Erin Lowry on Raising Children Who Are Enabled, Not Entitled

Afford Anything - A podcast by Paula Pant | Cumulus Podcast Network

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#70: Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial, talks about the early childhood scripts that we learn about money.

Why is this topic important? Well, if you're a parent, you want to set a good financial example for your child to follow. Giving them the right tools and information about money at an early age, as Erin's parents did, can easily set them on the right path in life.

And as 'grown-ups,' many of us have negative scripts around money that we want to unearth and unlearn.

Regardless of your specific situation, one thing is true: we often inherit our money mindset from our parents. For better or worse, we unconsciously internalize their actions and thoughts around money, and it shapes how we view and interact with money today.

Erin shares the lessons her parents taught her about money in this episode, and discusses the impact it's had on her spending and saving. (Hint: She's always been debt-free and has set the awesome goal of being a millionaire by age 35.)

For example, Erin is a natural saver and became frugal at a very young age thanks to her parents being savers.
While that sounds great, she often prioritized earning money to the detriment of her social life. She shares a specific instance where she passed up what turned out to be a night to remember among friends for a babysitting gig that paid $100. These days, she allows for more balance in her budget.

We also discuss:
  • Specific financial lessons Erin's parents taught her and her sister at an early age
  • Erin's first memories surrounding money, and how those shaped the person she is today
  • Erin's thoughts on financial independence and retiring early
  • How our views on real estate investing differ because of the lens with which we view it
  • Erin's decision to become a freelancer just six months ago
  • A personal example of when being frugal crosses the line
and more!

Enjoy!

Find more resources at http://affordanything.com/episode70