Alpha Consumer

Podcast: Surviving on a Teacher's Salary

By Kimberly Palmer

Posted: November 19, 2008

For this week's Alpha Consumer Podcast, I interviewed Danny Kofke, author of How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teachers Salary. The concept appealed to me because so many people—including nonteachers—are trying to get by on less right now. Kofke's strategy includes saving up money in advance before big purchases. Before he and his wife purchased their first home, for example, they set aside money each month for years. The same goes for televisions.

Surviving on a Teacher's Salary

Kofke also says no to things he can't afford, including things he'd like to buy, such as dance lessons for his young daughter. Part of his approach involves passing on the lessons of frugality and thrift to his kids.

You can also pick up the Alpha Consumer Tip of the Week on battling shopping addictions, which get worse around the holidays. The top suggestion: Ask friends for help, even it means admitting to some embarrassing behavior.

Knock Knock Knock back at ya!

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 @ Mar 05, 2009 11:25:17 AM

Excellent!

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 @ Nov 22, 2008 04:02:25 AM

haven't listened yet

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 @ Nov 19, 2008 21:43:31 PM

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Alpha Consumer

Alpha Consumer

Kimberly Palmer, senior editor for U.S. News & World Report, writes about how to save money, avoid scams, manage debt, and be a savvy shopper. Send your personal finance questions to her for expert money advice.


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