can-i-draw-up-a-budget-that-works-for-me/
Budget Planner:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/tools-and-calculators/budget-planner/
Living within your means:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/planning-for-life/a-good-financial-footing/why-is-it-important-to-live-within-your-means/
Setting healthy boundaries:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/planning-for-life/a-good-financial-footing/how-can-i-set-healthy-boundaries-for-black-tax/
Managing Parents' expectations:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/planning-for-life/later-working-years/how-do-i-talk-to-my-aging-parents-about-their-finances/
Managing Adult Children's expectations:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/planning-for-life/later-working-years/managing-money-when-an-adult-child-moves-back-home/
Start Planning:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/retirement/getting-to-retirement/how-much-do-i-need-to-save-for-retirement/
Retirement Savings Calculator:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/tools-and-calculators/retirement-savings-calculator/
Easy ideas to get started:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/planning-for-life/mid-life/how-can-i-invest-for-my-children-s-education/
Watch this quick video:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/videos/watch-and-learn/watch-setting-savings-and-investment-goals/
Plan to move your dream to reality:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/saving-and-investing/investment-basics/how-do-i-set-savings-and-investment-goals/
What you can do to solve it:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/debt/managing-debt/what-can-i-do-if-i-have-a-debt-problem/
Better ways to manage:
https://smartaboutmoney.co.za/debt/working-with-credit/what-is-a-good-way-to-manage-my-credit-card/
Smart About Money
