What’s the Best Money Advice You’ve Received?

“Would you pay for that with your time?” When I got my irst job, my mom told me to always know what my hourly take-home pay is after taxes. When I want to make a purchase, I think about how much of my time it would cost to aford it. My time is my most precious asset!

CAITLÍN ROSBERG CHICAGO

@CLEVELANDPARKFARMERSMARKET

“Money is leeting.” I work in inance and have received a lot of advice. This is the best.

STEPHANIE OWENS, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

My Russian grandfather’s advice: “Never be either too happy or too sad about it.”

ALICIA FRICK, IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS

Before I got married, my dad told my then iancé, “Don’t buy her lowers. Flowers die. Buy her a tank of gas. She’ll appreciate it more.”

That’s certainly true nowadays, with the price of gas!

ALECIA DAY, MUSTANG, OKLAHOMA

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The best advice from my father was “Live below your means.” This allows you to save and have a safety net for hard times.

BETTY MACLEOD, EAST LONGMEADOW, MASSACHUSETTS

Whenever I was in a store with my father, he’d ask, “See anything you like more than your money?” After hearing that, I usually wasn’t tempted to make a purchase. I liked my money more!

JENNIFER AMRHEIN, BELAIR, MARYLAND

Years ago, one of my cousins bought what I thought was a very expensive birthday gift for my then 2-year-old daughter. She said, “Never tell someone else how to spend their money.” I never forgot it, and I live by it!

NANCY M. DAVIS, CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY

“Watch your pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves,” my mom often said.

CATHERINE KENNEDY, SPRING LAKE, MICHIGAN

My dad always told me to keep $50 in “mad money” in my wallet. You never know when you’ll need it for a tank of gas or an emergency glass of wine with friends!

ELIZABETH MORGAN. SPRING BRANCH, TEXAS

My mom said, “Honey, don’t depend on a man for money. Always have your own. That way you can tell ’em to kiss your ass!” My husband and I have separate (but joint) bank accounts, and we get along ine!

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Rachel Allen, 25

VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER BEAVER DAM, WISCONSIN

What’s the best money advice you’ve received?

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“Don’t count other people’s money.” It’s a great reminder that you don’t know anyone else’s situation. The car they drive, where they vacation, or the house they live in isn’t a sign they’re doing any better than you. Focus on your goals.

JOLENE LANHAM, LUTZ, FLORIDA

When we would tell my dad we were saving money by buying things on sale, he would say, “Nobody got rich by spending money”

LORI BRENNAN DALLAS

MICHELLE HEFLEY, KNOXVILLE TENNESSEE

“Give some, save some, spend some.”

My dad would always tell me this, and I abide by it wholeheartedly. Balance is key.

LAUREN WAGNER WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND

My dad always said to invest up front to get what you want. There’s no sense in buying a cheap product that will wear out in a few years.

What’s your favorite tradition?

Throughout the year, I write down good things that happen to me and keep the slips of paper in a jar. At the end of the year, I read through them. It’s taught me that even the most diicult years have sweet and memorable moments.

Home is where…

I know where everything is and how the shower works

What’s always in your bag? A rotating cast of lip products, a pen, and an embarrassing number of gum wrappers.

The book you could read again and again: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Most recent bargain?

Thanks to several Target gift cards I’d accumulated, I replaced a set of sheets without spending a dime!

What’s one topic you always avoid at Thanksgiving dinner,and why? Send an email to yourwords@realsimple.com and let us know your answer to this question.Your response could appear on these pages