Snakes and Ladders: Managing Your Money in a World That’s Lost the Rulebook

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” (Japanese proverb)

There’s no doubt that the world has lost the rulebook. We’re all grappling with the pace of change across almost everything, while multiple global crises overlap. Old ideas about what a “good life” looks like no longer quite fit. And with so many competing sources of information, it’s increasingly hard to agree on what’s true, or who to trust.

Let’s learn from Snakes and Ladders

Cast your mind back to when you were a kid, sprawled on the lounge floor with the old Snakes and Ladders board. Full of optimism, you’d roll the dice and suddenly find yourself racing up a ladder toward the finish. It felt like winning after just one roll.

Then, with a cruel twist of fate, you’d land on a snake. Down you’d go, sliding all the way back to square one: humiliation, disappointment, disbelief.

Turns out the cruel Snakes and Ladders board was quietly preparing us for adult life, including how we manage our money.

In real life

Imagine earning a well-deserved bonus at the end of a killer year (up the ladder!), only to have your geyser burst. The kitchen floods. The woodwork needs replacing. The body corporate drags its feet on an insurance claim. And, to round things off, your son announces an eye-watering budget for his very exclusive wedding in Sydney.

Your first reaction might be relief: “Thank goodness I’ve invested in balanced funds for emergencies.” But then you check your portfolio: markets have dipped, and the numbers are disappointing.

This is the part we were never really taught. How to deal with chaos. External shocks – wars, sanctions, political instability, policy surprises – arrive whether we’re ready or not. So how do you build something solid when the ground keeps shifting?

It’s time to stop playing by the old rules. You now need to assume the snakes will appear from time to time.

Reality check

What’s needed is a mindset shift. Financial setbacks aren’t personal curses; they’re as unavoidable as bad weather. Cars need unexpected repairs. Orthodontist bills are always higher than expected. And the global economy has regular mood swings.

Wealth-building in a chaotic world isn’t about avoiding snakes altogether, it’s about carrying anti-venom.

Far from being “boring”, your emergency fund is a potential lifesaver. It can turn a soul-crushing “back to square one” moment into a manageable detour.

The trick to long-term investing success is to never put everything into one exciting, risky move just because everyone else seems to be doing it. Instead, aim to be relentlessly (almost boringly) consistent. Automate contributions to sensible investments each month and, as much as possible, forget about them. Never bet on a single roll of the dice.

Even the wealthy can feel the cash flow pinch when the world seems unanchored. That’s why diversification matters. Not only in your portfolio, but in your skills. Teaching, tutoring, consulting, or mentoring can all build on what you already know. These don’t need to replace your job, but they can create another small ladder.

Think, too, about your personal “ladder kit”: an online course, new qualifications, or business connections that could strengthen your career or open the door to side opportunities. Small spending changes, redirected into long-term investments, can quietly create ladders you barely notice at first, but which extend over time.

When circumstances feel tough, it’s only human to fantasise about giant, magical ladders such as early inheritances, extraordinary returns, or even winning the lottery. Dreams are harmless, but relying on them coming true is a fast track to disappointment.

Your secret weapon

When everything feels loud and uncertain, stubborn calmness becomes a serious asset. Celebrate non-disaster months. Turn “no-spend” weekends into a game. Let investing sit quietly in the background, on autopilot, not as a daily source of anxiety.

The goal is to become the composed player who lands on an unavoidable black mamba and nods. No panic. Make some chamomile tea. Take stock of all the ladders you’ve been building along the way. Because the game only ends when you stop rolling. Real wealth isn’t just the number you land on, it’s the resilience you’ve built from climbing back up, again and again.

If you feel wobbly in this period of uncertainty, please give us a call. We’re all in the same boat.

Jason Yutar: +27 83 415 9603 or
Zaheera Mohammed: +27 82 775 1898

Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact us for specific and detailed advice.

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