"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."
— C.G. Jung

A packet of chips here, a book from Kalahari there and before you know it you're broke and counting the days (or weeks!) until your next paycheque.  Most people don't have a clue how they spend their money, including those who believe they do.

Do you ever find clothes you've never worn?  Do you ever buy stuff without knowing exactly how much it costs?  Do you ever reach your credit limit, but can't remember how it got there?  Do you own a nice smartphone, or lots of gadgets, but you struggle to make ends meet?  Are you making payments on stuff that doesn't work or you don't use?

If this is you, and it probably is, then help is at hand…

Enter 22seven

No matter how much (or how little) you earn, simply becoming aware of exactly how much is coming in and how much is going out is sure to set you on the path to financial freedom.  But how can we achieve this money-consciousness when deluding ourselves in this regard comes so naturally?  Enter 22seven…

Users supply 22seven — which works with all major South African banks and cards — with their online banking usernames and passwords (precisely what we've been trained for years not to do, but I'll get to that later).  The system then links their accounts and draws all information into a "report" containing detailed categories of spending.

The beauty of it lies in the fact that the user doesn't have to do a thing.  It all happens automatically and every single transaction is captured and properly filed without you having to lift a finger.  This is great because human beings are masters at self-delusion.  With 22seven you cannot run and you cannot hide.

22seven steers clear of boring spreadsheets and successfully makes use of a fun and engaging game-like interface to assist users in getting a clear and holistic view of their finances.

By using 22seven for a few months you'll become painfully aware of where your money is going and where it is possible to cut back. 

"When it comes to money, we could all do with a bit more," says Christo Davel, CEO of 22seven. 

"The problem is that it isn’t always possible to earn more, get more or borrow more. The long-term solution is to learn to do more with the money we have. But seriously, how many of us get that right? It’s something most of us really struggle with. 22seven was created to help us all learn to do more, right now, with what we have without sacrificing what we want for the future."

Article continues on page two and three: what makes 22seven different and the all important safety issue...