I use my financial values to set my limitations. I have three children I want to put through college debt free. So that means I can't spend wildly or with disregard.

Having kids doesn't mean they would have taken care o you.

The sad thing is many people learn how to manage money after they've made a lot of financial mistakes, some that take decades to fix.

Save what you can toward the emergency and life happens fund. But don't worry yourself sick at the slow growth. The point is it's growing even it's just one dollar at at time.

The schools can't cover all the values that go along with how you handle your money. For example, a financial literacy class might not teach me to hate debt the way my grandmother, Big Mama did.

I just don't like people taking debt into retirement.

Once you finish paying for college you could reduce your life insurance.