Valuable Financial Lessons from Mom and Dad

Growing up poor, there wasn't always much in the way of new clothes and fancy toys, but what we didn't have in money we made up for in memories. Sometimes I think I was actually lucky to not have had a lot as a child because it forced me to be outdoors more, think outside the box to come up with ways to entertain myself, and made me appreciate the things I did receive all the more.

I think that this time during my young life helped me to build character, creativity, and molded me into a more well-rounded and accepting person. Beyond that, it taught me just how little a person actually needs in order to be happy, and that it is often more about the place you are and people you are with than the amount of money you are making or spending that is truly important. Don't get me wrong, money can go a long way to helping a person be happy, but just having it doesn't always equate to contentment. There are a few other lessons I picked up from mom and dad that showed me that money isn't everything and that served me well as I moved into adulthood.

It Doesn't Have to be New to be Good

My mom was the queen of garage sales and resale shops and my dad was a true "American picker". While as a child these characteristics were at times a bit embarrassing, they formed a deep rooted belief in me that not all things have to be new to be good. From books and clothing to furniture and cars my parents showed me that used things are often good things, and what is one person's junk can indeed be another person's treasure.

Outdoor Activities Can be Fun and Cheap

Some of best memories I have as a child growing up were those that took place in nature. Everything from canoeing, caving and camping with my dad, to hiking in the hills of Indiana with my mom, taught me that outdoor activities can be a ton of fun but don't have to cost much money.

While I realize that those in urban environments might not have such opportunities easily available to them, there is still plenty of room for inexpensive fun in a bustling cityscape. When my dad moved to the city, we had just as much fun, and the memories of throwing the baseball, tossing the Frisbee or riding bikes around our neighborhood are just as solid as those of crawling through caves or braving whitewater rapids.

It's Amazing What You Can do Without

My mother and I lived in an old schoolhouse in a remote area of rural Indiana when I was growing up. We had no central air during the summer, and since we were very poor, in the winter we would section off half the house and heat it with a wood burning stove.

At dad's house we had no indoor plumbing for several years (since he was building his own home by hand) which made for interesting accommodations; and we also heated our living quarters with a woodstove.

Both parents had a television, but we were limited to five channels -- six on a good day when we were picking up an extra strong signal!

You would think such conditions would have made for a terrible childhood, but just the opposite in fact. I was quite happy. While they were tough times, they were good times, and such hardships built character and made me appreciate amenities and conveniences so much more as I grew older.

It's Not How Much You Spend but With Whom You Spend It

My family didn't go out to fancy dinners or go on long vacations. We didn't have new cars or nice homes. I wore hand-me-down clothes from my friends, and I didn't have the latest and greatest toys.

All this didn't matter though. I had great times playing with my friends in the creek and hills of our back woods or having mom take us to the state park near our home. Each Sunday my mom and I would go eat dinner at my grandparents' house where we would play family card games afterward. Such experiences made me realize that it didn't, and still doesn't take a lot to make me happy. And as I look back now, I realize that it's not the amount of money we spent doing things, but the experiences we had and the people we shared those experiences with that were most important.

Spending money doesn't necessarily equate to having a good time. I know people that spend much more money than I do now by going to sporting events, buying new cars, and eating fancy dinners, but they aren't any happier than my family is when we spend quality time (and much less money) together watching a movie, eating dinner at home, or just taking a nice long walk together.

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Disclaimer:

The author is not a licensed financial professional. The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. For financial advice, readers should consult a licensed financial advisor. Any action taken by the reader due to the information provided in this article is solely at the reader's discretion.