I’m a millionaire and single mom. I’m teaching my daughter the value of money — but she’s also taught me I work too much.

Sheri Atwood prioritized her daughter Janicya’s education.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sheri Atwood, the founder and CEO of SupportPay. It has been edited for length and clarity.

The first time I became a millionaire, I was 24. I was a vice president in corporate cyber security, making $450,000 a year — more money than I ever could have imagined growing up poor.

Despite my wealth, I wasn’t happy. I was married and had a 4,000-square-foot house near the California vineyards. When I was poor, I always thought money and material wealth would make me happy, but I was absolutely miserable.

Soon after my daughter Janicya was born, I got divorced. I was a single mom, like my own mother had been, but I was in a very different financial situation. I wanted to be smart with my money, investing to create a solid financial foundation for my daughter.

I spent $43,000 a year on private school

With that in mind, I started to reassess what I was spending my money on. My big house was stressing me out, and I realized I’d rather live in a townhouse with less maintenance. I didn’t buy new clothes or cars. Even now, I drive a Lexus, but it’s 17 years old.

Instead, I spent on my daughter’s education. I only escaped poverty because of my master’s degree and knew I would never regret investing in Janicya. I put her in an expensive and wonderful private school, paying $43,000 a year in elementary school tuition and even more than that as she got older. Because that was my choice alone, my ex didn’t contribute to tuition.

Teaching my daughter financial literacy was critical

When Janicya was 7, she had emergency brain surgery. My job required tons of travel, so I quit my corporate role to start my own company. It was self-funded, and although I was financially stable, I wasn’t a millionaire anymore. I reached that status again about four years ago, in my early 40s.

I was always of two minds about my daughter and money. I wanted her to understand the value of money, and I also wanted to give her access to everything I never had.

Teaching Janicya financial literacy was a way to do both. I never learned about credit, or interest, or how to leverage other people’s money (via loans and investment) to build your wealth. My mom declared bankruptcy, and my sister had multiple bankruptcies. I wanted Janicya to have access to the same financial knowledge as her private school peers who had generational wealth.

I gave her allowance to teach her the value of money

I also wanted Janicya to learn day-to-day money skills. I gave her an allowance that’s meant to pay for incidentals, like Starbucks or fancy new cups. I taught her we can’t always keep up with others — especially those at her private school. When she wanted an expensive purse, I showed her I didn’t even have one.

Sometimes, however, I bent the rules. As a single mom running a business, it was sometimes easier to give her money to go out with her friends because I just needed some downtime. Once, she had a chance to travel to Puerto Rico with a friend’s family. I paid for that because it was an opportunity I would have loved as a teen.

Today, my daughter works hard and tells me when to scale back

Still, I tried to make Janicya understand the value of money. When she was 16, she got a job scooping ice cream. Today, she’s 20 and a junior in college. My ex and I pay her tuition, but she pays all her other expenses. She’s working two jobs while in school, which makes me proud.

Right now, she wants a new car. She’s currently driving a 20-year-old Lexus with 180,000 miles — it used to be her grandmother’s. I told her I’ll match what she saves for a new vehicle. I’ll do the same one day when she’s ready to buy her first home.

Although I’m a millionaire again, I continue to live like I’ll never make another dollar. After growing up poor, I’m terrified of having no money. I like to save and invest, and I never overextend myself with loans and credit cards.

But I’ve also learned from Janicya. She tells me I work too much. I know from experience that money isn’t everything, so I’m trying to spend more time with her — and maybe even take a vacation.