“Salaries Are Cursed”: Woman’s Budget Breakdown on R65k Salary Sparks Online Debate

• A local woman shared the financial reality of earning a high salary after debt and life expenses left her with very little
• The video was shared on TikTok, where viewers analysed her monthly spending habits
• Social media users debate the creator’s tithe amount and noted that earning more exposes people to credit opportunities

A Forever Living business owner who quit her high-paying job in 2020 stunned the internet by revealing her then R65K salary expenditure.

The clip was shared on TikTok by user @thandisa_forever on 2 April 2026, where it gained massive views and hundreds of comments from viewers who discussed some of her deductions.

The woman, who left the job in 2020, noted that on the R65K salary she earned, she was left with R44K after SARS deductions. Breaking down her monthly expenditure, she said the first thing she did was to tithe, giving 10% of her gross salary. She added that this R6.5K that she gives to the church has been the reason why she has never lacked, nor struggled financially. The creator added another deduction of R8K for medical aid and R2.5K for policies.

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Breaking down expenditure on R65K salary

The creator, TikTok user @thandisa_forever, noted that she was also paying R10K for loans and promised to share her story later for those interested in knowing why she took them. Her car instalment and insurance worked out to R5.5K. Expenditure for petrol, which included back and forths between school and work, worked out to R4.5K. After paying for the monthly bills, the woman noted that she would be left with R7K, meant to last her for the whole month. She later decided to quit, not only because of the salary, but also because it wasn't a motivation for her to stay.

Watch the TikTok video below:

SA debates the salary breakdown

The clip gained massive engagement from viewers who were shocked by the salary breakdown. Many viewers questioned the R6.5K paid for tithes. They explained that tithes are supposed to be calculated on the net salary and not the gross. Some noted that she had not yet added food, electricity and rent on the R7K that she was left with every month. Others noted that earning more money exposes people to credit opportunities and a lifestyle that later criple many professionals. One user who is a new professional said the video was making them scared of how the real world works.

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User @Kekezwa commented:

"Salaries are cursed, really! Yoh, upeye namhlanje ngomso gone imali (you get paid today, tomorrow the money is gone)."

User @Barbie said:

"I believe in tithes, my sister. I have so many testimonies mna ngenxa yezishumi (because of tithes)🙏🏾🔥. 10% of my income will always belong to God. It’s your hedge of protection."

User @I'm_Innocentia asked:

"Chomi, you left R65k, and why?"

User @Siz commented:

"Earning more money exposes us to credit opportunities, and those debit orders and lifestyle choices crippled us. The way I fought to get outta debt."

User @FabX Collection shared:

"At any given point in life, salary will never be a motivation."

User @Leo said:

"Mind you, groceries are not even included apho 😭, hai kuningi (no, it's a lot)."

User @ sinoyolo added:

"This makes me so scared as a new professional."

3 Briefly News salary-related articles

• A 33-year-old father of three had social media users abuzz after flexing his R100K total income, joining a viral TikTok salary trend, where locals flex their earnings.
• A 28-year-old mother of one joined a viral online challenge, revealing she was single and earning R4800, and Mzansi advised her to remain single and focus on getting a better-paying job.
• A Forever Living business owner bragged about her R500K monthly salary, leaving many social media users envious.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News