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Money lessons
El club más sostenible de América Latina
Hi,
I will share the best money lessons I learn with my mum, but nobody taught them at school
At school, we learn how to read, write, and perform math. But one very important thing is often missing: how to manage money.
Yet, even in high school, money is already part of daily life:
pocket money
part-time jobs or summer jobs
paying for a phone plan, transport, or going out
sometimes even rent or food
Here are the key money lessons that financial experts would like to teach young people.
As a teacher in economics, I love to teach my students
Money must be managed even when you don’t have much
Many people think:
“I’ll manage my money when I earn more.”
❌ That’s not true.
👉 You learn to manage money when you have little, not when you have a lot.
Real-life example
Lucas is a vocational student. He earns €200 per month from a part-time job.
€60: phone plan
€40: transport
€50: going out
€50: he doesn’t really know where it goes…
Result: the end of the month is stressful 😓
💡 Lesson: Make a simple budget:
money coming in
money going out (fixed costs + fun)
A notebook or an app is enough.
Spending money means making choices
Every dollar or euro you spend is a choice.
Example
Sarah is hesitating between:
buying sneakers for €120 ❌
saving money to pay for her driving license ✔️
💡 Lesson: Before buying something, ask yourself:
Do I really need it?
Can I wait?
Will this help me in the future?
👉 Spending less today can mean more freedom tomorrow.
Save a little, even €10
Many people think:
“Saving money is for rich people.”
❌ Not true.
Example
Mehdi saves €10 every month. After one year, he has €120.
It’s not a lot, but:
He can handle an emergency
He feels less stressed
He builds a good habit
💡 Lesson: It’s not the amount that matters
👉 it’s the habit.
Be careful with credit and “Easy” payments
Buying a phone in monthly payments or using credit cards can seem easy, but it can become risky.
Example
Emma buys a phone for €30 per month for 24 months. In the end, she pays more than the real price.
💡 Lesson:
Credit is not free money
It is money you borrow and must pay back
A job is more than just a salary
When you work, you don’t only earn money.
Example
Tom does an internship:
He learns to be on time
to work with others
to talk to customers
💡 Lesson: A job gives you:
experience
confidence
skills 👉 These are worth money later in life.
Money should help you live better, not stress You
The goal is not to be rich at all costs. The goal is to:
live comfortably
be more independent
have choices
💡 Final lesson: Money is a tool, not a goal.
Using it well means:
less stress
more projects
more freedom
I will also add this part
Know your income and your living costs
Before saving or investing, there is one very important rule: 👉 You must know how much money comes in and how much goes out.
Know Your Income
Your income is all the money you receive:
salary from a part-time job
apprenticeship pay
help from family
scholarships or aid
Example
Alex earns:
€450 from his apprenticeship
€50 pocket money
👉 Total income: €500 per month
Know your living costs
Living costs are everything you must pay to live:
rent
food
transport
phone and internet
school expenses
Example
Alex pays:
€200 rent
€80 food
€50 transport
€40 phone
👉 Total living costs: €370 per month
Make the balance: Do you win or lose money?
Now compare:
Money in: €500
Money out: €370
👉 Balance: +€130
This means Alex is not losing money. He can:
save some
enjoy some
prepare for the future
💡 Lesson: If money out is higher than money in, you are losing money every month.
Decide what is important and what you can reduce
Not all expenses are equal.
Important costs (hard to avoid)
rent
food
transport for school or work ( take a bike, easy to do in Paris less expensive and you do your sport exercise)
Costs you can reduce
subscriptions you don’t really use
eating out too often
expensive phone plans
Example
Lisa pays €60 for her phone plan. She negotiates and changes provider → €25 per month.
👉 She saves €35 every month, without working more.
First rule: Stop losing money
Before trying to earn more, do this first: 👉 Stop losing money.
💡 Check:
bank fees do not be scare to negociate them!
unused subscriptions
late payment penalties
Example
Kevin forgets to cancel a gym membership he doesn’t use: €30 per month × 12 months = €360 wasted.
Negotiate: Many prices can be lower
Many people don’t know this, but you can negotiate:
phone plans
internet
insurance
bank fees
Example
Sofia calls her phone provider and says:
“I found a cheaper offer. Can you do better?”
Result: 👉 She pays €15 less per month.
💡 Lesson: Asking can save money. Not asking costs money.
Increase income only after you Control your costs
Working more hours is hard. Reducing waste is easier.
👉 First:
Know your income
Control your costs
Stop losing money
Negotiate
👉 Then:
look for a better job
ask for more hours
improve skills to earn more later
The message to keep
Money balance is simple:
Income – Living costs = Your reality!
With entusiasm,
Celina
Never forget!
When you know the numbers:
you stress less
you decide better
you stay in control
Let's do it in 2026