Summer is winding down as anyone who has recently set foot in a Target can attest. You can’t move your shopping cart three feet without being assaulted with back-to-school reminders, especially those towering shelves at the Dollar Spot. Just that sentence is enough to send new and veteran teachers alike deep into fantasies about cute … [Read more…]
You can always make more money, but what you can’t get more of is time. This statement is both profoundly true everywhere and logistically false in education. The idea that any teacher can simply work hard to earn more income shows little understanding of a profession that is governed by salary schedules, lane changes, and … [Read more…]
Personal finance and financial independence: it’s about money. Often times people also point out that it’s not really about money. It’s about time and freedom. But the past few months have reminded me that I’m not only interested in those things. I want more money. I need more time. I love the idea of having … [Read more…]
Woohoo! What do financially-savvy and frugal people like more than free things? How about free things that make you better with money? Then don’t miss the details about the giveaway at the bottom of this post. I’ve had an advance copy of Tanja Hester’s Work Optional: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching Way for several weeks now. … [Read more…]
Are you giving the perfect gift this holiday season? If you’re anything like me, after spending 0.000547 seconds online, one thing is abundantly clear: you’re probably not. As with most of life, we’ve managed to overcomplicate things when it comes to gifting. I fell down that Pinterest rabbit hole so hard when I was picking … [Read more…]
Exactly one year ago, my maternity leave ended. In some ways, time has never moved faster. In other ways, I can’t believe how much things still feel the same. But for 365 days, I have had a full-time job in addition to being a mom. My son has spent more of the time that he is … [Read more…]
I did it. I finally did it. I doubled my salary. I’m not talking about my full-time income mixed with various side hustle streams. This has nothing to do with passion projects. No freelancing, no ghostwriting, none of it. I doubled my full-time salary. And I am so proud. There’s a lot of debate about … [Read more…]
Numbers are everywhere. Of course they are, Penny. You’re a personal finance blogger. It’s hard to talk about money without mentioning numbers. Touche, friend. Touche. But we’ve already established that your bank account is a poor measure of you as a person. In case you need me to say it again, though, I will. You … [Read more…]
I I owe my undergrad professor an apology. He was the ultimate minimalist. He railed against conspicuous consumption, thumping his dog-eared copy of Veblen’s The Theory of the Leisure Class on a desk. He cycled through the same handful of clothes in the same neutral color scheme. He wore shorts that showcased socks he haphazardly … [Read more…]
This past week, I had the chance to do some volunteering. Specifically, my students and I packed food (vitamins, veggies, soy, rice) to be sent around the world to feed the chronically malnourished. We rolled up our sleeves and then got FDA compliant. That meant removing everything from Fitbits to earrings and then scrubbing up. … [Read more…]