Finally, there’s great news for shopaholics. Plagued with thoughts of how to cut back (but still shop-till-you-drop), a few close friends asked me to help them find a happy medium. The answer will astound you: You can get great goodies – without paying a cent. How? Using “freebies”, of course.

Ever wondered what goes on off the radar at the big institutions? Well, here's an example of market manipulation that's actually terrifying. One of my colleagues, Martin Hutchison, has uncovered this "system" in the US. Now I'm telling you so you can understand how, when banks and investment companies are failing left, right and centre, some are boasting fantastic gains. Hopefully this won't be hitting South Africa's shores any time soon.

Can you believe it’s just four months until the December holidays? It’s crazy, it feels like the year’s just started and already it’s time to think about where to go on your long Christmas break.

We are feeling the upswing. Despite all predictions, hopes and fears, the world’s pulling itself steadily out of recession. The JSE closed at 25,071 points on Friday! Now if you follow the adage “the trend is your friend”, you couldn’t go wrong with diamonds. As the recovery takes hold, income will increase and the luxury sector will once again boom!