[This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with CHASE and the #WeAllGrow Latina Network. All opinions are 100% mine.]
“Somos pobres“. “We are poor.” This was the extent of the financial advice my dad had given me at the age of 5. I knew we weren’t poor, but somehow I always had that thought in the back of my mind.
I guess you can say I am lucky. My dad went to college and has his own civil engineering/surveying firm. My mom is the President/CEO of a credit union. I opened my first savings account when I was 8.
Since we were pobres, I earned my allowance. Whether it was doing workbooks and getting paid $0.05 per sheet completed or working during the summer with my dad, I was taught that I had to work for whatever I wanted. But, of course, my parents always made me put all the money I earned in my piggy bank and then at the end of the summer we would deposit all my money into my savings account.
I am beyond grateful that I had my parents to teach me the true value of hard work and how to save money from so early on in my life. Life after college wouldn’t have been as easy if I didn’t have them there reminding me and nagging me about finances and making wise financial decisions.
When I started writing this post, I knew right away that I could reach out to my mom for financial tips and tricks she might have for my readers. Of course, she sent over a long word document with A TON of advice. Haha [Shout out to my momma for the financial tips! Love you!]
Here are a few financial tips and tricks that I learned from my parents:
- Make a PLAN for spending and saving.
- Decide what your financial goals are.
- SAVE. SAVE. SAVE.
- Decide a timeframe for tracking.
- ALWAYS (at least to) track your money (in and out).
- Study your plan.
About two months ago, I received a call from my bank that someone had made a charge for $500 at a walmart in Fort Worth, TX. I freaked out. I called my mom. First, she got mad at me. “Have you not been listening to us this whole time?” Then she gave me advice to help prevent me from being the victim of fraud again.
- Be careful shopping online. It’s easy to hit the “Buy Now” button for that super cute pair of shoes, but make sure you are shopping on a secure site or through a secure payment site.
- Change your passwords every 3 months. This might seem like a lot to do, but if you change your passwords to your most important online accounts more often you will be much safer than keeping the same passwords for years.
- Be skeptical about free trial offers. Some companies use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you every month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, research the company and read the cancellation policy. And always review your monthly statements for charges you don’t recognize.
- Sign your credit and debit cards with “See ID.” This will force you to show your signature sample off your ID. Few potential fraudsters will be able to replicate your signature on his or her ID.
Brittney Castro also learned a lot from her dad when it comes to financial stability and financial security.
To make sure you’re protected from fraud learn more about Chase Fraud Services and watch Three Simple Steps to Help Prevent Fraud by CHASE’s Financial Education Partner, Brittney Castro below.
What financial tips did your parents pass on to you?
What financial tips do you have that I didn’t cover?
Did you have to teach yourself how to handle your finances?
Share YOUR story with me!
Stay Financially Savy & Sexy,
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of CHASE. The opinions and text are all mine.
Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.
