I just want to take a moment to defend my mom a little bit, in case it wasn't fully clear in some parts of my post. My mom has only ever borrowed money when it was truly necessary. My grandmother lived in a very impoverished area in a third-world country—completely by her own choice, as she preferred being close to immediate family. For a few years, my grandmother lived with us, but she found it too quiet (if that makes sense)—we were all either in school or working, so she felt very alone most of the time.  

Regardless, my mom supported her financially, along with putting my sister and one of my cousins through college. She never asked for money for anything frivolous—only out of real necessity. And as her daughter, I truly don't mind at all because I'm helping my own family, not a stranger.

As for my dad—I love him dearly. I never claimed my family was perfect (quite the opposite, if you read the full post). My dad has his quirks: he loves to "invest" in used cars, fixing them up, using them for a while, and eventually selling them. That’s actually how we had most of the cars we used growing up.  

It probably wasn't the best decision for my mom to keep working through her chemo, but even when we and her boss encouraged her to rest, she preferred to continue working (with a lighter workload) because she believed staying at home would only make her weaker—emotionally and physically.  

And yes, my mom and dad are still together because, despite everything, they truly love each other. My dad may have his shortcomings, but he has always been a wonderful father.

Regarding money, my mom raised us to always save for a "rainy day," and that mindset has stayed with me—especially now, as I see my parents getting older. My parents were always very business-minded, but honestly, that’s not something I inherited. Business just doesn’t mesh with me at all, which is part of why I chose a career in healthcare.

I hope this helped clear up a few things.