My parents were really good financial role models. They were fiscally conservative, never took on unnecessary or risky debt. They made very conscious, deliberate choices on how to use their money. They never gave me formal money lessons, beyond my Mom teaching me how to balance a checkbook and my Dad showing me how to complete an EZ40, which to be fair, is more than some kids ever receive. I still learned a lot about good money management from observation. One of the biggest lessons they taught me was to live within your means. And it was a lesson I took to heart.