An Author Wednesday Inteview with Danny Kofe, author of “How To Survive (and perhaps thrive) On A Teacher’s Salary”

In “How To Survive (and perhaps thrive) On A Teacher’s Salary” Danny Kofke shows the steps his family took to set themselves up to be debt-free except for their mortgage, invest so that they will retire with a sizable nest egg, build up a one-year emergency fund and basically live a “wealthy” life on a teacher’s salary.  A lot of people think that figuring out financial matters and investing are difficult and are intimidated by it.  Danny wants to show others that if this 35 year-old school teacher can figure it out then they can too.

Read more for the rest of this great author interview and to learn how you can win a copy of Danny’s book!

Q. Thanks for the interview. Can we begin by having you tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you’ve been working in and writing about this topic?

A. I am currently a special education teacher. My learning about finances has been a life-long journey and still continues.

Q. What inspired you to write this book?

A. Some of my colleagues suggested that I write it since my wife Tracy (a former teacher and now stay-at-home mom) made sound financial decisions. I wrote it to show others that handling their finances does not have to be difficult and inspire them with my story.

Q. What were some of the greatest discoveries, lessons, or findings you came across while doing research and writing this book?

A. One discovery that surprised me is that according to the National Education Association, 50% of teachers quit the profession within 5 years partially due to low pay. Around the same time that this study was done, there was a General Social Survey that showed that teaching ranks among the top 10 most satisfying jobs. These studies were my motivation to help other teachers get the most out of their paychecks so they could remain in a job they loved.

Q. What do you feel sets your book apart from others in the same genre?

A. I feel my book is different because I am not a financial expert – I am a school teacher. Most people can relate to me and I wrote my book in an easy-to-read format. Many financial books use fancy words and jargons that few understand – I tried to make my book as reader friendly as possible.

Q. What does your typical day look like?

A. I usually wake around 5:15 and work on book-related things until 6:15. I wake up my oldest daughter and we get ready for work/school. I arrive at work around 7:15 and my students start coming in around 7:30. I teach until 2:30 and then take my students to the bus. I leave school at 3:30 and usually exercise (lift weights or jog) when I get home. Dinner is around 5:30. We put the girls to bed at 7:00 and then I do a little more work until 8 or so depending on what I have to do. I usually go to bed around 8 and read or watch a little television. Lights are usually out around 9.

Q. If you could write 1 Golden Rule to take away from your book, what would it be and why?

A. Spend less than you earn. This is the most important aspect to achieving financial success.

Q. What other resources in addition to your book would you recommend to people to learn more about this area?

A. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach, The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton and The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley

Q. What are some of your current projects you’ve been working on in this field?

A.I am actually working on another book that gives a little more insight into living a financially secure life. In addition, I present with a group of gentleman to help others with their finances.

Q. Thank you for the interview Danny! Would you like to share where we can find you on the web and how we can buy your book?

A. Yes – you can find out more about me and order my book on www.dannykofke.blogspot.com

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About the Author Danny Kofke is currently a special education teacher in Georgia.  His love of teaching and finances led him to write the book “How To Survive (and perhaps thrive) On A Teacher’s Salary.”  Danny has been been featured in a number of publications including USA Weekend, CNN.com, USA Today, Bankrate.com, PARADE, Instructor Magazine, CBS MoneyWatch.com, FoxBusiness.com, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Wall Street Journal, ABCNews.com, Yahoo Finance, Woman’s Day, Consumer’s Digest, Bottom Line Personal, Your Family Today and The Huffington Post.  He has also been interviewed on over 175 radio shows and on numerous television shows including Fox & Friends, CNN’s Newsroom, The 700 Club, The FOX Business Network, ABC News Now, Varney & Company, HLN’s The Clark Howard Show, The Fox Business Network’s show Follow The Money and on MSNBC Live.

To purchase a copy of Danny’s book please visit:

http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/search.php?search=kofke

For more information about the author: www.dannykofke.blogspot.com

Check out Danny and his family on CNN here!

RULES FOR GIVEAWAY – WANT US TO SEND YOU THIS BOOK FOR FREE?
WRITE A COMMENT: Times are tough and we want to know how you are doing!  Need to be on a tighter budget? Want to learn how to live “skinny”? Know you spend too much?  We want to know how you are doing, how you are managing and what you think you can do better. In other words, why do you need this book?  The book won’t be given to the nth participant, but to the best story! Please include an email address we can contact you at if you are the chosen winner!

Want to be a featured author or expert? Send me an email at liz@dalesiegel.com to let us know about you and your book, and we will contact you with the guidelines. If you want your interview to coincide with the day your new book drops, let us know in advance. Be aware, we book months in advance, so get on the schedule early.