458 Bucks: Teacher Out-of-Pocket

Credit: Edutopia

Average amount of their own money teachers spend at the beginning of a school year to stock a classroom with supplies, snacks, prizes, classroom decorations, and other instructional resources. Though schools provide staff with basic supplies, about 60 percent of a teacher's expenses still go toward purchasing necessities such as pencils and pens. Some teachers spend more than $1,000 before that first day of class, buying everything from $2 notebooks to $500 educational software.

Source: National School Supplies and Equipment Association