People who grew up poor often display these 5 clever money habits as adults

I grew up in a home where money was tight. The idea of splurging on the latest gadget or dining at a fancy restaurant was about as realistic as taking a spontaneous trip to Mars. Maybe you can relate?

It wasn’t always easy but through those lean years, I unknowingly picked up habits that have served me incredibly well in adulthood—both in life and in business. 

Today, we get into five of these habits. 

1. Tracking every expense

I learned early on that if you don’t track your spending, your money vanishes faster than your phone battery at a music festival. Growing up, we literally wrote down each grocery purchase in a small spiral notebook because we had to make sure we weren’t overspending on basics.

These days, I have budgeting apps that make it way simpler, but the core principle remains the same: if you don’t know where your money goes, you’ll never know how to manage it. 

This general idea is backed by experts like James Clear, who pointed out that “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Budgeting is one of the most powerful systems you can build to keep your finances under control and I think many of us who grew up without much cash to spare learn it without even realizing.

2. Value seeking

When you grow up hearing, “We can’t afford that,” you learn to get creative. You figure out how to get what you need—without shattering your piggy bank.

To this day, I’m a huge fan of thrift stores, outlet sales, and digital marketplaces. For me, buying something secondhand or at a discount isn’t embarrassing—it’s actually really satisfying. 

That instinct definitely comes from my childhood. Back then, we didn’t have a choice. Now, it’s just smart.

And you might be thinking, “What’s the point in saving a few bucks here and there?” Well, it’s not just about small savings; it applies to business too. Whether it’s negotiating a better vendor deal or finding a free tool instead of the shiny new subscription, this value-first mindset has really added up for me. 

It’s not about obsessing over pennies; it’s about not ignoring the pennies in the first place.

3. Keeping an emergency fund

This one became huge for me when I was running my startup.

In the world of trendy startups, it’s wild how fast money can be thrown around—office snacks, swag, overhiring, fancy software subscriptions no one uses after two weeks. It’s easy to get swept up in the momentum and spend like you’ve already made it. 

But dare I say, I knew better. We kept a cushion. Not a massive war chest, but enough to give us breathing room when things didn’t go as planned (which, let’s be real, is often in startup life).

That mindset—of always putting a little something aside—definitely came from growing up with limited resources. When you know what it feels like to not have a safety net, you learn to build your own, brick by brick. 

And let me tell you, that emergency fund saved my team and me more than once.

4. Thinking carefully before taking on debt 

I was reading The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins recently (great book, btw), and I couldn’t help but nod along to so much of what the author had to say—especially when it came to debt. One line in particular stuck with me:

“Here’s the simple formula: Spend less than you earn—invest the surplus—avoid debt.”

It hit home because that’s exactly how I’ve tried to live, mostly out of necessity at first. Growing up, debt wasn’t an option—it was a risk we literally couldn’t afford to take. That mindset stuck with me. 

Even now, I treat debt like fire: sometimes useful, but always dangerous if left unchecked.

Whether it’s a credit card, a car loan, or something bigger, I pause. I ask: Do I actually need this? Will it pay off? Can I handle the worst-case scenario? 

That instinct to double—sometimes triple—check the cost of borrowing? It didn’t come from a finance class. It came from growing up in a household where we couldn’t afford mistakes.

5. Resourceful problem solving

When you grow up without a lot, you quickly learn how to make things work with whatever you’ve got.

Need a Halloween costume? Grab cardboard, scissors, and duct tape. Bike broke? Time to get creative with zip ties and borrowed tools. That kind of scrappy thinking doesn’t just disappear when you get older—it evolves.

In business and in life, I’ve found that this resourcefulness is a superpower. Instead of throwing money at problems, I tend to look for smarter, leaner solutions. 

Whether it’s finding a workaround with free software or negotiating instead of replacing, I default to solving before spending. And honestly, I think that mindset gives people like us an edge—because we don’t panic when the fancy tools aren’t available. We just build our own.

Wrapping things up

Growing up with limited means can be tough—let’s not sugarcoat that. But I’ve come to realize that adversity also teaches powerful lessons about the real value of money, the necessity of planning, and the importance of never becoming complacent.

If you can relate to my experiences, I hope you see these habits not as reminders of struggle, but as badges of honor. They shape us into more mindful, careful, and determined individuals. 

And if you didn’t grow up in a financially challenging household, you can still adopt these habits. Budgeting, avoiding reckless debt, and keeping some money for a rainy day are wise moves for just about anyone.

Until next time, friends