The Cappuccino Challenge

A cappuccino at your local coffee bar costs you around R40, including a generous tip.

How much do you think you would save up, over the long-term, if you invested the equivalent of your favorite cup of coffee every day? 

I want to challenge you to take up the CAPPUCCINO CHALLENGE!

If you set up a strategy to save regularly, you can build up a serious wealth portfolio over time. A simple habit of investing regularly can become a way of life, and over time can help you build up a small (or large!) fortune. You may even be able to buy your own coffee shop or coffee plantation over time.

Today, I challenge you to take up the cappuccino challenge and form a good financial habit of saving an extra portion of your income each day.

So many people I bump into are not investing enough in their wealth portfolio. Many have a poor saving culture. Many are also getting deeper into debt, and as debts climb so it become even more difficult to start saving.

Why don’t people save?

Many people will tell you that the reason they do not save is because they do not earn enough.

I disagree! You need to form good habits.

If you cannot save 10c in every R1, how will you be able to save R100 in every R1000 that you earn? 

Many people do not save due to a bad financial habit of not making saving a priority.

But let us drill deeper. Why don’t people save?

• A lack of vision,
• Not building saving into their budget,
• Too many debts – many cannot afford to save,
• A lack of discipline,
• Bad habits,
• Poor priorities,
• A lack of a planning.

Saving must become a habit!

We need to start creating a habit of saving instead of a habit of debt.

The difference between building a wealth portfolio and staying broke, in many cases, can come down to the order in which one saves and spends their money.

WEALTHY PEOPLE SAVE FIRST AND SPEND WHAT IS LEFT OVER!

This way they always build wealth first!

POOR PEOPLE HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS TO SAVE TOO, BUT THEY SPEND FIRST.

When you spend first, there will always be another item to buy or expense to pay that will prevent you from saving. If you spend before you save, there will never be anything left over to save.

If you don’t save before you spend, you will never end up building a wealth portfolio.

Are your money priorities out of sync?

I want to encourage you to get your priorities in the right order. Put first things first.

Proverb 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish”

It is time to dream big dreams and to plan to reach these dreams.

Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true there is life and joy”

So how do we save? How do we realize our dreams?

You need to set goals. You need to dare to dream. You also need to formulate a plan. Above all, you need to stick to the plan.

Proverbs 21:5 “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty”

THE CAPPUCCINO CHALLENGE!

Now, I want to encourage you to start a new good financial habit of saving at least the equivalent of a cappuccino per day.

As of 2022, R40 is equivalent to a cappuccino at your favorite coffee bar, with a generous tip included.

If you start investing R40 per day within a Balanced Unit Trust Fund, you should generate growth of at least 10% p.a. over the longer term. (By the way, many Balanced Funds have achieve returns of 12-15% p.a. over the longer-term!)

The numbers!

If you invested R40 per day for 30 days of each month, you would end up investing R1 200 per month. If you kept investing this over time, and increased your saving by inflation each year, your capital would grow as follows:

• After 5 years you would have over R104 000
• After 10 years you would have over R306 000
• After 20 years you would have over R1 340 000
• After 30 years you would have over R4 460 000
• After 40 years you would have over R14 340 000

*Assuming a 10% p.a. return and a 6% p.a. inflation rate

By investing regularly over the long-term, you can build towards a brighter future!

“He who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” (Proverbs 13:11)

Start forming good financial habits. Start investing. Make it a routine. Make it a way of life!

I challenge you to form a habit of investing regularly over the longer-term where you will benefit from the power of compounding. I challenge you to save before you spend. I challenge you to take up THE CAPPUCCINO CHALLENGE!

Start dreaming.

Have a vision for your future.

Set up an investment plan.

Determine how much you will put aside on a regular basis to reach your goals. Build saving into your budget. 

Automate it by setting up a regular debit order to come off your account at the start of every month before you spend money. This way you will start building your Wealth Portfolio.

Stick to your plan.

You can set yourself up for a brighter financial future!

Have a blessed week.

God bless you.