My dad is my number one fan. He subscribes to my blog and I’m fairly certain he is the only person other than myself that has read every single post. My father is the main reason I behave the way I do today, because he was the original family cheapo.
As any immigrant to Canada will tell you, living and succeeding in this country comes with many challenges. The financial principles my dad instilled in me allows me to have the lifestyle I enjoy today. Only when I actually started following these basic rules of thumb (instead of complaining about them) did I fully understand how hard work and sacrifice can lead to big rewards.
Dad’s financial rules of thumb:
- Only buy what you can afford.
- Ask yourself why you need to buy something.
- Don’t throw it out if you can re-use it.
- Save money for a rainy day.
- Stock up on toilet paper and toothbrushes. You’ll always need them. (I’m working on curbing this habit – but that’s another blog post.)
Recently, my mother was watching me organize my coupons and I told her some of my shopping tips. She just stared at me in disbelief and said, “You’re as cheap as your father.” I’m not quite sure that she meant that as a compliment but I still beamed with pride.
Happy Father’s Day, Dad!
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