Smart Ways to Make Your Money Work Harder as an Educator
Lesson: Take Action Early in Your Teaching Career to Put Your Money to Good Work. You can get big results over time with just a little bit of money.
Image created by description from Kelly Croy put into Chat GPT4
Even though teachers might not make as much money as some other jobs, being a teacher is really rewarding and important. But, there are smart things teachers can do with their money right from the start.
When I first started teaching, I used to run out of money all the time. By my third year, when Christmas came around, I didn’t have much money for gifts. That’s when my teacher friends told me about starting a Christmas savings account at our local credit union.
I started putting a little bit of my paycheck into this account every time I got paid, without even seeing the money first. My friends told me to just forget about it and let it grow. And it really worked! Every year, I had money saved up for Christmas and vacations. And when I got a raise, I would save a bit more.
I’ve also learned that teachers have some really good benefits, like retirement plans, that a lot of other jobs don’t have. This is because a little bit of our paycheck goes into retirement savings automatically, which is actually a pretty cool thing. I’ve met people who make three or four times my salary and have nothing saved for retirement. It was sadly ‘something they were always going to get to doing’ but didn’t it. Most people lack the discipline needed to have money.
Even though I wish teachers got paid more, I’ve decided to focus on making the most of what I earn. I was lucky to have friends who gave me great advice.
Here are some smart money tips I’ve learned and you should think about too:
1. Start a Vacation Fund: Put a bit of your paycheck into a savings account that you can’t easily take money out of. Only use this money for special things like Christmas or vacations.
2. Save in a Tax-Free Account: Even starting with a small amount can add up over time. I started an annuity early in my career.
3. Join an Investment Club: It’s a fun way to save money with friends and learn about investing. It inspired me to invest on my own. I had fun. I earned money too, that has really helped my family.
4. Side Hustle: If you can get paid for extra jobs like coaching, use that money for fun activities or to save. Every human should have a side hustle, or two. I chose fun ones for myself like: speaking, writing, artwork and education consulting. Find a fun hobby that can make you some extra money, but remember to save some of it. It’s easier to out-earn financial challenges than out-budget or out-save them. FYI.
5. No Credit Card Debt: Always pay off your credit card every month. Always! No exceptions. So many people get crushed with this one and can’t dig out.
6. Budget: Use a budget to make sure you’re saving money. Know where your money is going. Adjust and adapt. I use Rocket and YNAB.
7. Learn About Money: Read a book or take a class to get smarter about money.
8. Live Within Your Means: Be careful with spending too much on things you don’t need. I see so many people with incredibly high car and home loans! Wowzers! Don’t live like the pretenders on Instagram. This is hard for a lot of people. They want to eat out all the time. Pack your lunch. It pays off.
9. Plan Your Spending: Decide what each part of your paycheck will go towards before you get it. Prepare for upcoming events as best you can. Don’t get alarmed when a surprise expense hits, have some money hidden away for a rainy day.
10. Enjoy Teaching: Remember, being a happy teacher is more important than how much money you make. I know this might tick a lot of teachers off, and I get it. Teachers deserve more money. I agree. My point is that you can’t put a price tag on happiness. If you enjoy teaching, that is priceless. So many people hate their jobs. I don’t.
Remember, saving a little bit at a time can really add up and make your life better.
The following is from Yahoo Finance:
“However, popular personal finance expert Dave Ramsey recently shared that teachers are becoming millionaires despite having low salaries. According to a study conducted by Ramsey Solutions of over 10,000 millionaires, the top five careers for millionaires were engineer, accountant, teacher, management, and attorney. Feb 18, 2024”
Challenge: Talk to the payroll department at your school to automatically save a small part of your paycheck. Also, start with $20 to $40 each month for an investment in some stock or start a club. At the end of your career, like my 33 years, you’ll be thankful you did. It’s a good start!
Take Action Early in Your Teaching Career to Put Your Money to Good Work. It’s about making good decisions. The more most people make, the more they spend. Use your money smarter!
Always forward,
Kelly
I would like to speak at your event!
Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.
Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
and of course: Facebook.
Sign-up for Kelly’s newsletter here.
Kristen is so, very, very kind. She is the type of educator, leader and friend. She is the type of person who checks in on others and she did that with me recently and it really helped. What a genuine, compassionate educator and difference maker!
You are going to love and laugh at the backstory of how this interview came about. It’s hilarious.
James P. Tressel became the ninth president of Youngstown State University in 2014 and has been busy moving the campus forward on many fronts ever since.
Chey and Pav, two experienced middle school teachers from the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada, take listeners through the in’s and out’s of the field of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership.