photo by sylvar

Personal budgeting is a life skill that, sadly, isn’t taught often enough at home or at school. It never ceases to amaze me how much some young adults owe and own these days. Today, readers share money-saving life lessons from their parents, which they plan to pass on to their children.

SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY: My mom grew up during the Depression. I have learned a few things about money from her — such as save for a rainy day, keep a well-stocked pantry, pay the bills and don’t waste food. My mom always reminds me to try to pay off my home as soon as possible, too. — Shell, Canada

APPEARANCES DON’T MATTER: My dad taught me that fashion didn’t matter. Do the clothes fit, are they clean and do they serve their function? I hated it as a teen, but now I totally get it. He taught me that spending time with family is more important than spending money. He asked me whether there was a single birthday or Christmas present that totally made a difference in my life. — Tigo, Missouri

TRACK YOUR SPENDING: My dad has always tried to teach me about saving money. One thing he always said was to write down every purchase I made, even if it’s a pack of gum. That way, I’ll know where my money is going and can go from there. — Daphne, Virginia

BE PRUDENT AND GENEROUS: My mom taught me to use coupons. She also taught me to reuse what I could, give to others who are in need, stretch food and cook from scratch. — Summercat, e-mail

DON’T BE WASTEFUL: My dad taught me to turn off the light if I wasn’t in that room, don’t touch the furnace thermostat and don’t spend all day in the shower wasting water. I watched my mom garden, can everything she could, raise chickens for meat and eggs, cook everything from scratch, hang laundry on the outside line and save plastic bags and rubber bands. They lived pretty simply and didn’t waste money. They never owned a credit card and always paid their bills on time. — Dana, Virginia

LEARN SKILLS AND REUSE ITEMS: We reused aluminum foil many, many times. My dad would spread it out and very carefully clean it. We used the vegetable bags to put stuff in the freezer, as well as margarine tubs. We gardened, canned and froze nearly everything. We picked berries, plums, walnuts and apples for free in our small town. My dad got a deer nearly every year, and we saved big money by butchering it ourselves on the kitchen table! My dad did his own car repairs, too. — Lori, Oregon

DON’T SPEND WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE: The main thing my dad drilled into my head was: “If you make $40, don’t spend $50. Spend $30 and put the rest away for a rainy day.” We would also never hear the end of it if we walked out of a room with the light still on, left the fridge door open too long, etc. And forget about turning on the heater: Go put on a couple of sweaters. — Wulong32, e-mail

EAT LEFTOVERS: Grandma once told me that it was a sin to waste food, and that has always stuck with me. My grandma ate “the scraps” for lunch (a little bit of this and that from the fridge), and I find myself doing that, too. We waste very little around here, and I’m proud of that. — Mom21ofeach, e-mail

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