My husband and I want our kids to learn from our financial mistakes, not repeat them

Aug 03, 2026 09:28 PM - 3 hours ago 34

A kid puts money into a piggy bank.

The writer said she and her hubby borrowed much money than they should person early successful their marriage. They're school their kids (not shown) to attack finances differently. draganab/Getty Images

"Mom, what's it called again erstwhile a business has its trucks taken away?" my 11-year-old called from the surviving room. "Reposession," I responded.

My hubby had precocious explained to our boy what happens to a business erstwhile it files for bankruptcy. "Their vehicles are repossessed. They're taken distant and sold to personification else."

The repossession of business assets whitethorn not beryllium regular meal array banter successful different people's households, but successful our home, location is nary financial topic that is not discussed.

We haven't revenge for bankruptcy, but because of immoderate very bad financial decisions, we very astir did. By speaking openly astir our finances and wide money literacy successful beforehand of our children, we're hoping they won't make the aforesaid mistakes we did.

We started disconnected connected the incorrect foot

Our very first financial determination that my hubby and I made was to usage money borrowed from our families to pay for our wedding. Around $17,000 didn't look for illustration a batch of money to walk connected a wedding astatine the time. It turns out, it was $17,000.00 excessively much.

Starting our joined life utilizing indebtedness catapulted america into a life wherever utilizing indebtedness became normalized. After we paid disconnected the parental loans we utilized for our wedding, we launched ourselves into moreover much debt.

Cara Howlett.

The writer said she and her hubby aren't hiding immoderate past financial mistakes from their kids.  Courtesy of Cara Howlett.

A drawstring of financial missteps

In 2015, we borrowed $15,000.00 from my parents to thief acquisition a home. After spending complete a twelvemonth renovating the money pit of a location we really couldn't afford, we sold it. From the deal, we only sewage a fewer 1000 much than we paid for it, and a in installments people truthful unspeakable we couldn't bargain different location astatine the time.

We landed successful a nice rental successful a smaller municipality and hoped to salary disconnected our debts arsenic soon arsenic possible. Then, I mislaid my part-time job, and paying disconnected our indebtedness became a tube dream. Instead of paying down our debt, we accumulated more.

At the time, we were relying connected in installments cards for everything from groceries and apparel to high-end gym memberships, eating retired each Friday, and costly vacations we couldn't afford.

We were rescued and went correct backmost into debt

At our lowest point, we astir revenge for bankruptcy, but thankfully, we were capable to salary disconnected our indebtedness pinch money from a family inheritance. But, because we didn't alteration our spending habits, our indebtedness accumulated again.

The author's children.

The writer hopes that speaking openly astir money and finances helps her children debar immoderate of the mistakes she and her hubby made.  Courtesy of Cara Howlett.

I want amended for my kids

Because my hubby and I person made these costly mistakes, we talk astir money successful each forms to our kids, who are 8 and 11. They cognize we are erstwhile again moving to salary down our debts. They understand this is why we sometimes opportunity nary erstwhile they inquire for brand-new bikes aliases want to cognize why we're surviving successful a mini flat erstwhile their friends unrecorded successful larger homes.

I ne'er want my kids to cognize the accent that comes pinch carrying ample amounts of user debt. My deepest dream for them is that they study from our mistakes and unrecorded wrong their means. I don't want their paychecks to beryllium eaten up pinch indebtedness payments; I want them to usage their money to money their dreams and their families' joys.

Some group balk astatine really unfastened we are astir our finances pinch our kids, but if we don't thatch them, who will?

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