As the One Rand Family continue their epic endeavour – to live only on R1’s for the month of July – it becomes clear in the fourth week of the social experiment by Sanlam that their mindsets are shifting.
They’re rediscovering the meaning of “the best things in life are free”
Normally when their nieces and nephews visit from Durban, the One Rand Family splash out on movies, mall trips and Gold Reef City visits. This time, they spend time in the park and setting up camp outside their house overnight. And as one niece puts it, “It was fun to see each other’s personalities for a change.”
“It’s the time you spend with your kids that matters much more than where you actually take them” says Viresh Maharaj, chief marketing actuary at Sanlam Employee Benefits.
Cutting back on entertainment spending
Dad Sbu and Mom Londi can be seen taking a different approach to date night and lunch with friends. Foregoing their usual platter on a date, the couple admitted enjoying their evening just as much as usual even though they opted for some of the lesser expensive items on the menu. We see them setting a budget before going out, and although they spent slightly more than they planned, they still spent less than they usually would.
Learning to say no
Although it might not have been easy for the family to forgo footing the lunch bill or spoiling their nieces and nephews as they usually would, according to Stephen Mulima, Clinical Therapist, communication is key: “If you’re not transparent about your income, people will expect more from you than you can afford. Yes, it does enhance our self esteem to know that we are able to support our family and give back to the community, but sometimes we need to say ‘no’, however hard it may be, if we want to stay committed to your goals.”
They’re buying smarter
On a grocery shopping trip, Londi opts for ‘quantity over quality’ to feed the family and their six nieces and nephews. She sees the value of buying a bag of flour that she would be able to use again instead of a ready-made cake. She also starts to actually look at the prices of the items they buy and compare costs to see where they can save a bit.
The episode ends on a sober note. The family have only two boxes of coins left for the rest of the month and have forgotten to make a vital payment, Sbu’s car installment.
Web-episode four is live at www.onerandfamily.co.za or catch it on e.tv on Wednesday, 29 July at 17:25. The site also features useful expert analysis and budgeting tools.
For more information, visit onerandfamily.sanlam.co.za. Alternatively connect with them on Facebook or Twitter.