Teacher Finance

Helping you live big dreams on a small salary

Archives for 2010

Extra Income Opportunities This School Year

One of the many fabulous aspects of being a teacher is the many opportunities for extra income that crop up throughout the school year. These are the sources of my extra income this year, listed in the order that they are coming up. I only listed the ones that are basically a ... Read more...

Updates

- I will no longer be posting monthly goals. I always just come up with some random list because I feel pressured because it's the first of the month, then don't accomplish the stuff on the random list and end up feeling like a failure...even though I've usually accomplished a ... Read more...

I Got a Love Letter from Citi Bank Today…

And it went like this:Dear TeacHer:We are pleased to inform you that private [student] loan number XX is paid-in-full. Please keep this letter for your records as proof of payment of this student loan.It has been a pleasure to assist you with your education financing ... Read more...

Someday, When I’m Debt Free…

I'll max out my Roth every yearI'll try a new restaurant every monthI'll save up for a houseI'll take a vacation every summerBecause I'll quit teaching summer schoolI'll update my wardrobe every seasonI'll donate to charity every monthAnd NPR during every membership driveI'll buy ... Read more...

Operation: Pay Off Car

I've come to the conclusion that if I'm ever going to make any progress financially - build my Freedom Fund, save for a house, maximize my retirement savings - my only choice is to become debt free.Perhaps I've drunk the Dave Ramsey Kool-Aid, but after over a year of making a ... Read more...

Using a Roth as a Primary Saving Tool?

Random thought: what if I used my Roth IRA as my primary savings vehicle? A while back, I mentioned that I absolutely hate saving for retirement, but I still diligently put $200 per month into my Roth IRA. I simultaneously have been very not diligent with my cash savings ... Read more...

Work. Work. Work.

I just did some quick math and realized that my average workday since school began in August has been 11 hours long. That doesn't include commuting, which would add another hour and a half on to that total. The by-product? I've been super-lazy about everything not directly ... Read more...

This Week +/-

This Week +/-:+ I planned some awesome activities for my AP psychology classes for next week, and I convinced my principal to reimburse me for the materials. Sweet.- I had to pay for an oil change/air filter, my personal property tax bill, and a $150 vet bill. + I had already ... Read more...

Is Becoming a Teacher Right for You?

A while back, I did an 'Ask Me Anything' post and one of my absolute favorite PF bloggers, Frugal Zeitgeist, asked if I would recommend teaching as a career-change for people burnt out in the corporate world. I've been turning the question over in my mind ever since then, and I ... Read more...