Since Mother’s Day is around the corner, I decided to share a blog post related to my mother.
I am thankful that my mother would advise me throughout my different stages in life. She has been such a great mother and I am amazed on how well she juggled her work and family at the same time. She shared some life lessons that shape me to be who I am today. Hopefully, these tips will help you too.
1. Priorities in Life
Do you realise that there are so many things in your to-do list and they are never-ending? Sometimes you do begin to wonder what exactly are you busy with? So much that you do not have any time for your family or your loved ones. My mum always tells us to put family as our top priority. Family values are important and I need to set myself right from the beginning.
Having said that, priorities do change over the time but most importantly, you need to set it right.
2. There is no Prince Charming
When I was young, I also dreamed of having a prince charming, especially since we are always watching the Disney fairy tales. As I grow older, my mother taught me that there is no prince charming in life and that we shouldn’t count on finding a man to fund your life. She taught me that early on in life and showed me how to manage my own finances.
In practice, she encouraged me in my early 20’s to save money and start with my financial planning. Investment takes time and I need to learn to make wise investment decisions.
3. Keep Your Own Emergency Fund
My mother is a traditional woman who will save most of her money and not spend much on herself. She spends most of what she has on the family. She always emphasised the need to save for rainy days. True enough, my grandma fell sick and she was in and out hospital quite a number of times in that year. Fortunately, she and her siblings do keep emergency funds for this. She always shares this story to us so that we will have a sense of responsibility and having our own personal financial security. It is also a sense of freedom and comfort to know that you have your own funds to depend on.
4. Know Your Market Value
My mom will constantly remind us to work hard and work smart at the workplace. She remind us and expect us to excel in our work performance. She will share her workplace stories with us and tell us her expectations of us at work. My mother told me that I should always be expected to be paid fairly for the excellent work that I've done. Knowing your market value means that you won’t easily cheated or taken advantage of.
5. Save for Big Purchases
My mother will also share and discuss her plans on purchasing investment funds or her plans for any holidays. She taught me the value of distinguishing between our wants and needs and how to plan for big purchases. I need to set my goals and take tactical steps to slowly achieve long-term goals. For example, I need to do forward plannings on my investment funds, and get the money ready for purchasing a property.