Thank you dad for being the best financial teacher in this world!

Father is the first man in a daughter's life. He has a great influence on the daughter's perception about life, men and everything else. In fact, he sets an example for the daughter on how to build life and I'm no exception.

I share a beautiful relationship with my dad. He is the first and perhaps the last man in this world who would love me unconditionally. He is my friend, philosopher and guide. It is not that, we meet every day and talk 24*7. However, at the bottom of my heart, I know that he is always there with me in spirit.

I'm what I am because of my father. His money lessons have helped me shape my financial life. He is the guiding force behind my booming career and I'm very grateful to him for that. As a child, I learned a lot about money management skills from dad. I'm sharing a few of them with you. Hope, you too would benefit from them.

1. Be self-dependent

My dad has always told me to be self dependent. He used to tell me “if you're dependent on someone, then you'll be crippled. You won't be able to lead life on your terms. You can't make any decision independently”. Those golden words have stuck with me till date.

During my childhood days, most fathers used to pamper their children. There was hardly any dad who used to give this money lesson to his children. I'm happy and immensely grateful that my dad was different from others.

Believe me or not, I have not taken daily allowances from my dad. As a teenager, I used to sell lemonades after coming back from school. That helped me to buy whatever I wanted.

After completing my graduation, I started working for OVLG. This job helped me to regain my self-confidence. I could finally think about turning my dreams into reality.

2. Follow your passion

My dad has always told me "do what you want to do. Follow your passion instead of running after a fat paycheck". Initially, I didn't understand the logic behind this. So my dad gave a proposal to me. He told me to cook and do all the household chores for a week. He would pay me a big amount. I thought, what's the big deal and accepted the proposal happily. I did all the work after facing lots of troubles. On the second day, my excitement was little less. On the third day, I couldn't do it anymore (I hated the job) and resigned from the job.

My dad just smiled and said “This is what I wanted you to understand”. After completing my graduation, I decided to work for OVLG. Job satisfaction is more important to me rather than a fat paycheck. Besides, if you're not passionate about your job, you can't honestly give your 100% to your work. You won't have any inclination to develop your skills or progress in your job. Your career would be finished before it has even begun.

3. Spend on what you love

My dad never stopped himself from buying what mom liked. He used to always say “Spend on what you love once a while, but never cross your budget.” I have followed this advice till date. As an independent woman, I can afford to buy a lot of things. However, I try to not cross my budget.

4. Help when you can

Dad made me understand the importance of helping people with limited financial resources. My dad always helped people in whatever way he could. He tried to give jobs to jobless youth. Besides, he was associated with a few non profit organizations. He asked us to donate a few dresses for the God's special children.

The biggest lesson I got from dad is that you don't need to be a billionaire to help unfortunate people. Every year, I make it a point to donate a fraction of my income to notable charitable organizations.

5. Be honest and make money

Dad is a big believer of the adage “honesty is the best policy”. He says “Be honest in your work. God will give everything you deserve. Never try to make money through dishonesty.” It is true that I can earn more by being corrupt. But, as dad's special girl, I have never had that inclination of making money by cheating others.

I have always tried to give my best to work. I would like to continue this in future too. Hopefully, this would never prevent me from succeeding in life.

6. Save money for yourself

I had my first savings account after turning 18. This was my birthday gift. I was happy and excited after my dad deposited $100 into my account. After all, this was my money. My dad ordered me to save how much little I had every month. He even showed me how to check the balance in my bank account.

Even when I was in college, I used to put $15 or $20 in my savings account. This helped me to build a cozy financial cushion gradually.

My dad says that money is not everything in life. Yes, it is true that money can help you to have a big car, home, lavish vacations, designer dresses, etc. But, it can't make you the happiest person in the world. If this was true, then all the millionaires and billionaires would have no worries and anxieties. This is a very valuable financial truth and I accept it from the core of my heart.

Last but not the least

A father leaves a long lasting impression upon his children. They follow his footsteps since dad is their ultimate hero in this world. I’m a really lucky girl. God has bestowed me with the best dad and financial teacher on this planet. But I can’t say the same thing about others too. Like Amy, whose dad’s dreadful money mistakes taught her big lesson - Love your dad but not his money mistakes . What can I say? This is life. But I do hope that parents stop making these costly financial mistakes once for all since God has given them a special responsibility and that is to leave this world with smartest money managers.