10 Personal Finance Lessons That Changed My Life | minimalism + saving money

Today, I'm sharing the 10 greatest personal finance lessons that changed my life, so you don't have to learn these money lessons like I did -- the hard way! These are things that I wish I knew in my 20s and 30s that would have made saving money and making money so much easier! But no matter how old you are, it's never too late to change your life and take control of your money habits.

Enjoy and feel free to share your top money tips down in the comments below!

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ABOUT A TO ZEN LIFE
Along my journey to let go of 30 years of clutter, I accidentally became a minimalist and it was life-changing.

Before, I was an emotional hoarder with nothing but the clutter from lost loved ones — and $25,000 of debt — to my name. Now I have a beautiful home in Europe, a happy family, live debt-free, and — best of all — wake up to a life that I’m EXCITED to live every day.

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[adriangee]

I finally became minimalist and got rid of 90% of my stuff. I'm finding that I'm still spending a lot of money. Food, services, and entertainment is really expensive now. But I do buy less stuff, because I know I don't need it or don't have space for it.

[poodlegirl]

Your senior self will thank you Marissa. We are retired and so many family and friends in the same position struggle.They have mortgages and credit cards and car payment. I am so glad my husband of 49 years and I always worked together so we wouldn't have to worry about money when we were old or rely on our kids. The biggest and best thing we ever did was about 30 years ago my husband switched jobs and had a big bump in salary. We talked about all the things we could buy which was fun, but then decided to live how we were living and just pretend that money did not exist.

[ruthwiseman]

Thank you so much for sharing another great video. My mother taught me a very valuable lesson about money when I was 16. I was still in high school and working part time she bought me a car so I could drive myself to and from work an school. I had to pay her back so much every time when I got my check until the car was paid off. I was also responsible for my own gas. I could spend whatever other money I had on whatever I wanted. We had a little circus come to town and I really wanted to win this teddy bear. I ended up spending all of my gas money I'm trying to win this teddy bear which I never did get. I asked my mom for some money for gas and she would not give me any. So for the next week I had to walk to school and to work and home . She said she done it to teach me that I have to put my needs first before my wants and it worked. I'm 63 years old now and I've never had to walk anywhere for lack of gas unless I chose to walk. Always take care of your needs first.

[pippas]

#2 is SO important! It's why I nag every newly engaged couple I know to get some pre marital counselling or do a marriage preparation course. I know so many couples who will spend hours discussing what colour chair sashes to have at their reception or what song to have for their first dance, but they never, ever discuss things like how to manage finances post marriage. And then 6 or 12 months after marriage, they suddenly hit huge problems when they realise that their views on finances (or family or any other major topic) are miles apart.

[lindamcdermott]

Your channel resonates with me. I have been watching you since the beginning. Becoming more minimal has changed my perspective of ‘things’. Impulse buying is a thing of the past. Mindfulness in need and want has taken over, as well as where would I store it if I bought it. Following your story has brought me from resentfulness and regret to a take charge attitude. I have gone from homeless with two children to owning my own home, and now to empty nest. I downsized to an apartment, and am debt free. Retired, I am able to follow my passion to be an artist and sell some of my work for extra money. You have been an inspiration. Life, as you have shared, has its ups and downs, mindfulness in how to navigate it is golden. You are a golden star. Thank you.

[stellamc]

Agree with you, especially on the point of marriage. I started dating a man who was able to show me how investing and smart spending had enabled him to more than meet his financial goals. He cared about my financial future even before we married. I think having a partner with the same financial goals is key to financial success and a happy marriage.

[vivio]

I love how you always explored where your habits came from; it's the emotional work you do that I find some valuable. My dad had all the money and my mom was broke. We lived in a middle class community, my dad made money that tout him in the lower upper class but the money spent on the kids was poverty level. There was little food in the house, we never went to the doctor, and you never even asked for a ride or to participate in sports or activities or for anything because you knew the answer would be no. As an adult I had low paying jobs and lived a small existence until I confronted my childhood and how all that neglect affected me.

[Raczyna]

I don't know why I'm so nostalgic about your Berlin home.

[Yemma]

#11 Dont make yourself dependent on someone else (especially women!)

[sonjacruz]

Auto Pilot Yes!!!! Absolutely the best way to cut out decision fatigue for retirement, savings, and get bills paid on time! No more late fees wasting your money!

[jowen]

OMG protecting yourself from others who take advantage is such a good point! I'm a generous person and before I knew it, unrelated someones who lived with me hadn't been contributing at all to the household. I asked them to move out and never heard from them again. Oh well!

[eizqarqash]

I treat your videos like it's movie night-in as they're as fun! I make coffee, sit and feel comfy and press play to learn to keep going as a frugal person! Much love and appreciation from Palestine

[ANDREWJERDEE]

We have experienced the peak of an era and now it is over. The recession destroys everything, including RRSPs. My retirement portfolio of C$400k is in the red. I keep losing because of uncertain economy. I'm sorry if you're thinking about retirement and worried that your pension won't be enough to cover rising living costs. Terrible foreign policy, bad regulatory policy and bad fiscal policy everywhere.

[DrMaddy-YT]

Changing my mindset about money brought the biggest change for me. I learned that money is evil and rich people are selfish as a kid. As an adult I turned these believes into more helpful ones. My husband and I made huge progress in our finances being now almost debt free and making way more money while working less.

[junemonique]

Thank you for your content and your shop. I have shopped your bundle. ❤

[caterjunes]

Such powerful lessons, and all the more powerful because you've lived them. You don't just talk the talk, Marissa, and it's one of the many reasons I love your channel!

[Ori.]

I agree so much with your lessons. it took me a while to undestand that money equal freedom, but it is a life changer and i really learned to prioritize.

[AliWade]

I cleared a lot of personal debt over several years, but then some spending crept back in this year (bereavement, my own health issues ...). Have put this onto an interest free money transfer card, and have 9 months maximum to clear it. Starting No Spend now, so should have it paid off quicker. Wish I could go back to being a teenager and save as much as I could. I am 53 in February and have wasted so much money over the years. Thank you for these videos. We are planning early retirement next year, and I needed these messages

[NYtoNC]

👋🏼Just ordered the bundle, can't wait to implement these changes and get to where we want to be. Thank you for your very encouraging and useful content!

[Danielfreeman]

Thanks for letting us know about your experiences to be able to move forward toward our goals
Good job 🙏👍