Money tricks from moms

BUDGET WIZARD: FINANCIAL ADVICE 'DOES NOT ALWAYS COME IN SPREADSHEETS OR SEMINARS'

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It is the time of year that we celebrate our mothers and grandmothers and the lessons they taught us that we still use today. This is also true of the money tricks they taught us and that we can in turn teach our children.

Therèse Havenga, head of business transformation at Momentum Savings, says this year Mother's Day reminded her that the early money lessons she learnt did not come from textbooks or formal training but from the women in her family.

"They did not have flashy financial tools or expert advice, but they knew how to stretch a rand until it squeaked. Their approach was simple: save smart, live frugally and make the most of what you already have."

"Watching my mom in action made it real — her quiet everyday choices shaped a kind of financial wisdom that was practical, powerful and worth passing on."

Havenga says her grandmother was the queen of preserving.

"Canning was not just a hobby but a way to make sure nothing ever went to waste. She bottled anything she could lay her hands on. She taught me that having something set aside was a form of security, a quiet kind of wealth."