For a lot of us, there are few people in the world who taught us as much about life as our moms did — and that includes the way we approach money. So to thank them, we asked some Ellevest team members to tell us what they learned about money from their mothers. (And they sent us some cute pics just for awwws.)

Dorie Schatteman, Senior Brand Designer

My mom’s the realest, most frank person I know, which was SUPER EMBARRASSING sometimes. But she also never shied away from talking about money with my siblings and me, which has really helped me have open, honest convos about finances with the people in my life. Also: Don’t take the first offer.

Jordan Rubenstein, Senior Manager, CRM (they/them pronouns)

I learned from my mom’s example. From the time I was young, I knew that her marriage with my father was abusive, but that she stuck with him because she was afraid of the financial repercussions of divorce. Imagining how her life may have been different if she’d felt ownership over their joint finances motivated me to care deeply about financial independence from a young age.

Allison Kvikstad, Financial Advisor

My mom included me in conversations about money (and our lack of money) at a very early age, teaching me the benefits of a budget and the value of a dollar. She was a single mom working two concurrent jobs (as a waitress and as a cleaning lady), and money was still tight. She would include me in her decision-making process on spending (like paying bills and buying food) for the upcoming week. And despite our lack of disposable income, she always found ways to have fun for free, knowing that money wasn’t what would make you happy.

She also stressed repeatedly to never be financially dependent on anyone, EVER. And that college would open up a world of career opportunities that she missed out on. She pushed me to strive for more than what she had during her youth and to not settle for the status quo.

Bridget Duncan, Director of Product Management

My mom (or Trish the Dish, as I like to call her) is one tough cookie. After my parents divorced when I was in high school, she took a hit financially. She wanted to make sure my sister and I never had to go through that, so she taught us the importance of being strong, self-sufficient women.

Ultimately, she taught me that you never know what’s going to happen when it comes to love. Talking about money with your partner is important. But it’s even more important to take care of yourself and feel empowered to stick up for yourself and say, “This is mine. I earned it. And I deserve it.”

Looking for more sound financial advice? Book a free 15-minute call with one of our all-women financial planners and feel better about where you’re headed right away.