What My Mother Taught Me About Money (And Why It Still Matters Today)
With Mother’s Day around the corner, I find myself thinking a lot about my mom. I’ve been meaning to write about her for a long time—not just a blog article, but maybe even a short e-book to capture the lessons she taught me and the impact she’s had on my life. I should do that, shouldn’t I? Writing this feels like a small way of saying thank you while I still can. Of giving her the flowers she deserves—while she’s here to smell them.
So today, I want to start with one of the areas where my mother taught me the most: money.
I honestly believe she gave me one of the best financial educations a parent could pass down, and I carry those lessons with me every single day.
These aren’t listed in any particular order, but I hope at least one resonates with you.
💼 “Hang your bag where you can easily pick it.”
Translation? Live within your means.
Don’t spend money you don’t have. Don’t try to keep up with trends, don’t take out loans or run into debt trying to buy things that aren’t within your means. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it. Simple.
If you need it but can’t afford it now, make a savings plan and work toward it month by month—and be patient.
That’s why credit cards don’t make sense to me. Buying something with money I didn’t actually have felt…wrong.
And to be honest, part of the reason for that is also context—I grew up in Cameroon, where credit cards weren’t part of everyday life. It was cash or nothing, and that shaped how I viewed money.
But even now that I live in a country where credit is more accessible, I still find myself going back to my mother’s voice:
Only buy what you can afford.
That advice holds up, no matter where you are. I’ve since learned how to use the credit cards wisely, but my mom’s mindset still grounds me.
💰 “Don’t change your lifestyle just because your income increased.”
This one has stuck with me for years. Every time my mother’s income went up, her lifestyle stayed the same. Whener I got a raise or moved to a better-paying job, my mother would remind me: don’t let your lifestyle inflate with your paycheck.
Instead, save the surplus—invest it in something meaningful, like land or a business that can generate more income later. She was all about building something solid, not just spending more because you can.
📊 “Always make a budget, no matter how little your income is.”
This right here? Probably the biggest financial lesson my mom ever gave me.
She started teaching me how to budget when I was around 8 years old. She’d sit me down and show me how she managed her income—what she allocated for bills, food, school, health, everything.
My mother built her house with her own money. No loans. No borrowing. Just discipline. That still blows my mind.
She’d give us pocket money for the month and tell us:
“I’ll take care of your needs, but for your wants? You’ll have to save.”
We thought it was unfair at first. But slowly, we learned. We started budgeting our little “income.” How much for lunch? How much for transport? How much could we save?
We even found tricks. We’d pack leftovers instead of buying food. We’d walk home instead of taking a cab. And with those little savings, we could buy things we actually wanted—clothes, books, whatever mattered to us.
Later, when I got my first job and earned around $150 a month, I kept a budget and managed to save too (just for context, my mother was helping with my rent at that time). Even if it was just $5 or $10—it still counted.
Because savings are savings, people!
🎁 “Don’t forget to give.”
Even with her strict budget, my mom always made room for generosity.
Once, I asked her how we were going to manage groceries that month after she gave part of our food money to a relative in need. She simply said, “I’ll switch things around.” Maybe buy fish instead of meat, butter instead of chocolate spread—simple substitutions that made it work.
I didn’t agree with this advice as a child. I didn’t like watching her lend money she rarely got back. But we never lacked anything. She achieved everything she set her mind to. And guess what? Now I’m doing exactly the same. Funny how that works. And I now understand: giving is a value, not a calculation.
🆘 “Plan for the unexpected.”
My mother had a line in her budget called “unexpected.”
She explained that anything could happen—illness, relocation, a sudden need. That budget line was her insurance policy.
And if nothing unexpected happened that month? That amount went straight into savings. A new month started, and the “unexpected” line stayed in place.
We didn’t have insurance growing up. It was expensive. But my mum had a plan for everything. I still carry that mindset with me.
Final Thoughts
Of course, there’s so much more I could say, but these are the major lessons that shaped the way I manage my finances. Funny enough, when I read The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton years ago, I kept thinking—my mom could’ve written this!
She didn’t go to finance school. But she built a solid life for us, stone by stone, savings by savings. And I’ll always be grateful for the foundation she gave me.
💬 Your Turn
What are the financial lessons your mother taught you? Even if she never gave a formal lecture, what little habits or observations stayed with you over time?
Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments 👇🏽