We say that we are the one’s we have been waiting for - answered prayers and our ancestors’ wildest dreams. Our parents will not openly admit it because they say that we jump from one thing to another, do not take things seriously, and are driven by instant gratification. Although they will not tell us, they know that we are the ones they have been waiting for - a generation that dares to be different.

Our generation is doing what seemed to be impossible for our parents. We are: running successful businesses, obtaining multiple qualifications, creating multiple income streams, tapping into industries that were not available to our parents, and boldly taking risks and breaking barriers.

Young people are sitting on boards of big companies. A shoe brand that has inspired young people , opened over 20 stores around the country and created employment. We have  young women who have launched their own champagne brands, and clothing brands that have influenced international trends. Our musicians are making waves around the globe and collaborating with people they looked up to in the past. We have young people that have tapped into the I.T industry and are creating innovative and sustainable solutions for our continent.

While this is amazing, as risks and hard work are paying off, there is one thing that we are not doing differently. It is something that our parents struggled with and creeps up on us while we are so focused on our work. This is planning for our future and retirement.

We are so focused on enjoying the fruits of our hard work that we forget to leave some provision for tomorrow. It is not enough that we have these multiple streams of income. We need to ensure that our money works for us. We must plant seeds today that will reap greater rewards at a later stage. This is something that our generation has not been able to master.

How can we do this? Here are a few tips that will help you to get started:

• Set some financial goals that you would like to achieve. For example, if you want to live comfortably upon retirement, rather transfer your provident fund to a preservation fund instead of withdrawing from it when you resign. Transfering will allow your funds to accumulate further until your retirement. There are also tax benefits to preserving the funds until retirement: the first R500 000 of the 1/3 that you can withdraw when you retire is tax-free,which is much better than the R25 000 that is not taxed when you choose to withdraw from your retirement savings.

• Start saving early for a car or house. Calculate the amount that you will be able to put aside regularly from your income.

• Make sure that your goals are realistic and that you put timelines in place.

• Read, read and read. Read up on the different investment options that are available to you. Look at the benefits of a tax-free savings account compared to a typical investment portfolio, and decide which option aligns better with your goals.

• Draw up a monthly budget. Be consistent and disciplined. Once you have done this and no longer transfer money from your savings account to pay for mid-month expenses, you can move on to the next step. There are several tools that can help with budgeting. There are apps such as 22seven, Mint and Pocket Guard to name a few.

• The next step is realising that every contribution to a long-term savings or investment plan counts. No matter how big or how small. While most collective investment schemes require a minimum monthly contribution of R500, there are various platforms that enable clients to invest smaller amounts and even acquire fractions of a share of a listed company.

I believe that these steps will help us win the battle of saving for our futures. Learning to be smart with our money while we continue setting records and breaking boundaries will only strengthen the fact that our generation is doing things differently.