Our beliefs about money are shaped not only by what our parents say but also by how they earn and manage it. If your mom always handled money a certain way, it might influence how you do too. For example, if she said to ask your dad for money, it could create the idea that men control finances. Similarly, if our parents faced hard times, like during a war or an economic crisis, it can affect how we view money, making us always feel like we don’t have enough.

The experiences we have growing up are crucial because we learn from watching our parents. When we start making money as adults, we often copy our parents’ habits without realizing it. The author, Eker, shares his dad’s story as an example. His dad would make money buying and selling houses but would then invest it all in new projects, ending up broke. Eker, without realizing it, followed a similar pattern in his early business ventures.

People are creatures of habit, and it’s hard to unlearn something once we’ve learned it. The only way to break free from our parents’ money habits is to become aware of them and consciously change our mindset.