Last month, for Mother's Day, we asked a number of noted businesswomen for the best financial advice they got from mom.

This week, in homage to Father's Day, we asked seven Sacramento financial experts to share the money wisdom they acquired from dear ol' Dad. Here's what they said by phone and email:

Bob Dreizler

My father taught me to be frugal, perhaps too frugal. He was a budget director with an aerospace company and really felt it was important to be cautious with money.

I inherited my father's interest in investing and the stock market. He taught me that you can't invest unless your spending is under control. We even bought a few shares of the Los Angeles Stars basketball team in the late 1960s. It was fun to own part of a basketball team.

Another lesson I learned from my parents is that it is important for spouses to regularly discuss financial issues. Even if one person manages the money in the family, major financial decisions need to be made together.

Wornel Simpson

My dad died of lung cancer when I was 12 years old. He was a hardworking man who worked full time on the San Francisco waterfront as a longshoreman. In addition to very strenuous work, he also owned and operated a cleaners, Busy Bee Cleaners, and a soul food restaurant, S&W Restaurant, both in east Oakland. On weekends, he had a lawn service and usually took care of two or three properties each Saturday.

My dad was honest and very industrious. He preached saving for a rainy day. There was never a certain percentage or amount, just diligently saving for when it would be most needed. Our home was a "safe house" for relatives from the South as they transitioned to California and he always wanted to be able to provide for his extended family.

The lessons I learned from my dad were to always do your best, be honest and have a work ethic that at least matches your ability (i.e. don't work below your capabilities). Because he worked so hard and died so young, the quality time that he was able to spend with my older siblings was limited. I came along 15 years later and probably got a little more individual time, accompanying him as he checked on his different ventures.

My dedication to clients and (doing) my best is directly attributable to my dad and his pushing me to excel in school.

Jack Gallagher

I grew up in a very traditional Irish Catholic family in Boston. Money was never discussed. I recall asking my dad how much money he earned and being told it was none of my business. He made enough money to keep us clothed and fed and that's all I needed to worry about.

I do remember my dad saying he never wanted to owe anyone anything. Other than the mortgage and a car payment (which you got rid of as soon as possible), you paid cash whenever you could. His attitude came from growing up as one of eight kids during the Depression.

My brother and I still joke about having a "John Gallagher" moment when we try to figure out how to finance something in a way that's comfortable.

My wife and I are much more open with our teenage sons, Declan and Liam. They don't know what's in the checkbook, but they do know when we can afford something, and they are very aware of our attitude about saving.

Kelly Brothers

I believe it was 1985 when my mother and father had four kids in Catholic universities. That same year my dad lost his job.

As the eldest, I had a grasp on how much money my parents were spending to educate their kids. I knew the tuition bills alone were more than my dad made that year. So I offered to come home, saying I could finish my degree the next year.

My dad was incredulous: "Are you nuts? We've been planning for this for 25 years! Study hard. Have fun. We'll see you at graduation."

It was the first time I realized that people actually plan with long-term financial goals in mind. My parents were immigrants from Ireland and would not rest until their kids were college educated. They scrimped and saved for a quarter century to make that dream a reality. They had a plan and nothing was going to derail that plan.

My dad got a new job a few months later. Within a few years, they had prodded (and paid for a significant portion of the bill) each of us to get postgraduate degrees as well.

Their plan worked, and we were the beneficiaries.

Dennis Tootelian

Some of the best advice my dad gave me was to minimize debt. He didn't believe in big mortgages, taking out loans for anything, or not paying off credit card charges at the end of each month. He would have been appalled by the home loans taken out over the last decade – and not at all surprised by the results.

His message: Don't get yourself into too much debt because it's very difficult to pay your way out of it. A conservative approach to money management makes it easier to sleep at night – especially in this economy.

Rodney Brown

My Midwest work ethic came at a very young age from my father. Among my first jobs was selling produce from our large backyard garden in northeast Kansas. I earned a nickel a pound for fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes that I sold to family and friends, including my first-grade teacher. My folks were very supportive of my work ethic and being entrepreneurial.

I started mowing lawns at 11. … Later I had jobs baling hay and after-school jobs sweeping out businesses, working inventory, as a grocery store bagger. It all came from my dad: He modeled hard work and gave me an opportunity, starting with the garden.

My dad also emphasized the importance of saving for the future. The well-being I have today in my 60s is due to choosing in my 20s and 30s to forgo some things. I loved cars, but didn't drive the car I wanted for a long, long time. In the '70s, I drove a Ford Galaxie instead of a nice Pontiac. I'd see friends with a nicer car, but I chose not to consume but to save for the future. If you want to acquire your first home, start a family, educate your kids, you save for that. It's creating a financial base to meet future needs.

I also learned from my dad that in your career, there'll be some setbacks and some big bumps, like losing a job. You learn to pick up and go forward. It can make you stronger and wiser. You're a more complete person if your life is filled with challenges instead of smooth sailing.

Henry Wirz

The best advice I ever got from my dad was that it did not matter how much money I earned; what mattered was how much I kept.

My dad was 53 when I was born in 1950. He had lived through the Great Depression and knew that in hard times you could lose your job and your house. I always thought he deprived himself of too many things in order to save. I was sure there would never again be a time like the Great Depression. But I'm not so sure about that now.

One of my dad's lessons was to save for a rainy day. I maintain a rainy day fund that will cover six months of expenses.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. Thanks for all your great advice. It all makes sense now.

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Have a personal finance question? Contact The Bee's Claudia Buck at (916) 321-1968.

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