You may not realize it, but in between making corny jokes and yelling about who touched the thermostat, your father taught you a great deal about money.

Dads are usually the financial teacher in the family, but even fathers who never spoke a word about the family budget passed along important money wisdom to their kids. That’s because Dads’ favorite words of wisdom – just like Mom’s – offer great insight into managing your money even if they seemingly have nothing to do with finance.

If you ever heard your father tell you one of these old sayings, you should thank him. That’s because he gave you an excellent financial education without you even knowing it.

1. Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees

This is the classic Dad quote, and I don’t believe any American childhood is complete without hearing this at least two or three times a year. Your father would turn financial botanist anytime you wanted something that cost money he was not willing to spend.

The overt message is that there is a cost to money, and because of that cost, you cannot expect to have your every wish fulfilled. The unspoken message is just as wise, however. Dad would only tell you this when you were expressing a want rather than a need, so you could learn to differentiate the two.

Knowing whether the things you spend money on are wants or needs is an important basic budgeting skill that many people have trouble with. Dear old Dad gave you a mental script to help you tell the difference.

2. Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today

When you were a kid, your father probably laid this one on you when you told him you’d mow the lawn “tomorrow.” He was hoping…

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