For our brand new column, My MoneySense, we spoke with Creo Walters, one of the show’s four young content creators, about his own journey to learning about personal finance.

Who are your money/finance/investment heroes?

Nipsey Hussle, Jay Z and LeBron James. They have all invested in themselves. Looking at the way they all built – and continue to build – their empires challenges me to do better.

How do you prefer to spend your free time?

With my circle of friends and with family. I live at home with my parents and we have an open door policy. Between friends and cousins, there is always someone around, and most visits involve a lot of food.

If money were no object, what would you do now?

Everyone I love would own a house and land. I would also have a closet full of sneakers.

What is your first memory of money?

When we got an allowance, my parents divided the money into two pots. One to spend and one to save. It taught me that money is finite and that you have to split it up for different purposes.

What’s the first thing you remember buying with your own money?

I remember going to a store and buying a pile of candy on my own. I paid with the exact money and was confused when I got nothing back because I thought you always got money back no matter what.

What did you do with your first paycheck?

My first job was acting in a Family Channel commercial when I was 13. We were allowed to play with water guns all day, and that was pretty sweet. I honestly couldn’t say what I spent the check on. I’m pretty sure that check went straight to my parents.

What is the biggest money lesson you learned as an adult?

Don’t buy a credit card just because you can. That is a decision that deserves careful thought. I’ve made a lot of credit card mistakes and learned the hard way about paying bills on time, sticking to a budget, and what a cash shortage really is. Looking back, my first credit card was a lesson in self-control.

This post Creo Walters of Street Cents on the dangers of debt, why LeBron James is a financial hero and more

was original published at “https://www.moneysense.ca/columns/my-moneysense/creo-walters/”