If you've found your way here, chances are you're an educator looking for ways to think more intentionally about your financial life. Welcome!
My name is Josh. I’m a mathematics educator based in Wisconsin. My professional focus is on supporting preservice and in-service educators as they engage in the meaningful work of teaching. A few years ago, I started noticing something: most of my preservice teachers consistently lack access to clear, practical, educator-specific financial guidance. It certainly isn’t something we teach them in a typical teacher training program. Moreover, having worked in education for over 20 years, I’ve seen time and time again the generic advice that doesn’t account for the realities of a teaching lifestyle. So I started the Personal Finance for Educators project to fill that gap.
I like to think of this project as a teacher’s lounge for teacher personal finance. It’s an informal space with some scattered tables, mismatched chairs, and a refrigerator that needs some attention. There are no sponsors, no conflicts of interest, and no monetization plans. You won’t find anyone trying to sell you anything here. It’s just me (and maybe a friend or two) sharing what I’ve learned, with the goal of helping other educators achieve financial stability and freedom. So, pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and enjoy some of the treats that a colleague brought in.
What the project looks like
Currently, Personal Finance for Educators has three main components:
The blog (personalfinanceeducators.com) is where most of the long-form content lives. Posts cover topics like estimating your pension benefit, understanding your employee handbook, and thinking through the financial dimensions of the teaching lifestyle. I’ve been working on it since mid-2024 and have built up a small library of posts.
The podcast launched in summer 2025 and is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It covers some things the blog does and some things it doesn’t. If you haven’t listened yet, that’s a great next step.
I’ve also been doing presentations for educators as opportunities arise. If you’re interested in bringing something like that to your school or program, reach out.
Why Am I Starting A Substack?
In a word: reach. The blog, podcast, and presentations each serve a purpose, but they operate as separate spaces. Substack gives me a way to connect the pieces and get new content in front of more educators more efficiently. If it also helps build a bit of community along the way, even better.
What to do next?
If you’re new, subscribe to the substack and then start with the blog or pull up the podcast. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, I’d like to hear them. Send me an email at personalfinanceforeducators@gmail.com
If you are already aware of this project and have found content useful, subscribe to the substack to be notified of new posts and share it with a colleague or two (or four!).
Thanks for being here.
~Josh
