How much money it takes to be happy in South Africa

[azbob]

I fully agree, you'd be silly to intentionally do it to yourself (I only learn't this after intentionally doing it to myself). That said, I can count on more than two hands, the amount of people I know who have done it to themselves

Aren’t you renting an apartment for R30k pm or something? Doesn’t sound like you’ve learnt.

 

[kory]

Let me put it into perspective for you. This will cost you R52k a month

Eish we don’t live in Newlands. I think the average home owner is buying at about 2.5.

 

[Willie Trombone]

Let me put it into perspective for you. This will cost you R52k a month

Cape Town.
Well there's your problem.

 

[Polymathic]

11

 

[RedViking]

11

Not your age.

 

[s0lar]

Not your age.

IQ?

 

[Willie Trombone]

I have had employees who seemed to have no financial sense at all. They were totally driven by thoughts of what they should “have“ whether or not they really needed it

Attempts to make them see sense lasted about 10 mins

That right there is the definition of unhappiness. Wanting what you can't afford.

 

[surface]

Yup, a bar is nothing these days. If you're a single person you can't even buy the standard "Toyota corolla and 3 bedroom suburb home" with that.

mybb is a unique place. 1 bar is nothing for a single here but that in itself is quite astounding that people still earn 1 mil despite BEE. Who would have thunk. @TheChamp and @ForceFate - comments?

 

[W@P]

Didn't read through all the posts yet but yes a bar is nothing these days. In 2013 you could buy a brand new ML 500 for a bar. To replace that car with the same today is 1.8 - 2 bar. And a lot of peoples earnings since then did not keep up so to replace your almost top-of-the-range SUV you got in 2013 for more or less the same money you have to downgrade to smaller versions. Crazy.

Money has fsckall value these days.

 

[s0lar]

Decent family home in Southern suburbs of Cape Town is around R40k p/m. Nothing lavish by any means, most likely a bit of fixing up here and there. Just a decent area with good schools and a garden. Then factor private schooling for an average of 2 kids. A bar ain't going to cut it by any means.

 

[Sepeng]

People always laugh when they hear how much I earn plus it makes them feel better about themselves, so you could say sometimes earning less makes people happy.

 

[Polymathic]

Not your age.

IQ?

Ask yourself these questions:
What is happy?
Where is happy?
How is happy?
When is happy?
Why is happy?

And if you answer these questions honestly you then will be hit by the realisation that the answer to the question:

How much money it takes to be happy in South Africa​

Is actually 11

 

[RedViking]

What is happy? Sipping Coffee
Where is happy? Where there is Coffee
How is happy? Strong Coffee
When is happy? Drinking Coffee
Why is happy? Because of Coffee

Is actually Coffee.

 

[surface]

Decent family home in Southern suburbs of Cape Town is around R40k p/m. Nothing lavish by any means, most likely a bit of fixing up here and there. Just a decent area with good schools and a garden. Then factor private schooling for an average of 2 kids. A bar ain't going to cut it by any means.

So most of you guys staying in CT earn 2 bar and above?

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Decent family home in Southern suburbs of Cape Town is around R40k p/m. Nothing lavish by any means, most likely a bit of fixing up here and there. Just a decent area with good schools and a garden. Then factor private schooling for an average of 2 kids. A bar ain't going to cut it by any means.

I'm in that 1% and my bond in a relatively affluent/upper-middle class area in Jhb is 18k a month. My total household monthly expenditure is not even 40k. Get to save plenty and travel on a whim if I want to. We get by on far less than a bar.

If people are spending 40k on a bond and struggling to make ends meet then there's nobody else to blame. Why does the house have to be in the southern suburbs? Why does it even have to be in Cape Town? Surely if you're struggling on what should be a decent living wage, some lifestyle changes are needed...

 

[Polymathic]

Is actually Coffee.

The path to your happiness lies in a 11g dose of coffee per serving.

 

[surface]

I'm in that 1% and my bond in a relatively affluent/upper-middle class area in Jhb is 18k a month. My total household monthly expenditure is not even 40k. Get to save plenty and travel on a whim if I want to. We get by on far less than a bar.

If people are spending 40k on a bond and struggling to make ends meet then there's nobody else to blame. Why does the house have to be in the southern suburbs? Why does it even have to be in Cape Town? Surely if you're struggling on what should be a decent living wage, some lifestyle changes are needed...

you poor thing. Just 18K on a bond ? How did we admit you on mybb ?

 

[prod]

I'm in that 1% and my bond in a relatively affluent/upper-middle class area in Jhb is 18k a month. My total household monthly expenditure is not even 40k. Get to save plenty and travel on a whim if I want to. We get by on far less than a bar.

If people are spending 40k on a bond and struggling to make ends meet then there's nobody else to blame. Why does the house have to be in the southern suburbs? Why does it even have to be in Cape Town? Surely if you're struggling on what should be a decent living wage, some lifestyle changes are needed...

Honestly, 83k pm does not get you that much. A bond of 2mil and a car of 400k will flatten it pretty quickly, not to mention tax which is what 40, 41%? Sure, you can buy a cheaper car...or even house, but the point being you're a supposed "1% earner" - but you constantly have to compromise. Costs are just way out of hand.

 

[surface]

Honestly, 83k pm does not get you that much. A bond of 2mil and a car of 400k will flatten it pretty quickly, not to mention tax which is what 40, 41%? Sure, you can buy a cheaper car...or even house, but the point being you're a supposed "1% earner" - but you constantly have to compromise. Costs are just way out of hand.

Indeed. 2 mil hardly buys an apartment in waterfall estate (near us so we live in a rich area, so to speak) and most independent houses are 5mil+ and most owners drive 800K+ SUV's

My point. Aim high. Look at joneses next door.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Honestly, 83k pm does not get you that much. A bond of 2mil and a car of 400k will flatten it pretty quickly, not to mention tax which is what 40, 41%? Sure, you can buy a cheaper car...or even house, but the point being you're a supposed "1% earner" - but you constantly have to compromise. Costs are just way out of hand.

Sure, costs are ridiculous, but it's still possible to get by relatively comfortably.

Just plugged that 83k pm into our calculator and got a take-home of 45k. That includes tax, pension and medical aid contributions (comprehensive for 2 adults and a child).

2 million bond at prime is 18k, leaving you with 27k.
400k car, less a modest deposit of 100k, at prime is 5.5k, leaving you with 21.5k.
Groceries at 4k leaves you with 17.5k.
School fees at 6k leaves you with 11.5k.
Other bits and bobs (internet, streaming services, rates, electricity etc.), say 6.5k

That's 5k left over on just one income. Factor in the spouse's income and an average family of 3 should be saving plenty...