Social media has found a new question to obsess over, with TikTok and Instagram users weighing in on what is actually worth your money? The answers range from excellent mattresses and expensive cookware to business-class flights and the one skincare product someone swears changed their life.
The trend is entertaining because it turns the usual conversation about money on its head. Instead of asking how to spend less, it asks a better question: what is worth spending more on?
As a financial adviser, I think we should ask that question more often. Being good with money means more than having a debit order to your savings account – although that is a great start! It means thinking about your future self, too, and spending on the things that will make life better and more secure.
The difference is simple: an expense gives you something now – like an expensive business class ticket may give you a more comfortable flight – whereas an investment keeps giving back long after you have paid for it.
That idea is also what powers this year’s Momentum She Owns Her Success campaign: “Her Success has a number”. Success means having options, and the financial decisions you make today can give you more of them tomorrow. So, here are four things I believe really are worth the money – financial advice edition!
Coffee with your financial adviser
A R50 coffee, on its own, is unlikely to change your financial future. The conversation you have over it – with the right person – might. One of the most useful things you can spend money and time on is understanding your own finances. What protection do you already have? Where are the gaps? Does the plan you put in place several years ago still suit the life you have now?
People are sometimes reluctant to ask their adviser questions they think they should already know the answers to. Ask them anyway. A financial adviser should help you understand your choices and make informed decisions, not leave you nodding politely through a conversation you barely understand. That cup of coffee could help you make better decisions about money for years to come.
Income cover that pays sooner if you can’t work
Ask someone to name their biggest financial asset and they will probably point to their house, retirement savings or investments. But for most of us, there is something even more fundamental: our ability to earn an income. Illness or injury can suddenly stop you from working, but unfortunately your bills won’t get the memo. That is why protecting your income is one of the most valuable financial decisions you can make, whatever you do for a living.
But having cover is only part of it. You also need to know how long you will wait before it starts paying. Choosing a 30- or 90-day waiting period can lower your monthly premium, but those extra weeks will stretch long and empty in front of you once your sick leave runs out and your savings disappear. Paying a little more each month means you won’t have to wait as long for money to come in, giving you one less thing to worry about while you get back on your feet.
A financial plan that keeps up with your life
We rarely question why our phones need updating because we know technology changes and what worked a few years ago may no longer be right for today. The same is true of your money – you can’t run your 2026 life with your 2019 financial plan. As your income, responsibilities and goals change, your insurance and investments need to keep up.
A regular financial review lets you make those adjustments as life changes. Buying a house or having a child, for example, might change how much cover you need and how much you can afford to invest. A review is also a chance to look at how your insurance premiums will change over time. Paying a little more for the right premium structure today could make your cover more affordable in the years ahead.
Life cover that makes your good health count
We spend plenty of money looking after our health, from gym memberships to healthier food, because we know that what we do today can benefit us later. Your health can also affect the protection available to you and what you pay for it. Taking out cover when you’re younger and healthy can make it easier and cheaper to get before changes in your health lead to higher premiums or exclusions.
Then there’s the value of simply knowing you’re covered. Social media may be full of weighted blankets and sleep apps, but none of them will help if you’re lying awake worrying about bills. Having the right protection in place can bring the kind of peace of mind that money really can buy.
The internet loves debating what is worth the money. I believe some of the best things you can spend money on aren’t things you can hold in your hand. They protect what you’ve built and give you more options for the future.
The life you want is worth planning for – and if your income makes that life possible, protecting it is worth every cent.
