Hey teachers!
I’m so glad you’ve found your way here. I hope this is the first of many steps you take toward getting your financial life in order, finding balance, and ultimately learning how to live abundantly.
Here’s the truth: we all avoid money, not just teachers. We have a lot of beliefs about ourselves and money that limit us. For example, you might think:
“I’m bad with money.”
“I don’t make enough to save anything.”
“I just don’t understand how investing works.”
“I’ll never get out of debt.”
Or, the one that absolutely kills me inside to hear: “I can’t be wealthy– I’m a teacher!”
Whew. That one gets me.
Raise your hand if you’ve preached about a growth mindset to your students, but have had one of those very fixed-mindset beliefs above. If I’m honest, I’d be raising my own hand right about now.
It’s time to face your reality so that you can grow. But there’s good news: debt freedom, retirement, and wealth are all entirely possible for you.
What’s so fascinating to me about educators is that we tend to have good spending habits, but poor money management habits. In other words, we’re pretty frugal relative to the average American, because we understand that our salaries are limited. Yet, we demonstrate the same avoidance behaviors that the average person does.
Teachers, when focussed, have so much more potential for financial abundance than we realize. In Chris Hogan’s book Everyday Millionaires, the largest study of U.S. millionaires to date, he cites his most shocking find: The top 3 professions that millionaires held were: engineering, accounting, and teaching.
That’s right. Let that sink in.
We– the notoriously underpaid and undervalued career field– are in the top ranks with engineers and accountants when it comes to wealth building. We may have vastly more limitations on our earning potential and our time and energy, but we do not lack the capacity and the grit that it takes to achieve financial freedom. We have to fight against every barrier specific to us and we still compete with high-paid engineers and people who literally manage money for a living.
We can do this– but we need to focus in. Just being frugal isn’t enough– we need to have a plan for our money. Here are the core values of Teachers Talk Money, and the central components of what I call an “unfrugal” life:
- We prioritize the costs that matter most, and question everything else.
- We don’t fret about money, because we control where it goes.
- We invest in ourselves.
It’s time for you to get started.
Step one is to create a budget. Click the button below to get a free copy of my budget template. Whether you’re a spreadsheet nerd like me, or a pen & paper type of person, I’ve got you covered.
Come back each week to follow along my personal journey and stay updated on resources & opportunities.
– Rachel
Teachers Talk Money 