Grab a cup of coffee and sit down with me today as I share with you about one of my very favorite people in the whole wide world, my grandma! I’ve learned some great money lessons from grandma.

Have you learned some money lessons from your own dear family too? Feel free to share in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!

Does it seem to you like people don’t value money the way they used to?

If you sit down with an octogenarian to talk about finances you’ll discover two things. The first is that they’d like you to mind your own business and stop talking about money, and the second is that they are generally frugal people.

Their experiences (the great depression, WWII, shortages, etc.) have led them to wisely and carefully manage their finances should such events reoccur. My sweet grandma is no exception.

Who is my grandma? What are her qualifications?

Grandma Millie is an amazing woman. She lived through the depression as a child. She has traveled all over the western US with children in tow, following her logging husband.

Grandma is a mom to 9, grandmother to nearly 30, great-grandmother to several, and she even has multiple great-great-grandchildren. What a legacy!

She’s seen it all. These experiences have established a deep wellspring of wisdom. Here are three lessons that she’s taught me about money:

#1. Money is a tool, not a destination.

Grandma has always shown us that finances are merely a tool for loving God and serving others.

She’s never hoarded cash just for the sake of having more money. Stockpiling quart jars is another matter 🙂

#2. Be vigilantly generous with money.

Grandma is no dummy. No sir.

She’d never consider giving her hard-earned money away to some swindler. Yet, she is incredibly generous. No matter how small her social security check, she’d always have some sweet treat to offer the grandkids or great-grandkids.

She’s always on the lookout for ways to help people with the resources that God has given her.She's always on the lookout for ways to help people with the resources that God has given her Click To Tweet I’ve watched her listen carefully to a conversation, mull over the situation, and gently offer her assistance.

It’s really a sight to see. I wish that you could sit and learn from Grandma Millie too!

#3. Manage money wisely; you never know when the cashflow will stop.

Over the years Grandma has really come to appreciate a steady paycheck. There were times in her life when she couldn’t rely on a steady income.

She’s learned to manage her money carefully, always making sure to keep some in reserve in case the next paycheck wasn’t as speedy or as large as expected. Grandma is incredibly creative with stretching each dollar.Grandma is incredibly creative with stretching each dollar. Click To Tweet

How do these money lessons affect our modern-day family?

This last point hits home for us. My family lives in relative security. A steady paycheck and consistent raises have allowed us to become lazy in our frugality.

Our spending isn’t excessive, but we don’t stretch those dollars that would easily yield more. I’m also reminded by Grandma not to expect a steady stream of income.

With my husband in the middle of a mysterious illness, we’ve been reminded of this lesson; money might not always be consistent. Carefully stewarding our finances during times of plenty will yield a safety net during the lean times.

Grandma understands that lesson. It’s our desire to learn from her example.

What money lessons have you learned from your family?

Want to know more about our journey out of debt? Here’s how we dove into debt, how we’re climbing out, and a giant goal that’s propelling us upward.

Shared at Thrifty Thursday & SHINE