Fennel Financial Coaching

Fennel Financial Coaching I help professionals ditch debt without the overwhelm and build wealth without the stress. Frustrated with your financial situation? Ready for a change?

Tired of living paycheck to paycheck? Let's chat!

08/23/2026

Happy New Year, Teachers! 🍎

A retired teacher used to text me that every August. I thought she was being silly and dramatic. Turns out she just got it before I did.

January isn't your new year. This is. New class list. Blank whiteboard. A chance to drop the habits you don't want anymore and try something different. Even in the years you're running on fumes, there's still that spark.

So if you're prepping your room right now, half dreading it and half excited, I see you. Happy New Year. Here's to new beginnings, teacher style.

Drop a 🍎 if August or September are your real new year too.

[teachers, back to school, new year for teachers, teacher motivation, fresh start, teacher reel, august energy, teacher community, new school year]

"Good for her. Not for me."That's a line I borrowed from Amy Poehler. She wrote it in “Yes Please,” about comparing hers...
08/21/2026

"Good for her. Not for me."

That's a line I borrowed from Amy Poehler. She wrote it in “Yes Please,” about comparing herself to other moms. I've been saying it to myself for the last couple years.

The all inclusive trip in Mexico. The teacher grading every Sunday. The brand new camper. The color coordinated classroom. The house redecorated every time a new Pinterest trend hits. The new phone every single year.

I'm not right, and they're not wrong. It's just where we're each at, our own values, our own season right now.

Every dollar I don't spend chasing their life is a dollar I get to put toward mine.

Comparison used to send me straight into "I should be doing that too." Now I just say the line and let it go.

What's your "good for her, not for me" right now? Drop it below, I want to hear it.

👋 Hi, I’m Jeannette. I help professionals ditch debt without the overwhelm and build wealth without the stress. Follow for simple, no-shame money guidance.

[comparison trap, money mindset, teacher money mindset, financial coaching, comparison is the thief of joy, teacher life, values based spending, personal finance, Amy Poehler quote, Yes Please book quote]

I used to walk school hallways before the first day and peek into other teachers' rooms, then head straight to Target fo...
08/18/2026

I used to walk school hallways before the first day and peek into other teachers' rooms, then head straight to Target for color-coded bins I didn't actually need.

If you're a teacher who's ever done this, I get it. I used to be you. It took me a while to realize what I was really chasing wasn't a cuter classroom. It was proof I was a "good enough" teacher. Here's what changed when I stopped comparing (and started spending differently).

🔗 Link in comments.

08/18/2026

Turns out the most expensive thing you can do is spend money you don't have to look like you have money.

Living below your means, paying off debt, saving on purpose, building wealth. That's the actual flex.

Follow for more on building a life that doesn't run on borrowed money.

[live below your means, debt free journey, pay off debt, money mindset, financial freedom, budgeting tips, personal finance tips, money coach, financial coaching, build wealth, debt payoff, quiet luxury, frugal living, money management, wealth building, teacher life, teacher money tips]

Before the first day, back when I was teaching, I used to walk the halls and take mental notes: string lights in that ro...
08/15/2026

Before the first day, back when I was teaching, I used to walk the halls and take mental notes: string lights in that room, color-coded bins in that one, and my plain music room falling short by comparison.

So I'd open Pinterest "just for ideas" and an hour later I had 40 tabs open and a Target cart planned in my head.

None of it made me a better teacher. It just meant less money in my paycheck.

Here's what changed things: the room was never the problem. My belief that a decorated room meant a competent teacher was the problem. Once I let that go, I stopped shopping for approval and started spending on the conferences, workshops, and books that actually changed how I taught.

If you want help getting your own classroom spending working for you instead of against you, I built the free A+ Classroom Budget Planner. Comment "PLANNER" and I'll send it your way.

[classroom decor, teacher comparison, classroom budget, teacher money mindset, teacher burnout, classroom setup, teacher self care, financial coaching for teachers, back to school teachers, teacher freebie, homeschool, homeschooling]

08/13/2026

For years, back when I was teaching, walking past someone else's decorated classroom would send me straight into comparison mode. String lights, color-coded bins, a whole room that looked like a magazine spread while mine just looked like a room.

So I started borrowing a line from Amy Poehler and said it to myself every time it happened: “Good for her. Not for me.”

That teacher's classroom never had anything to do with mine. Once I stopped measuring myself against it, I stopped shopping for approval and started spending on the stuff that actually made me a better practitioner.

👋 Hi, I’m Jeannette. I help professionals ditch debt without the overwhelm and build wealth without the stress. Follow for simple, no-shame money guidance.

[teacher comparison, classroom decor, teacher money mindset, classroom budget, financial coaching for teachers, teacher burnout, back to school teachers, teacher freebie, money mindset, comparison trap, homeschool, homeschooling]

My husband's phone buzzed first. "Another evacuation," he said. "The fire's moving."Our power was already out. I stood i...
08/07/2026

My husband's phone buzzed first. "Another evacuation," he said. "The fire's moving."

Our power was already out. I stood in our dark house watching him track the fire in real time.

The next day, while scrolling through social media, part of Spokane looked like an inferno. People were still learning if their houses had survived.

A couple I did my master's with lost everything. Someone my husband used to race bikes with lost everything too. There are no words for that.

Then I looked around our own house, and realized: if I'd had even an hour to pack, I would have been caught with my pants down. We just didn't have enough in place.

This week I'm doing two things. Sitting with gratitude that everyone we know is safe. And rethinking the practical stuff, like where our documents and insurance policies actually are.

Swipe through for the five things I'm double checking this week, and what I'd encourage you to check too.

None of this is about fear. It's the same principle as an emergency fund: you do the unglamorous work now so you're not starting from zero when everything else feels like it's falling apart.

Save this so you can work through it this week.

❤️ If you're able, the Innovia Foundation's Wildfire Emergency Response Fund is supporting recovery work for the families who lost their homes in Spokane this week: innovia.org

[wildfire evacuation, emergency preparedness, financial peace of mind, emergency fund, evacuation checklist, insurance tips, family emergency plan, financial planning, ready not scared, financially fluent, Spokane wildfires, Spokane strong, Spokane Complex Fires]

TEACHERS: Save this before your next classroom run. 🍎Every August used to look the same for me. Walk into Target with a ...
08/06/2026

TEACHERS: Save this before your next classroom run. 🍎

Every August used to look the same for me. Walk into Target with a vague plan, walk out $200 lighter with bins and borders I didn't actually need. No plan meant I just kept spending.

So I built a plan. Here's what I do now before the first week of school:

1. Walk the room, make your list first. Skip Pinterest, write down what your classroom actually needs to function on day one.

2. Set your spending limit before you shop. Decide the number when you're calm, not standing in the dollar aisle.

3. Shop with cash, leave your cards home. Research shows people spend 60%+ more when swiping a card versus paying cash. It's harder to overspend when cash is all you've got.

4. Create a wishlist, share it, let people help. Post it, text it to family, put it out there. You'd be surprised who wants to help stock your classroom, even people you haven't talked to in years.

5. Ask teachers that recently retired or resigned for extra supplies. They're usually sitting on bins they'd love to pass along instead of hauling home again.

None of this is about spending less out of guilt. It's about deciding where your money goes before back-to-school chaos decides for you, so you've still got room for iced coffee and date nights in September.

Comment "PLANNER" and I'll send you my FREE A+ Classroom Budget Planner directly. Set your goal, list your items, and track what you bought vs. what got gifted off your wishlist.

Back when I was teaching, my classroom closet had a graveyard of bins, borders, and "cute" storage I bought every August...
08/04/2026

Back when I was teaching, my classroom closet had a graveyard of bins, borders, and "cute" storage I bought every August and never actually used.

By my last few years in the classroom, I'd finally dialed in 6 small changes to how I did back-to-school shopping. It meant more money left over for date nights with Joe and iced Americanos during the first week of school.

Teacher friends, if you've ever walked out of Target $200 lighter with stuff you didn't need, this one's for you. I broke down exactly what finally worked for me, plus I made a free tool I wish I would have had back then.

🔗 Link in the comments!

08/03/2026

If you lost your home in the Spokane Complex Fire, I’m giving you permission to accept help from others. You're allowed to let people show up for you (with meals, with money, with time) without guilt. 

Accepting help isn't a weakness. It isn't a failure. It's how communities are supposed to work.

If you're able to give, please consider supporting families rebuilding after the Spokane Complex Fire. If you don't know a family directly affected, there are several nonprofits acception donations right now.

If you're one of the families, I hope you take this as a sign let people help your family.

Let's stick together, Spokane.

Address

Spokane, WA

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Fennel Financial Coaching posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category