You probably think your money habits are your own.
The way you save.
The way you spend.
The way you panic when your account balance is low… or feel powerful when it’s full.
But what if I told you that most of your financial behaviours were programmed long before your first paycheck?
We don’t just inherit eye colour and height from family, we inherit financial patterns, too.
If you grew up in a home where money was always “tight,” you may now struggle to feel secure no matter how much you earn. You might overwork, over-save, or feel constant anxiety around spending, even on important things.
If you grew up watching money being spent carelessly, you might now struggle with impulsive decisions, living for “now” instead of “later,” even when you know better.
And if money was never discussed at all?
There’s a good chance you’re figuring everything out the hard way as an adult.
Nobody sat us down and explained budgeting, investing, or saving for the future. Instead, we absorbed behaviour:
- How our parents reacted to bills
- How they talked about rich people
- Whether they saved or spent first
- Whether money caused peace or fights
Those small, everyday moments became your blueprint.
But here’s the empowering part:
What is learned can be unlearned.
And what is inherited can be rewritten.
Awareness is the first step to change.
When you start paying attention to the why behind your money choices, you regain control. You can replace fear with a plan. Replace impulse with intention. Replace confusion with clarity.
You may not be as rich as you want right now, but you can start building the right habit through savings.
And did you know that when you save N100,000 and more on Ladda (www.getladda.com), you get access to financial resources on MoneyAfrica and advice on how to invest?
You don’t just save money, you learn how to grow it.
Your past shaped you, but it does not have to define your financial future.
The next generation will copy what you do.
So make it count.