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!

One of the most overlooked benefits I see with my teacher clients is VEBA. Most of them have never even heard of it.If y...
09/20/2026

One of the most overlooked benefits I see with my teacher clients is VEBA. Most of them have never even heard of it.

If you're a WA teacher and you're drawing a total blank right now, you're not alone. I taught for years and had no idea either. It was just some random line on my pay stub I never thought twice about. Turns out it's one of the better benefits WA teachers get, and so many people are sitting on it without knowing it's completely tax free.

I broke it all down on Substack, including a lesson I learned the hard way about resigning versus retiring that cost me real money.

🔗 Link in the comments if you want the full story.

✨️ Extra Credit: Share it with the teacher friend who needs to hear it.

09/18/2026

🌺 10 years married. 9 days in Kauaʻi. A net worth that used to be six figures of debt and is now seven figures in the bank.

And I still price checked the rental car.

Here's the thing nobody tells you about paying off debt. You don't stop thinking about money. I used to think that was the whole goal, get out of debt and finally stop caring about every dollar. That never happened. And honestly, I'm glad it didn't.

For us, the spending habits didn't go away. They just started buying plane tickets instead of paying down credit cards.

👋 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. 



[debt free journey, financial freedom, money mindset, budgeting tips, how to build wealth, paying off debt, saving money tips, personal finance for beginners, travel on a budget, money habits that work]

I get this question a lot: "How do you still travel when you're trying to build wealth or pay off debt?"Here's my honest...
09/15/2026

I get this question a lot: "How do you still travel when you're trying to build wealth or pay off debt?"

Here's my honest answer: for a long time, our vacations looked like whatever fit our income and our goals at the time. That's what living within your means actually looks like when you're in debt payoff mode. It's not about denying yourself forever. It's about matching your spending to where you are right now.

Joe and I used to load up the car and go camping for a long weekend. That was it. And honestly, it was enough. We weren't itching for more because we knew exactly what we were working toward.

Now that we've paid off that debt and built real wealth, our vacations look different. This year we spent nine days in Kauai celebrating our 10 year anniversary. But even with more room in the budget, we still got intentional with it.

We said yes to the big splurges. We also said yes to the free stuff along the way. And one of those free moments ended up being the highlight of the entire trip. Not what I expected going in.

I wrote the full breakdown on Substack: what we spent, what we skipped, and the mindset shift that made the whole trip feel like freedom instead of restriction.

🔗 Link in the comments if you want to read it.

Hawaiian Photo Dump 🌴At the end of August, Joe and I spent 9 days on Kauaʻi celebrating our 10 year anniversary. This tr...
09/09/2026

Hawaiian Photo Dump 🌴

At the end of August, Joe and I spent 9 days on Kauaʻi celebrating our 10 year anniversary. This trip has been on our bucket list forever. We're finally at the point in our financial journey where we get to start checking things off that list. 9 days on Kauaʻi for 10 years together felt like exactly the right way to celebrate.

I've also had Kauaʻi on my mind a lot this week with Hurricane Lowell in the news. Some of the places we fell in love with don't even look the same right now. The island has a long recovery ahead. Sending so much aloha to Kauaʻi. 

[kauai, hawaii, anniversary trip, bucket list, financial journey, debt free journey, travel goals, aloha, hurricane lowell, photo dump]

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]

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