Picture this: it’s a regular Tuesday evening. A mother stands in her kitchen, peering at the fridge. The milk’s running low, the veggies need restocking, and the gas bill just arrived.
An unexpected arrival of a large party of relatives over the weekend threw her monthly grocery budget for a loop. But instead of getting frazzled, she calmly opens her notebook — a hand-written planner — and makes some quick calculations. A small adjustment here, a little economy there. She’s got this.
Raise your hand if this feels familiar. Most of us have grown up with this scenario playing out countless times in our homes. So much so that we don’t even register it. But in reality, this moment, right there, was financial planning in action. And it’s a masterclass waiting to be taught.
It’s mostly because culturally, we are not predisposed to seeing mothers as money-savvy. Most of us grow up watching moms cook and dads pay the bills. We go to moms when we’re hurt, but to dad when we’re in a financial jam. The tropes hold true for most Gen Xers, millennials, and to a large extent, even Gen Z.
If we look at the data, an interesting image emerges, which tells us a lot about the prevalent culture and the criticality of circumstances. What it boils down to is this: Women, globally, are incredible savers, but under-served and often unconfident investors.
A DBS Bank India study found that 90% of rural women entrepreneurs save, with 33% saving over 20% of their income. And yet, according to a 2022 survey in India by investment platform LXME, 55% of women save less than 10% of their income, and 73% save less than 20%. As many as 29% don’t invest at all and 20% are investing but have no knowledge of their investment.
Damningly, only 2% of women invest for retirement. In stark contrast is Europe. According to Mobile Bank N26’s data, women save 28% more than men — despite earning less than them! So what’s missing in countries where women are shying away from taking charge of their finances?
Confidence. Conversations. Representation.
And all of these start at home, when kids see their moms taking the reins, being financially aware and active participants in their money-learning process. Here are some daily low-tech ways of teaching:
1. Budgeting at the grocery store: Lessons in value and trade-offs
Let’s say a mom is heading out for grocery shopping with her teen or pre-teen child. Before leaving, she says:
“We have Rs 3,000 for groceries this week. We need to make choices. Do we buy one large jar of peanut butter or two smaller ones on discount? Branded cereal or local oats? Let’s write down the pros and cons and calculate the price difference.”
She hands the calculator to her daughter and asks her to tally. Or asks her son to compare the per-unit costs of two items.
Lesson: This simple outing turns into a real-world class on prioritization, value-for-money, and opportunity cost. Not from a textbook but from a lived experience. Plus the kids see their mom making money decisions and appreciate the logic in why she decides the way she does
2. Festive spending: Delayed gratification & smart splurging
During Diwali, many moms set aside a “festival budget” months in advance. She might sit her kids down and say:
“We have Rs 10,000 saved up for Diwali. Here’s how much goes to sweets, new clothes, gifts, and decorations. If we skip buying a new kurta, we can upgrade our lights. What would you choose?”
Then she lets them decide.
Lesson: Kids learn budget allocation, goal-setting, and the idea of trading short-term satisfaction for long-term gains. They’re emotionally invested in decisions — because they’re part of them.
3. Emergency funds: So the family is not left high & dry in times of chaos
Let’s say the fridge suddenly stops working mid-summer. Instead of reacting in panic, the mom tells her children:
“This is why I keep Rs 5,000 every month in an emergency envelope. We can’t touch our Diwali savings or rent money. This repair has to come from this emergency fund.”
She then involves her teen in comparing repair quotes against the ratings a particular technician has.
Lesson: They understand the importance of keeping some money as a buffer for unexpected circumstances.
4. Monthly bill management: Visibility into recurring costs
Instead of paying bills silently, a mom can create a “Money Monday” routine.
She calls her kids and says:
“Here are our bills: Rs 5,000 for electricity, Rs 1,500 for Wi-Fi, Rs 50,000 for rent. Let’s log them together. Let’s also track if this month’s electric bill is higher than last month’s — and why.”
Lesson: Over time, kids absorb the fixed vs. variable costs, learn how to track expenses, and understand the importance of monitoring utility usage.
5. Savings challenges: Gamifying money lessons
A mom could announce:
“This month, we’ll do a 10% savings challenge. For every Rs 500 you get from allowance or relatives, put Rs 10 in your jar. At the end of the month, you’ll match my savings percentage, and we’ll go to the bookstore with what we saved!”
Lesson: Kids not only understand the concept of saving a portion of income, they experience the joy of rewarding delayed gratification.
These lessons matter both for daughters and sons. When mothers take the financial reins visibly and confidently, daughters learn that being financially literate isn’t just possible — it is crucial and expected of every adult. They don’t grow up thinking “Dad handles the money.”
Instead, they grow up saying, “Mom taught me how to negotiate a deal and build a budget spreadsheet.” And they grow up curious about investment tools and options that give them the best returns, help them achieve financial freedom, and set them up comfortably for retirement. They learn to enjoy working with money, instead of being secretly terrified of it.
Sons grow up seeing women as equal financial partners, not passive or lesser dependents. They enter future marriages or businesses expecting collaboration, not control. And they learn to appreciate perspectives towards money that don’t echo their own priorities and preoccupations.
Because the truth is that moms have always been the CFOs of household economies. It’s sad that we’ve failed to recognise this skill as financial education. But it is.
By opening up their everyday decisions to their children — daughters and sons alike — moms don’t just manage money. They raise money-smart future adults.
(Siuli Sen, Mom and Senior Educator - Financial Literacy, BrightCHAMPS. Views expressed are her own.)
