Do I work non-stop and risk burning out and not enjoying life as much, or do I cut back on extra work but have no money to do fun things or help work toward buying a house? There’s no winning…I went into teaching because of my love of children and learning. I knew I wouldn’t get rich, but I thought I’d make enough to live comfortably. Instead, I’m stuck without the ability to buy a house and I’m continuously in debt.

Also, paying for things for my classroom is a struggle. For example, I had to buy three surge protectors/extension cords for our computers. That was a lot. Then I realized I needed another one because the one that the school provided me doesn’t handle the computers. Another school-provided one is starting to break. I now need to buy two more power cords, but I’m tight on money. So, I have to play this game where I choose how well I want to eat or if I want the supplies my students need.

I hate that I may have to use a broken extension cord, but I also don’t have unlimited funds to keep buying all the things my students need, and that’s just one example. This goes on constantly and I never feel like there’s a way out of it. I want to buy everything I need and want but I don’t have the means to do that. I hate that I have to decide if I want to eat PB&J sandwiches for dinner for a week so I can get extension cords, or allow myself to have chicken but have my students suffer.