Podcast: Surviving on a Teacher's Salary

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I listened to this podcast and rally enjoyed it. I like the savings/spending plan and am going to attempt to use it.

Lynn of MO 8:52AM October 13, 2011

Bachelors Degree, 30,000 atleast. Masters Degree 15,000 atleast. How many retail, Secretarial or Manual Unskilled labor have that kind of debt in order to achieve their profession. People want their kids to have these high levele professionals teaching their children but want to pay them like a low level associate degree graduate. It's amazing that only in America are Teachers looked upon as coddled in every other country in the world teaching is considered the most noble and professonally respected profession out their. It's really too bad that many of in this country don't share the same attitude. Plus I'd like to see how many more days an unskilled and secretarial positions work each year. Take 2 days off per week thats 104 days off so already were at 261, take your vacation/ sick days lets go low and say ten your down to 151. Teachers work a minimum of 180 days a year. So at tops you work maybe a month or two more.That's not even including holidays such as christmas, Thanksgiving and any other holidays that those employees mentioned get off too. Also our districts give us no fringe benefits like paid cell phones, or a work car, or the ability to work from home, or just a nice relaxed day where were switching jobs. I know I am very lucky to be a teacher but for people like Jenn of Fl to trash the profession and have the idea to say teachers salaries are very generous had better look at the real facts. No other profession in the world with this level of education gets paid as low a rate as teaching and that is a fact. Are we Poor no but do times get tough on this salary for sure..... Have a little common sense

Ed Orman of NY 11:25AM March 05, 2009

I thought that this was an excellent podcast, he speaks well, gives great personal examples. There's nothing radically new in what he says, but then again Personal Finance repeats itself so much. I love reading it because every so often you find that one trick/book/website that really CLICKS and causes you to change your behaviour and makes it worth your while.
@Jenn
I get so tired of reading comments like this, but I'll answer it anyways.
1) http://www.globalrichlist.com/
As Scotiabank (Canadian) says: "You're richer than you think"
2) There have been many cases where people have volunteered to start over with nothing and build themselves up. Here's just one example: http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/02/18/scratch-beginnings-an-interview-with-adam-shepard/
3) Solutions for Minimum Wage earners:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/10/07/ten-steps-to-financial-success-for-a-minimum-wage-earner/

Jessica 4:02AM November 22, 2008

But I'd be interested in knowing whether Kofke takes the balloon payments (52 weeks of pay over 36 weeks, meaning larger paychecks and none during the summer) or if he gets 52 weeks of pay over 52 weeks. I'd also be interested to know if he gets seasonal work during the summer, my mom (a high school english teacher) spent one summer working at the drive-in, or if he spends the summer making repairs around the house himself. My mother once spent a summer redoing bathrooms, and one summer redoing the kitchen.

Veronica of NY 9:43PM November 19, 2008

Those salaries seem very generous compared to the rest of us. Here in Orlando starting teachers make $33K for a ten month school year with four weeks of paid vacation built into that 10 months (spring break, thanksgiving break, Christmas break, numerous paid holidays throughout the year), paid sick days, paid personal days, insurance and a pension plan.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK. That is not roughing it. Roughing it is working retail or secretarial or manual unskilled labor with no paid holidays, no paid personal day, no paid sick days and trying to sustain a family on that. Keep us posted on when you do a podcast on those consumer tips.
Come back to the real world folks. Teachers' salaries are quite generous compared to the rest of us.

Jenn of FL 6:32PM November 19, 2008