Teacher Finance

Helping you live big dreams on a small salary

Archives for 2011

My Financial Bucket List

I'm not a big believer in "signs" but I can't help but wonder if the personal finance world is trying to send me one - just after I wrote a post about struggling to define my big goals, Krystal at Give Me Back My Five Bucks announces a partnership with Life Insurance Finder to ... Read more...

Goals and I Have a Troubled Past

In the personal finance world, there is a lot of talk - pretty much constantly - about the importance of goals. It's so much easier to work on your finances when you have a distinct goal or two in mind. Goals like buying a house, retiring early, going on a big trip, etc. For the ... Read more...

Some Personal Finance Advice is Totally Unrealistic

To some people, all personal finance advice is unrealistic. There are some - actually, a lot - of people who roll their eyes whenever they're told to save or invest or pay off debt. They think that there's nothing that they can do about their financial situations and that only ... Read more...

2012 Goals

I've been thinking a lot this weekend about my goals for 2012. This was sort of inspired by the discussion over at Newlyweds on a Budget regarding Dave Ramsey and If I Were a Wealthy Girl's post about why she chose Dave Ramsey's plan over those peddled by other financial gurus. ... Read more...

Ugg, Money!

I'm getting that "ugg, money!" feeling right now. It's like it's always something. Not even the little emergencies, just the little commitments and inconveniences. Birthday gifts. Dinner dates and brunches to meet up with friends. Being out of toothpaste, shampoo, Band-Aids, and ... Read more...

Lifestyle Inflation

For the past six months or so - but especially since paying off my car in September - I've been experiencing some serious lifestyle inflation. I haven't bought anything super expensive, but I've been getting my nails done more, buying clothes whenever the fancy strikes, and ... Read more...

Bloggy Secret Santa

I just signed up for Serendipity's bloggy secret santa and I'm hoping you will, too! I think this is a totally great idea, and the spending limit is only $15, so it's not in any way a burden. You can sign up until November 5 - hope you'll join me in getting really excited about ... Read more...

My Federal Student Loan is Under $13,000!

Yep, with the payment that came out of my account last Friday, my balance on my only remaining debt is less than $13,000!Sometimes it's so hard to believe how much debt I've paid off in the past three years. But I have, with nothing but extremely hard work and determination. And ... Read more...

Brooklyn is Thrifty

I just got back from a great weekend in NYC and while most of it was spent in Manhattan - which is where my sister lives and works - we spent a fantastic Saturday in Brooklyn. It was my second time in Brooklyn and I think I'm slowly following in love with the borough. Not only ... Read more...

I Am The 53%

I'm a white female. I grew up in an upper-middle class family with two parents who love me and taught me important values like hard work, financial responsibility, and the importance of education. I always had a roof over my head and food on the table - actually, I always had a ... Read more...