So You Want To Teach?

A friend from college recently posted the following on her Facebook status:

How do teachers not spend so much money over the summer???

I threw a quick response in my typical list-type style, but then I realized these things might benefit some of my readers as well. So here’s the list I gave her:

1. Go to dollar movies (actually first run movies are $3 where I live)
2. Find a friend who works on the country club and go play golf for free on his days off
3. Practice guitar (for church) and trumpet (for mariachi)
4. Go to the park (disc golf is cheap)
5. Budget and use cash for all purchases
6. Our bowling alley has $1 Tuesdays and buy one get one free on Mondays — there may be similar discounts around you
7. Bible reading
8. Clean the house
9. Play games online
10. Respond to friends’ status updates on Facebook

They may not be the most culturally involving things around, but each community has local festivals and free things throughout the summer. I know lots of symphonies have concerts in the park throughout the summer. Even my local community has a musical performance every Friday at the plaza downtown. These are free too.

Something else I might add is to read The Simple Dollar and The Total Money Makeover (frequently available on Dave Ramsey’s website for $10 — including now).