There are SO many things I wish I knew about money in my 20s. My parents taught me to never buy anything, I didn't have money in the bank to cover beyond my current expenses. They encouraged me to have a credit card, but only for identification since I'd never have a driver's license. Growing up, we always had all we needed and most of what we wanted. There was no sense of scarcity so I never learned self-denial.

I started learning what I needed to know about finances in my late 30s. I attended a few meetings of Debtors Anonymous which helped me understand what drove my impulsive spending. Now I don't buy anything without giving it careful thought. Together my husband I learned about the stock market, mutual funds, and tax free savings accounts. We learned about the power of compound interest, about how it can benefit or destroy you.

Why are these principles not taught in our schools, starting in middle school? Why aren't we taught how to start a business, how to make it work, and how to know when it's time to take a detour? How can we be prepared to use and invest our resources wisely?