For Kai Montinola, financial literacy did not begin with earning money. It started with something much simpler: Learning how to save.

Long before she stepped into the spotlight, the young singer and performer said her parents had already taught her one of the most important life lessons she continues to carry today. While finances can seem overwhelming, she believes everything starts with understanding the value of setting money aside.

“This is such a big lesson to me that my parents have instilled in me at such a young age, which is saving,” Kai told DAILY TRIBUNE. “It’s one of the fundamentals when it comes to finances. As long as you understand what savings is, then sunod-sunod na ’yung mga things that you will learn about finances (then everything else you need to learn about finances will follow). Pero unang una talaga as a kid, the easiest thing to understand is the concept of saving (But first and foremost, as a kid, the easiest thing to understand is the concept of saving).”

Learning the value of every peso

Kai recalled that her parents, particularly her mother, gave her a weekly allowance and trusted her to manage it on her own. That early independence also meant experiencing the consequences whenever she failed to budget properly.

“My parents, especially my mother, she would give me baon (allowance) for the week. Nasa sa akin na ’yun kung paano ko siya ihahandle (It was up to me how I would handle it). If I don’t save, sa akin din mapupunta ‘yung consequences (I would also face the consequences). So, I learned at a young age that I need to learn how to budget my money for a week, depending on the baon (allowance) that she would give me.”

The lesson became even more memorable after she experienced running out of money.

“Natutunan ko din na magsave kasi naranasan ko din na wala akong pera for a day (I also learned how to save because I experienced having no money for an entire day).”

Even now that she has started earning her own income, Kai said her parents continue to keep a close eye on her financial decisions. She said, “They are very strict with finances especially now that I am earning my own money.”

While she has become more confident in making her own decisions, she still seeks advice before making purchases, especially when she is unsure whether something is worth buying.

“Every now and then alam kong nasa tamang pag-iisip na rin naman ako to think what is best for me, what I can buy and what I cannot (I know I’m now in the right mindset to think about what’s best for me, what I can buy and what I cannot).”

“Sometimes I would ask my parents or someone older than me, ‘Is this worth it to buy?’ because may mga times tayo na, ‘Is this really important? Is this really a necessity?’ My parents are there naman to guide me all the time. They keep me sane.”

Hoping for more opportunities onstage and onscreen

As she continues to build a strong foundation for her future, Kai is also looking forward to expanding her career in entertainment.

“I am hoping that I would do more singing, performing and acting. In that case, I will leave it up to when it is allowed to publicly share,” Kai ended.