10 Movies that Teach us Great Lessons about Saving Money

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Saving money is something we all need to do, even if we think we don’t need to do it. Even those who don’t live paycheck to paycheck and already have a nice savings account need to save more. We need to save more toward our children’s college educations. We need to save more toward our retirement. We need to make that emergency fund bigger. We need to make that savings account grow. We need to save money because we waste too much of it and we could be using that wasted money on something more worthwhile. Whatever your reason to save more money, you have one. We all have one; and we all need to do it. And sometimes it’s not all that easy to get into the mindset of learning to save. However, if you like to watch movies, then you will enjoy the fact that watching these movies can actually teach you a lesson about saving money that might extend to your circumstance in some way, shape or form. Read on to find out which 10 movies provide us with great lessons in saving money, whether we realized it or not.

The Godfather

How can we talk about films that teach us financial lessons and not mention this classic film? While you might wonder where we’re going with this, you shouldn’t. Money talks, and that’s all there is to it. It might not seem like it has anything to do with teaching us to save money, but it does. The truth of the matter is that if you have money, you can have more of anything you want. Money does talk. It has influence. It’s a deciding factor. It can decide how you spend your life. Save it.

Clueless

No, really, it does teach us a money lesson. This movie shows us the lives of teens in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the world, and it shows us that you can’t always use money to get what you want and get yourself out of every situation (such as an inappropriate situation with a guy or your failed driving test). It also shows us that while you can have a lot of fun when you do have money, you also have to work hard and earn everything that you have.

Shawshank Redemption

When a man is falsely imprisoned for something he did not do, the movie takes off. It’s all about his escape from prison and his planning for the future. What we can take from this movie in terms of our finances is that we never know what the future holds. We never know what will happen and we always, always have to be prepared for the unexpected to occur in terms of our finances.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Based on the real-life story of a man who was homeless with his son for approximately one year, this is the story of a man played by Will Smith. In this movie, we are taught that it’s important to plan for the future because you never know what is going to happen. The financial troubles of this man show the world that it’s very, very important to save and to plan your finances to care for the future.

Jerry MacGuire

We learned that this is the movie in which Kenny Chesney fell in love with Renee Zellweger, and we learn that people are more important than money. But at the same time we also learn that we have to have money to keep up with the day to day things in life, such as a roof over our heads and food to eat. At the end of the day, we all have to make a living. But time spent with family is more important than money spent on family, so there’s your savings lesson here.

The Santa Claus

While there is no direct relation to money here, there is a lesson to be taught. Tim Allen’s character is big on his job and making money, and not so much on anything else in his life. That is, until he becomes Santa Claus and prioritizes his son and the rest of the world. He saves Christmas by donning the red suit and making children’s dreams come true, but the lesson here is that there are things more important than money in the world. Saving is important, earning is important; but your family is most important.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

The bills keep coming in and the shopping continues. Rebecca Bloomwood cannot afford most of her purchases, but she also justifies them all and then she finds herself in precarious situations. The point of this movie is that you can’t spend it all. You have to save some of it or you will end up miserable and in a situation you can’t get out of.

It’s a Wonderful Life

One of the best movies of all time, this movie that we watch so often during the holidays teaches us a valuable lesson. We already know we have to save, but did you know that one of the best ways to use your money is by giving it to others? Either by donating or by spending it on those you love, giving things away is a great way to find happiness.

Wall Street

Despite the fact that it’s been more than 20-something years since this movie was released, we learn a lot of about finances in this movie. We learn a lot about greed and what it can do to a person. And if we can take a life-lesson from that, we choose to believe that the less is that greed is good when it’s channeled into the right direction – saving – and bad when it’s channeled into the wrong direction – selfishness.

A Christmas Story

It’s been made time and time again, and we could be talking about any or all of these movies. It doesn’t actually matter. All we can say is that there is more to life than saving every single penny you earn, and that sometimes saving too much is a bad thing. When you’re like Scrooge, you make no time for fun or family. This means that all your savings is for nil, and you have to take a step back and realize what’s important above and beyond your finances.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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