Lifestyle

Teach English Abroad to get out of Debt

Teaching Abroad to get out of Debt

Some people spend their entire lives searching for their purpose in this world.  Although I have ventured down other career paths, I always find myself back at the same conclusion. I was born to be a teacher and have an innate passion for education. However, the American education system fails to pay teachers a livable wage. Many teachers choose to teach English abroad to help them get out of debt.

The Struggle of Student Debt

Any college student can tell you that a good education does not come cheap. My scholarships and financial aid covered a large portion of my tuition. However, I was still left with a large amount of debt to settle each semester. I had no desire to take out more loans, so I worked several part-time jobs and pushed myself to graduate early.

I also had the unfortunate luck of graduating the same year as the mortgage crisis. Being a part of the so-called “unluckiest generation” meant we were plagued with the burden of student debt, high unemployment rates, and slow economic growth. I  received a few job offers after graduation, but nothing that offered much hope to get out of debt. The teaching jobs were in the worst school districts and the salaries were on par with fast food workers. There was no possible way I could afford my rent working a single job, let alone build savings.

The Teaching Path Less Traveled

I sought advice from my mentors and family, unsure which direction to go. I ultimately decided that it was not in my best interest to accept such a low paying job. Rather than working a full-time teaching job and continuing my part-time side work, I chose to enroll in a graduate program abroad. While this meant accruing more debt in my pursuit of higher learning, I was able to finish my master’s degree in only two years at a fraction of the cost. My post-graduate degree also opened a myriad of doors that led me to other opportunities I had not even considered.

In my final months, I met some foreign exchange students who planned to use their diplomas to teach English abroad. We were all disenchanted with the unfulfilled promises of a college degree. The prospect piqued my interest, but the opportunity, salaries, and benefits packages seemed too good to be true. I had no desire to return to the United States to work a minimum wage job or live in my parents basement. I returned home with a sense of cautious optimism and a burgeoning plan.

Teach English Abroad

I spent months comparing job offers in Latin America, Europe and Asia. I agonized over my decision before I realized it was time to stop dreaming and make it a reality. Ten years later, I can tell you  that it was the best financial decision I have ever made. While some postings are definitely better on paper, many ESL jobs offer competitive wages, free accommodations, flight reimbursements, and national health care.

By comparison, Asia offers the highest salaries with the lowest cost of living. This means you can maximize your savings and pay off your debts without resorting to a diet of instant noodles or a life of social hermitage. I was personally able to pay off all my credit card debts and student loans in my first year living in Taiwan, and have built a healthy nest egg that has allowed me to start planning for a more comfortable future.

Where to Start

The starting salaries for teaching English abroad differ from country to country.  Graduate degrees and certifications also secure better pay. Currently, the highest paying jobs for English teachers are in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. The best paying teaching positions will likely take you to exotic and remote locales, but there are still decent positions in popular tourist destinations like Thailand and Vietnam. Some countries in the Middle East even offer contracts that pay up to $80,000 for only nine months of work if you are brave enough to travel there.

It was a difficult decision to teach abroad, but for me it provided the keys to my financial freedom. Many English teachers only spend a year or two before returning home to find employment, but I have chosen to make a career of teaching English overseas. I have been able to pay off all my debts, save nearly $1,000 each month,  have affordable health care and am rarely required to work more than 30 hours each week. While this may not be an ideal solution for everyone, it provided a clear path out of debt and helped me gain control of my life and finances.

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6 Reasons To Pick An Online Casino Over A Land-Based One


Casinos are fun places where you can play your heart out while earning some serious moolah. In case you’ve never been to a land-based casino, maybe try out slot games first to virtually experience it. There are a lot of advantages of playing casino online, read on to find out.

You can check its legality

The most crucial thing to do is to check if the institution or site you are playing on is legally registered. Since you cannot just walk into a brick and mortar casino and ask to see their legal documentation, it is a safer bet to research online for casino sites that are approved by the required authority and can produce proof of their legitimacy.

Play in the comfort of your own home

It can be intimidating to walk into a dazzling casino without knowing what to do or who to approach. When you are playing online, you can get to access the casino scene from your office, home, or wherever it seems convenient for you.

Importantly, you also avoid meeting a lot of strangers who might be looking to dupe you into making unprofitable bets. Moreover, land-based casinos have a tangible property like betting boards, cards, and coins which can be tampered with to make the person of their choice win.

No peer pressure

Most casinos have pubs along with the betting area, and you might get lured into being in a state of complete inebriation while playing, simply because everyone around you will be doing it.  Naturally, a drunk, you will be more susceptible to risk-taking and frisky handling of finances.

Other than the alcohol impairing your critical thinking abilities, there will also be a threat of adrenaline junkies who will encourage you to make huge bets. The kind of behavior that you might encounter in some casinos is one of the reasons you should opt for an online game.

You can try free mobile slots first

Probably the biggest advantage of choosing online casinos is that they allow you to play a few free games before you move into the betting territory. No real-life casino would give you that opportunity.

Additionally, casinos are a metropolitan city phenomenon. If you don’t live in a city that has a casino, you can still enjoy free mobile slots, playing it online, and winning tons of money without actually having to travel anywhere.

Removes the need to carry bundles of cash with you

A lot of casinos don’t accept cards or any online payment method, making it imperative to bring the betting money in cash. This runs the risk of you getting robbed or losing the money. So if you are the kind of person who is more accustomed to online payment, then online casinos are for you.

However, be mindful that a lot of casino sites are fake and only looking out to steal your money, so make sure to choose an authentic site only before giving in your payment details.

You can play a variety of games

Online casinos have the opportunity to mix things up and get creative with the games they host.

Since the games are computerized, they can use different algorithms to spice the game up and keep the players coming back for game after game.

Don’t Buy a Home with a Swimming Pool. Here’s Why.

home with a swimming pool

If you care about saving money then don’t buy a home with swimming pool. Yes, it’s a nice little luxury. It can offset certain costs. However, in the long run, it’s not a good financial decision.

Justifications for Buying a Home with a Swimming Pool

There are definitely some justifications for buying a home with a swimming pool. It can offset certain costs.

For example, maybe your kids will spend all summer with their friends in your pool. Then you don’t have to pay for other entertainment, camps, and activities.

Likewise, you can have your family to your house so that you don’t have to travel to a family reunion. Everyone can just enjoy the pool.

If you have a pool to swim laps in every day then you don’t need to pay for a gym membership. There are definitely ways that a pool can help pay for itself a little bit. However, overall, the benefits don’t outweigh the costs, speaking financially.

Don’t Buy a Home with A Swimming Pool

If you have a home with a swimming pool, then you have a home that costs you more than it should. There are daily and routine expenses that go up because you have a pool. Plus there are unexpected expenses that can eat into your emergency fund.

The Cost When You Buy a Home

If you want to add a pool to your home, then obviously you have to pay all of the costs associated with that. However, even if you want to buy a house with a swimming pool, there are added costs. You’ll have to pay for a separate pool inspection before you buy the home.

Increase in Household Expenses

When you plan your budget out for the month, you have to plan on spending more because you have a swimming pool. For example, a home with a swimming pool has much higher energy bills than a home without one. You need electricity to run the pool pump. There are extra costs if you add lighting to swim at night or if you have a heated pool. You can easily spend $300 a month or more on extra energy costs when you have a home with a swimming pool.

You may also find that your home insurance costs go up. Swimming pools are considered a safety risk, so insurance companies charge you more when you have one. If you do have to file a claim related to the pool, your costs will go up even more.

Your swimming pool also results in other ongoing costs at home. You will have to pay for pool maintenance. Even if you do all of the cleaning yourself, you have to purchase specific supplies to keep the pH at the right level and so forth.

Emergency Costs

Finally, there are emergency costs associated with pools.

Going back to the aforementioned safety issue, you may have an increase in injuries in your home resulting in emergency room visits, paying liability costs, etc.

Even if you manage to avoid those bills, your pool itself will likely need repairs at some point. You’ll use a pool vacuum to clean it, a pool pump, and other supplies that will break and need replacing. The pool has a lining, and a break in that lining is one of the most common repairs people need. That’s not cheap.

The Cost When You Sell a Home

Finally, when you go to sell your home, you’ll discover that because of all of these things, your home’s resale value is actually lower thanks to your decision to add a swimming pool.

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