Tyler Gardner grew up eating Cheerios from a bag on a Vermont ski slope while other kids bought hot chocolate. That early lesson about money — absorbed more than taught — sent him on one of the more unconventional paths in personal finance: from stealing grocery money as a kid, to Andover on financial aid, to teaching English at prep schools for a decade, to becoming a financial advisor who thinks most people are asking the wrong question about wealth.The right question, Gardner argues, isn't how much can I accumulate — it's what do I actually want money to buy? For him, knowing the answer changed everything.Chris Hill talks with Tyler about:- Growing up in a household where money was never discussed — and the ski slope memory that first made him realize it mattered- Attending Andover on financial aid and getting his first glimpse of generational wealth on a spring break trip to Palm Beach- How a disastrous retirement fund presentation pushed him out of the classroom and into financial advising- The one thing he wishes he'd understood at 15 that he still has to explain to 60-year-olds todayWhat's the last thing you splurged on? [email protected] Markets is the best wrap-up of the day on Wall Street.Sign up for free at BrewMarkets.com/moneyOpening clip – “Landman”