What I Learned about Money from my Immigrant Mother

By: Martin Dasko on April 30, 2015

“We can’t afford those new shoes right now.”

I really wanted new Nike shoes as a kid. I thought that if I begged enough, my mom would buy them for me. I didn’t realize that the reason I couldn’t have the shows was because my parents couldn’t buy us food if they bought all three boys a $100 pair of shoes each. Looking back, I feel bad for being such a punk as a kid.

I must brag for a quick moment. I accomplished some of the following financial accomplishments thanks to my mom:

I’ve never been in debt. I graduated school without any student loans. I was able to start my life out with a clean slate and money in the bank. I’ve also even written about personal finance since 2008. I even managed to save thousands of dollars in my teens.

My mom was instrumental in helping me figure out how to save money and focus on getting ahead.

What did I learn from my immigrant mother?

You can’t spend money you don’t have.

I saw my parents use cash for everything. I never saw my mom buy anything that she couldn’t afford. Since my parents grew up on farms in Poland, they didn't believe in credit and spending money that wasn’t yours. As a teenager, I knew that I couldn’t spend money I didn’t have. I always worked hard to save up when I wanted to buy a new gadget. Debt wasn’t an option.

There are many ways to make money.

I’m always surprised when I meet a friend who has parents with stable careers. My parents had to struggle to learn English and they really couldn’t be picky with their job choices. They had to work to put food on the table. This has shown me that there are many ways to make money. You sometimes are forced into a job into necessity and other times opportunities arise when you’re working hard.

There’s always a way to save money.

I watched my mom save money on everything from school supplies to groceries. I now have no shame when it comes to saving money. I always ask for a discount and try to find a loophole to save a few bucks. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.

You have to know your financial situation.

Where are you right now? Are you broke? Are you in debt? Are you well off?

You need to accept your situation and work to improve it if you’re not happy with where you are. There’s no shame in being broke. There’s shame in not working hard to improve.

I’m thankful and appreciative for my mom. I do everything possible to make her feel special whenever I can. I’m happy that I can finally give back. You don’t have to spend a fortune on gifts for Mother’s Day, but you need to show your appreciation for everything.

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