How did you learn to pay your bills and budget your money?

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Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. - Will Rogers

I learned the hard way - through experience.

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I got into serious debt over a fairly short period of time. I had to move home for 3 months prior to moving to the US and my dad showed me what I did wrong and set me on the path I have been on for the last 9 years. I have never missed a payment, never written a bad check and never had less than $200 in my checking account - even the day before pay day!

Things change big time for me in 2 weeks when my husband moves out of the house and my income is slashed by 50%. I am still confident that by adjusting my budget to my new income constraints I can afford to keep the house going and actually feed myself and the kids!

Thank you Dad for everything you taught me.

M

Not my parents. We lived paycheck to paycheck. Dad was paid every two weeks, and the second week was always very lean, or as my mother would say -chicken one week, feathers the next. I have always been frugal, and DH is the same way. I do not like a lack of financial security. I guess my childhood was my motivation.

We also learned the hard way. We got into some serious credit debt when we were first married. Had to get credit counseling and the whole bit. We got everything paid off and I swore that we would never do it again. We have very little debt now other than our mortgage. I think that's why I like using the debit card so much, it won't allow us to spend money we don't have. We use the credit cards for emergencies.

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This space for rent

Same here. We were newly married at 18 and 19 yrs of age with a child on the way. We were living on a Navy salary and learned to make due and save money.


Darlene

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Sell crazy some place else, we are all stocked up here.

Also learned through experience thank goodness I think I was born a TW for whatever odd reason my parents were very tight with money & I am the only kid who picked it up. Thank goodness I was a good budgeter I was also on my own at 18 with a new baby & have always made it ok my brother & sis not so good they didnt move out until thier mid 20's & kept going back & I have never had to go back home!!!

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mom of 3 greats girls

Me too! No one ever taught me anything about money. My mom and dad kept everything dealing with money from me growing up. So I had no clue When DH and I got married he just sort of handed me the checkbook and said go to it.......I was stumbling around for months trying to figure out how much we even had coming in let alone going out.....It was no fun. Now, I always talk to my kids about money. They have a general idea of what we have to spend each month, and they also have a general idea of the bills........I wish I had a picture of my oldest DD when she figured out that you actually had to pay for electricity, satellite, water, etc. She couldn't believe it. I don't want them walking into their life's money dumb! KWIM?

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"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

Like many others, nobody taught me. I learned through many bad mistakes. Do any of you know of schools in your area (public or private) that have budget management classes in high school?

this is how i grew up and fell flat on my face once out there in the real world.

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Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. - Will Rogers

My mom and dad......but whenever my family got (and still to this day) together the subject always turned to money and how theirs was doing. So, I guess you could say a village!!!!

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

Pretty much had to learn through experience! And now I want to help my brother and sister, she just turned 18 and still in school (but has a checking account, she gets money somehow because of my father being disabled?) and my brother makes the same as my husband except he is single with a roommate, and lives paycheck to paycheck, I think we're going to live together when we move down there so I hope to help get him started with saving!

I've always been good with money, thankfully. I think you have a knack for it, or you don't. I know people who claim to have a "budget" but, still obviously got themselves into some deep financial problems. When you have to resort to getting a TV at Rent A Center, on the (very good) pay they made, yup, something went screwy in that budget.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I took courses in school. Bookeeping taught me alot. I have always been good doing the bills and balancing my check book. DH has never made out a check. Hope I stay healthy. I can`t understand my children though, they are 27,29 and 30 and dont balance their check books and dont have a clue. I try to tell them but what do I knoe I`m 57 and am stupid. DAA

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When you don`t know what to do-Walk fast and look worried.

I've always done well at living within my means. I used to get by on $5 a week for spending money in college. That was in the 80's but it was good practice. We have come a long way and have plenty money for occasional splurges now but I have such a tightwad instinct -- sometimes I annoy myself!

my mom. She is an EA (enrolled agent) so she does investments, books, taxes and annuities. She's excellent with money and my brother and I were taught at an early age how to buy, save and spend in smart ways. Thru her wisdom and applying what she taught, we are better off than most people I know that are our age. I hope I can raise my own kids with the same money smarts

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

[quote=mailady;2826486]Not my parents. We lived paycheck to paycheck. Dad was paid every two weeks, and the second week was always very lean, or as my mother would say -chicken one week, feathers the next. QUOTE]

That is too funny! I'll have to remember that one!


My grandfather started a bank (Spencer Savings)in the 50's and he just retired from the board this year at 92(?). I think it just runs in the blood, my Mom is great with money and has passed it down to me and my sister who works for Statestreet as a fund manager (or something like that).

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

I learn how to budget and pay my bills from my Mom with nine kids you had to know how to work and make sure that everyone had...I remember as a kid we always had,clothes and foods a very nice place to live,our birthdays,holidays, we alway had I am the yougest of nine kids.

No one really taught me, I was always more of a spender than saver and DH is the opposite...so it seems to work itself out...We did go to a Dave Ramsey course one time and that helped and I still use the envelope system

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" Even though life can be a very long, hard, stressful and never-ending journey, never lose hope in what you want the most."