Nafisa Bakkar: What did your parents teach you about money?

My Dad always said don’t let your husband know how much you earn. And always check the receipt and be generous when spending on others. These are just some of the unofficial financial tenets that were instilled in me by my parents.

Now years later in my 20s, as I balance running two businesses and adulting, I find wisdom in their words. I wondered what other money and finance habits people had inherited by those around them and took to Twitter to find out.

Here’s what Twitter had to say:

So I wasn’t the only one who was told to not disclose how much I earn to my partner, interestingly this was normally advice to women from their Mum rather than their Dad!

How do you know if you can afford to buy something? @satya_nass had the ultimate rule. That goes for that bag you have an eye on too…

Money and relationships continued to be a hot topic for women. Sharmeen’s advice:

Over to some practical advice for an era of contactless payments, you never know when you might be caught short:

There are some key skills that are worth learning to reach a place of financial wellness, like learning to cook on a budget. And despite all of the saving, thrifting and scrimping advice, many spoke about the need to be generous with your money and using it as a means to make others happy!

While there were lots of things people had learnt and positive habits they had inherited, one tweeter also made a point about unlearning negative habits and behaviours.

Reading all the lessons inherited and shared by my Twitter followers, the advice on being generous is an apt reminder that while money can often be the cause of our worries, it can also be an enabler and be used to bring joy to others. Financial wellness can be something that you also pass on to others.

Some of the tips made me realise that financial wellness is not a place you just arrive to, rather it is something to be nurtured through habits, whether that is becoming a meal-prep queen to avoid eating out, an upcycling expert to make your items last longer or having a monthly check in with yourself to see what your spending and saving needs are.

If you look at your current habits, what would you pass on or unlearn?