The title might seem a little strange, but my intentions are not.  I mean every word in the title.  If you wandered here by chance and you are not a teacher, but are still trying to grow your money and financial wisdom then this is also for you.  Let’s mature our way to financial freedom together.

I love being part of a league of hard working teachers.  I once wrote in personal journal, “My career goal is to be an exceptional teacher, shaping young lives and leaving each child feeling more loved and empowered than the day we first met”.  I wrote that and I still mean it!  My goal has always been to pursue excellence. This will be my goal until I breathe my last.  With that being said, I still have a goal equally as powerful as being a great teacher.  That goal is to become financially independent and I am not there yet!  Living pay check to paycheck is for the squirrels!

I  want more out of life.  I want to pay cash for my next car  (Tesla, call me!)  retire on time and have medical savings, should I ever need them.  I also want to  travel in the here and now, while I still have the energy.  Most importantly, I will always be a giver.  A very special family took me in during my college days.  They clothed and  fed me.  They allowed me to live with them so I could stop working and graduate.  They changed the trajectory of my life and I will always remember that with gratitude.  I will honor them by continuing to paying it forward! (The Clark legacy continues:)

In this blog we begin the hard work of self assessment.  The question I asked myself and am now asking you is what do you really want   out of life. I encourage you to write it down.  Think of it as a lesson plan for your life.  The same principles you use to create lesson plans will work here.  Write your goals for your life.  From there, identify your main objectives, then list the action steps you need to take and the materials you will need along the way.  Sound very teachery?  Good!  It’s meant to.  If we are going to change our circumstances we must realize what gifts we already possess and what we are lacking.   If you do all of this and come to the conclusion that you are content and desire nothing more, then that is beyond awesome.  But,  if you feel you want more  financially,  then let’s take this journey together.  This is our space to explore all income earning  possibilities within this community.  I promise you I will  not to waste your time with a lot of fluff and empty inspiration.  I’m not perfect, but I will give you my time and effort to share practical, applicable information.  I will present as many income earning possibilities as possible for all of you in the hustle. Some opportunities will resonate with you, and some you will leave by the wayside.  Each will opportunity require different levels of commitment, time and sacrifice on your part.   Hopefully you will find a good fit.  If any of this appeals to you then stay on this journey until we reach our money goals.  Change is possible.  We just have to want it bad enough to do something about it.

Now here is a practical tidbit to get you thinking.  Saving smarter not harder is something I recently stumbled upon.  I looked up my banks APY ( Annual Percentage Yield).  It is 0.03% .  That means my money being held at that bank earns a minuscule amount on whatever I have in my account .  After a year of letting my money sit, I only earn pennies on the dollar.

I found  that there are better ways to save money you don’t need immediately.  Online banking cuts out the overhead costs of brick and mortar institutions. For that reason, they offer higher yielding APY’s .  You wont get rich through most savings accounts but why not earn a bit more while you save. I’m not willing to leave anything on the table.  Are you?

So here are few FDIC insured online banks you can look into with APY’s greater than 1.00%

Ally Bank® –  $0 account minimum,  annual APY  2.20%  and no account fees.   https://www.ally.com/

Simple® – $0 account minimum to open,  annual APY  2.02%  (with a 2,000 dollar deposit) and no overdraft fees, online checking and deposits, over 40,000  free ATMs  https://www.simple.com

HSBC  Direct Savings – %2.25 APY,  no maintenance fees,  $1.00 minimum to open account  https://www.hsbcdirect.com

Marcus by Goldman Sachs® – % 2.25 APY, No fees or minimum deposits, link to other bank accounts for incoming and outgoing transfers

Barclays – %2.20 APY, no monthly maintenance fees, no minimum balance, https://www.banking.barclaysus.com

As always, do your research and make sure it is a good fit for you!

Happy banking and remember,

I wish you unshakeable faith, wealth beyond measure and laughter ’til it hurts.

Kim J.

P.S.  * Read all fine print on each site for more information

Photos and text , all rights reserved.  To use with permission, contact Solomon Jagwe at www.sowl.com