I paid $0 for my financial education.

My biggest teacher was my mom's checkbook.

At 15, I was balancing her checkbook in our tiny Beverly Hills apartment.

Watching her fall for "buy now, pay later" schemes.

Seeing the stress she tried to hide.

She never sat me down and said, "Let me teach you about money."

But she taught me everything.

I learned that credit cards aren't free money.

I learned that pretending to be fine doesn't make the bills disappear.

I learned that financial independence wasn't optional—it was survival.

Here's what I wish more moms understood:

• Your daughter is watching.

• She sees how you react when bills come in.

• She notices if you check prices or avoid them.

She absorbs your money stress—even when you don't say a word.

That's not a burden. That's an opportunity.

You don't need a finance degree to teach her.

You just need to be honest.

• Let her see you budget.

• Let her watch you make tradeoffs.

• Let her ask questions—even the uncomfortable ones.

My mom's financial chaos scared me.

And that fear became fuel.

I understood early: if I wanted options, I had to create them myself.

The moms who raise financially confident daughters aren't perfect with money.

They're just willing to be real about it.

Because the most expensive lessons are often free.

And sometimes the best financial education happens at the kitchen table—

with a checkbook and the truth.

What money lesson did your mom teach you—intentionally or not?

Tiffany Kent

Your Friendly Wealth Engagement Guide

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