Victoria is a preschool teacher's assistant in New Jersey. She's struggling to make ends meet—and weighing whether to get her teaching license. If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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A heads up before you listen. This podcast is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. We are not financial advisors. You should always do your own research and consult your own financial advisor before spending or investing your money. Please note that all income, financial information, and expenses in what we spend are self-reported.
Is there a time in your life when you felt the most financially at ease? Looking back, yes. When was that?
I mean, I didn't really make much as an office manager. I made like a pretty standard 55K, but I was getting like, you know, salon blowouts and I had some, I was walking around in like nice heels and pretty bags and going to town and it was, it was a nice time. Yeah. I felt pretty good about myself. And that was just on 55K, but they say 100K in New Jersey is actually more livable.
This is Victoria. She's 30 and lives in New Jersey. And for work, I am a preschool teacher's assistant. How old are the kids in a preschool? Four years old. What is it like to be with four-year-olds all day? Oh, I love it. They're really sweet, wonderful. The idea of spending all day with four-year-olds sounds really fun and also challenging.
Challenging is the word I would pick, yeah.
For Victoria, the biggest challenge is the salary. It's no secret that teachers don't make a lot of money in the U.S., but Victoria makes even less because she's still working towards her teacher's license. As a teacher's assistant, Victoria makes $35,000 a year, $29,000 after taxes, and that doesn't include health or dental insurance.
At 30, Victoria is starting to feel desperate for a little more stability than 35K can give her. And there is one thing that would change her salary dramatically, getting that teaching license. But that costs money. It costs time. And Victoria doesn't have either right now.
This week, we'll hear what it's like for Victoria to get by on a teacher's assistant wage while she tries to answer some big questions. How do I make my situation better? How can I set myself up for the life that I want? I'm Courtney Harrell, and this is What We Spend. What was money like growing up? Tight.
Like it was it was bad.
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