By Petra-Ann Brown
This past Saturday, while I was working on my business, I overheard my little ones playing “School.” My 8-year-old naturally took the role of teacher, while my 5-year-old was the eager student. As they set up their pretend classroom, I heard my youngest shout, “Ooh, don’t forget to pack the school lunch!”
That moment made me smile because it reminded me of a phrase I love “More is caught than taught.”
Without me ever sitting them down to explain budgeting or financial planning, my kids have already picked up on the way I handle money. I pack their lunches every day, either with leftovers from dinner or deli meat from our grocery runs. They know that when we go on long trips, we pack snacks. Even if we’re just heading to the grocery store, I bring food because I know we’ll be out for a while.
Sure, we grab takeout from time to time, but it’s not the norm. And now, I see that these habits aren’t just things I do, they’re lessons my kids see.
If You Want to Change Your Financial Story, You Have to Change Your Habits
As a financial educator, parents often ask me, “How can I teach my kids about money, so they don’t make the same mistakes I did?
And my answer is simple: Show Them.
Kids don’t just learn from what we tell them; they learn from what they see us do every day.
- You can’t tell your kids they need to save while packages from online shopping show up at your door daily.
- You can’t tell them to budget if they constantly see you eating out without thinking twice about the cost.
- You can’t tell them to avoid debt if they hear you say, “I’ll just put it on the credit card” every time something comes up.
If you want to change the financial trajectory of your family, you have to start by changing your own financial habits.
Change Doesn’t Happen Overnight, Start Small
I get it, life is busy.
I work full time, run my own business, and take care of my family. My kids have activities from track practice to Karate and everything in between. Some days, it feels like there’s just no time to cook, budget, or make “better” financial decisions.
But the truth is: Change doesn’t require an all-or-nothing approach. It starts with small steps.
Want to eat out less?
- If you currently eat out five days a week, start by cutting back to four.
- Make a simple meal like pasta and garlic break on the night you skip takeout.
- Use a slow cooker so dinner is ready when you walk through the door.
Want to reduce impulse spending?
- Remove your saved credit card from shopping apps.
- If you have to manually enter your payment info each time, you’ll think twice before hitting “Buy Now.”
Want to teach your kids about budgeting and financial responsibility?
- Involve them in everyday financial decisions.
- Let them help compare prices when shopping for clothes, school supplies, groceries, or household items.
- Give them a small allowance and teach them to allocate it for saving, spending, and giving.
- Talk to them about trade-offs: “if we choose to spend money on this, what might we need to skip?”
- Show them how to plan for big purchases instead of making impulse buys.
The goal isn’t just to talk about money. It’s to help them see how financial decisions play out in real life. It is not also to deprive yourself but also to become intentional with money.
What Do You Want Your Financial Story to Be?
Your financial habits today shape your family’s future tomorrow.
So, here’s my challenge to you:
- Take a moment to reflect on the financial story you want for your family.
- Think about one small step you can take this week to move in that direction.
- Start today, because the best way to change your financial future is to start now.
What’s one financial habit you’re working on this month? Share in the comments, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
