Well...I have $15,000 in my ING savings!

[ScrimpAndSave]

Of course, some is for the wedding and some is for the house fund and some is for my wedding. I am saving $2,000 a month. I'm 28 and I make a little over $50,000 a year. I am going to need to pull out about $8,000 for the wedding in August 2009, but until then it will be sitting in my ING savings account gaining interest (which is 2.75% now). I started saving in February 2008 and got a raise since then...so I am able to save a little more now than I did then. I started out with about $1,000 in February 2008. I was in my 4th year of teaching with nothing to show for it...I was tired of that.

I'm hoping to buy a home around January 2011 (if Disneysteve can help ward off my house fever) and according to my savings plan, I should have about $80,000 by then.

It's funny - my coworkers (who are teachers) constantly have new coats, bags, dresses, shoes and even cars. I feel really happy with the fact that I could have the same new duds if I chose to do so...but instead I have my money safely and steadily growing in an account.


And I have all of you to thank for this!!!

[Gjowers]

great work. Enjoy the feelings of accomplishment. Keep it up and hang on to as much of that as you can, let compound interest work its magic for the next 25 years or so.

[Broken Arrow]

Congrats!

[disneysteve]

Great progress. Stay the course and put the real estate section of the paper in the recycling bin as soon as it gets delivered.

[Goldy1]

Well you get an A ++ for that. I love teachers. (I have a degree in elem ed but currently not using it)
We use ING for our savings and cd's also, and it's been alright.

[creditcardfree]

Congratulations on your savings! That is wonderful. Keep up the good work!

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Sounds as if teaching provides a different milieu than it used to. We're talking a long time ago, but I recall that one of the notable things about my elementary through high school teachers was how few clothes they had. Never anything new, year after year, it seemed. But then, I supposed nowadays 'most everyone has a closetful more clothes than they used to have....Well, hang in there. You have your priorities and they have theirs.

[MoneyTrev]

Congratulations.

You have a great mindset and now all you need to do is to continue having the same mindset.

It's hard turning to that mindset but it's a wonderful mindset to have. My friends all tell me to get a new computer so I can play the latest video games with them but I choose to put the money into investments instead!

[mommyof4]

I'm really sorry if I'm prying, but I gotta ask this- where are you teaching that you can make 55K/yr in your 4th year of teaching? I'm in education, too, and I'm making 55K/yr, but I have a Master's in Speech Language Pathology and I have 13 years of experience, too.

[ScrimpAndSave]

I'm in the Lehigh Valley. We just signed an amazing contract and I will go from 55k-85k in 4 years...I am SO excited about that.

[ScrimpAndSave]

Ps. I do have my masters, too and I take ongoing classes to move on the payscale.

[mrpaseo]

Congrats, stay strong, have a plan and save up for that house.

Thanks for sharing,
Raymond

[mommyof4]

I'm in the Lehigh Valley. We just signed an amazing contract and I will go from 55k-85k in 4 years...I am SO excited about that.

Wow! That's impressive. You're in PA? What size is your district? Do you need any SLPs? Tell your janitor to clean out one of the broom closets- I'm moving to your district!