Rose Mattus, Laura's Grandmother
I remember getting an allowance when I was a kid. I did a chore, got paid and bought candy! Sweet😊I also remember having a piggy bank (yes it was a pig) and I would open it up from time to time and count my coins. But when I think about WHO really taught me about money, hands down, it was my Grandma Rose.
My Grandmother, Rose Mattus, was a woman ahead of her time. She was sharp and quick witted. She walked into a room and everyone stopped to say hello. They loved her humor and her charm. She knew a lot about a lot of things. Whether it was fashion or cats or cooking. But the one thing she was amazing with was MONEY. She helped run the family business, Häägen-Dazs. You may have heard of it. Yes, Rose was a money person. And I learned a lot from her.
Here are 5 Money Truths I learned from my grandmother.
- Money talks….oh yes it does. Don’t let anyone fool you. My grandmother had amazing people work for her because she paid well. She was not cheap. But she also demanded quality work. If the work was not quality, she would let you know and you were gone.
- Money helps…my grandmother gave away a ton of money to various charities and organizations. In fact, when my grandmother died and we were sitting Shiva ( a Jewish ritual of gathering after someone dies) many people our family didn’t even know came to pay their respect to her. One by one they told us how Rose was so generous to them. I was moved but not surprised.
- Money angers…a LOT of people. If I had a dime for all the family fights that went down when we were kids I would probably end up fighting with someone over it! Seriously, I saw family members disown each other over money.
- Money grows….My Grandma Rose was not cheap but she also was not a spendthrift. She liked to watch her money grow but safely. She invested in bonds, coins & CDS (back when they paid interest not dust). She was a conservative when it came to investing.
- Money brings opportunity….It’s true money won’t bring you happiness. But it can give you a chance to experience things you may not have gotten to experience.
Without realizing it, my grandmother taught me these 5 Money Truths. She had a huge influence on me in every way. She was strong, savvy and smart. She knew business and she knew money. She is my mentor for so many things. Money, family, love….I miss her every day.
Who is your money mentor? Why? What did they teach you?
LL