Most of us have grown up listening to flowery one liners regarding money, saving and wealth. But if you give these childhood quotes a thought, you would now realize the importance of these virtuous messages passed on to us by our parents and grandparents.

In this article, we’re going to talk about five of the most popular sayings about money and their relevance in our adult life.

#1 ‘Money doesn’t grow on trees’

An oft-told statement, it implies that money needs to be accrued and earned through patience and hard work. And once earned, you need to manage your financial responsibilities and ensure that your money is protected well. Once you’ve experienced this as an adult, you’ll understand that it is so critical to ensure your spending doesn’t exceed your earning. The ideal way to do this is by engaging in some stringent planning and budgeting. When you witness how your savings add up financially over the span of a month, you’ll understand that minor, reasonable changes in your regular expenses can have as large of an effect on your savings as getting a raise.

#2 ‘Save for rainy days’

Perhaps no other childhood message has been heard by most of us as we grow up more often than this one. Having cash in an emergency fund for crises can truly keep your mind at peace, and help you stabilise your financial realm. Likewise, when you start setting aside some cash on a month to month basis, you’ll accumulate more than just cash for financial emergencies; you’ll have cash for vacations, mortgage downpayment, and your retirement. Don’t simply stuff away cash under your mattress. Place it in a high-interest earning bank account. Anything else will lead to the slow disintegration of your funds under the weight of inflation.

[Related: Have you taught your kids financial self-control?]

#3 ‘If health is lost, everything is lost’

The money that you earn is meant to protect you and your health as well. Ensure that your world doesn’t revolve around money, but rather your financial earnings revolve around and protect your well-being and health. If you and your loved ones are uninsured or even underinsured, don’t wait for much longer to seek adequate health insurance coverage. Otherwise, one medical emergency can end up draining you of a month’s salary. Also, take regular strides that benefit your health.

#4 ‘Guard your wealth’

If you can’t figure out how to deal with your own cash, others will find ways to exploit you.  Assume responsibility and read a couple of fundamental books on financial dealings. When you’re armed with the knowledge about how to handle your personal finances, savings and investments, you don’t need to give anybody a chance to handle your finances. Seeing how the financial world functions is the initial move toward making your finances more secure.

#5 ‘The importance of self-control’

This may not be a popular saying unlike the others, but if you’re fortunate, your parents would have instilled this in you when you were a kid nevertheless. The sooner you learn to put aside instant rewards and look towards the long haul, the sooner you’ll be able to secure a financially stable future for yourself. For instance, it is effortless to buy anything on your credit card, but practically, it’s much wiser to actually save the money up before you make a purchase.

[Related: 5 Personal Finance Books Everyone Should Read]