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I've been a teacher for 10 years. This is my second career. My paycheck is spent within two days of receiving it. I have to work for Uber to make it through the month. But, I'm lucky, I've got family that helps out when I'm in a bind. However, if something catastrophic happened, I'd been in real trouble. #ateacherinneednc
I am so struggling. I have two masters degrees and I am struggling to buy food and keep gas. Every other month I have eviction papers because I choose to pay something else. My credit is shot to hell and I am tired of being on this position. I am finishing the year because of dedication to the students but am looking for a job in another state. It is so real.
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I'm wearing glasses that are so scratched, Driving at night wearing them is tough with the scratches, New bifocals aren't in the budget. I certainly can't afford to buy a new pair right now. Last night, I bought gas with a roll of quarters I scraped together from my coin bank. I have cut cable television. I haven't taken more than a weekend vacation in years except for being asked to stay at someone's family beach house for a few days. I rarely go anywhere fancy to eat. I finally traded in my 13 year old Civic for a three year old car, so now I have a car payment and higher insurance. My rent went up. I have less than $1,000 in total savings. At year 23, my wages have been virtually frozen for a decade. I don't know where else to cut expenditures. I really need to get a second job and I work so many hours, I can't figure out how to work it in. Some of the teachers at my school got the opportunity to tutor after school to make a little extra and help the kids, when they got their checks this week they had only been paid for two or three out of the 14 or 15 days they'd worked because the funding was not there anymore. None of this is necessarily life-or-death, but worrying about every penny is really hard on morale. We teach because we love children. We signed up for a different deal when we signed contracts all those years ago. I have a teacher friend who works at Amazon until 2 a.m., We have to be at work at 6:45.other friends can't stay to help kids in the afternoon because they have to rush out to their other job. I guess that's what I will end up doing.
One day I won't struggle to put food on the table. One day I will be able to live in the same community that I work in, and avoid the hour commute each way. One day my children will ask me for something and not follow it up with "...If we have enough money for it Mama."
While donating my plasma to get gas money to get to work next week, I pulled out my school-issued computer and started working. The looks that I got made it clear that most people don't understand the struggles we have. Yes, I teach your child during the day, and focus on your child for more hours than I focus on my own, but when I leave work, I'm scrounging through cabinets and my food stamp card trying to make a decent healthy meal for my own children.
My family will have a Food bank funded thanksgiving, but grateful nonetheless.
I make 35000, as a single mom. I have done without electricity, water and medications. There's no way I can work a second job with all the hours I put into my class.
I am also a single mom. I do what I can to make sure my FOUR girls have what they need (and some of what they want). Last week, my 12 year old said they were doing a lesson in math about savings and interest. She very seriously asked why she didn't have a college savings. I just told her that I'm doing good to provide everyday things for her, that saving isn't plausible.
I have a foot condition that makes it so that I can barely do my daytime job let alone a second job. I already work over 40 hours. I shouldn’t need a second job.