[Fern]

My grandparents. All of them were hard-working people of modest incomes, who lived simply and saved their money.

Necessity. My jobs in my 20s paid poorly, so it was up to me to live cheaply and forgo luxuries.

I didn't read books on money til much later. But it also helped to have worked as a writer in financial services for 9 years, so i learned a lot about investing, saving for retirement and mutual funds while in those jobs.