Father figures! How lessons from our dads can save us £7,000 over the years

Published: 22:00, 19 June 2026 | Updated: 22:04, 19 June 2026 It's often said that mother knows best when it comes to making sound life decisions. But perhaps fathers also have a role to play, with a poll suggesting that the lessons children learn from their dads has saved them nearly £7,000 over the years. Some 51 per cent claim fathers are the most financially savvy people they know, with the average child adopting five money-saving habits from them, according to the study commissioned by energy company Utilita. Ahead of Father's Day on Sunday, those questioned have also shared their favourite 'dadisms', including mantras such as 'money doesn't grow on trees' in reference to leaving a light on or a tap running, which have helped 64 per cent to form lucrative life-long habits. Constant commentary on how much things cost 'back in his day' or differences in prices when visiting a new city or country has also taught 21 per cent to question the true value of items. Other classic dad phrases that have influenced their children's behaviour included 'were you born in a barn?', 'close the fridge, you're letting all the cold out', and 'it's like the Blackpool illuminations in here'. As a result of these sayings, 34 per cent track and manage their household bills, and 40 per cent are careful to turn appliances off when not in use. A spokesman for Utilita said: 'Dads are often a source of wisdom, with lessons wrapped up in familiar sayings and everyday habits. 'Some of them might seem amusing at first, or lose their shine after you've heard them for the hundredth time, but they often stay with us.' Some 51 per cent claim fathers are the most financially savvy people they know (file image) Other money-saving lessons that children have held on to comprised buying only what they can afford at the time (30 per cent) and staying on top of household maintenance because preventing a problem is cheaper than fixing it (24 per cent). DIY is a key area in which fathers influence their offspring, with 23 per cent saying they've taken it up in order to repair rather than replace. Home improvement tips encompassed sealing gaps around windows to block draughts or putting tin foil behind radiators to reflect heat. Eight in ten received home energy-saving advice from their fathers, the most common pearls of wisdom being turning the lights off if leaving a room or not overfilling the kettle. The survey for Utilita was carried out by OnePoll.com. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.