MISSOULA — Bettering your personal finances can be daunting, especially if you don’t know where to go for help.
Stepping in to make money management a little easier with her new podcast, is local educator Christy Meurer.
A second grade teacher at Lewis and Clark Elementary School, Meurer knows firsthand the financial struggles of an educator.
“We know teachers don't get paid as much as they should, or a lot, so teachers don't really have a lot of wiggle room anytime,” said Meurer.
An essential profession with pay that doesn’t always reflect how vital the work is -- teaching can be a thankless job, and when it comes to finances, “financial freedom” is often hard to achieve.
“This year especially, teachers might have had partners that lost jobs or had increased childcare costs, and I think it's even more relevant this year to really be focusing on how we can maximize what we have to work with,” Meurer told MTN News.
Finding a starting point may be the most challenging aspect of improving your financial state, considering the abundance of financial information at our fingertips.
With the launch of her new podcast, Teachers Talk Money, Meurer hopes to offer only the most relevant information to teachers through a convenient platform.
Hosting the podcast alongside fellow educator Rachel Scott in Washington DC, Teachers Talk Money will share its first three episodes this week.
“Teachers don't have time to sort through what applies to me and what doesn't apply to me,” said Meurer, “So we wanted to make it specific so that every minute of it is something really valuable that educators can apply to their situation.”
Teachers Talk Money will cover everything from creating a sinking fund to providing materials for your students in a financially responsible way.
“We'll talk about financial opportunities that are specific to teachers, obstacles that are specific to educators, as well as budgeting, saving, and how to invest.”
Using their passion for teaching and savvy financial approach, Meurer and Scott will empower educators from Washington DC to Missoula, Montana, and everywhere in between.
“Our goal is really to grow a community of educators that have a safe space to talk about money because it's not something that we're typically talking about, it's kind of taboo,” said Meurer, adding, “But teachers are so good at helping each other out in every other aspect of our lives, and Rachel and I just thought, why not jump into this and create a community of teachers that can lend each other support and advice on financial matters.”
Teachers Talk Money launches on March 25. You can subscribe and listen anywhere you get your podcasts.
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