All tagged debt
Give a man an education and he will build a new world, but give a man a loan and you can own that man forever.
It’s been 10 years since I graduated from grad school. I still proudly hang up my diploma because it put me on a better path for my career and my income. It was also FREE. No loans, no debt, no soul to be sold. With that, I thought I might offer some ways to help reduce debt if you are a college student or have a child that is about to head to college.
After graduating in 2019, I was already overwhelmed with the idea of student loan debt looming over my head and my budget, so I set a goal to pay off my student loans before my 30th birthday. In this post, I share with you an update and how the forbearance has dictated my payoff strategy.
A big question that often comes up is should I be investing even if I have debt?
We all have different tolerance for risk, but a little number crunching will show that paying off debt AND investing will be more beneficial for you in the long run.
Today, I'm sharing with your some tools to help you decide for yourself.
“Make a specific birthday wishes and write it down. You will be amazed about the power of pen and inner strength to accomplish the wishes.”
By the time I had finished my masters degree last year (2019), I had accumulated over $33,000 in debt just from student loans. After reviewing the payoff schedule, it estimated that I would pay off my debt by the time I was 43. That’s when I decided I hated that plan. Instead, here’s my plan to pay off by debt by the time I’m 30, which is 5 years away.
“Credit buying is much like being drunk. The buzz happens immediately, and it gives you a lift. The hangover comes the day after.”
I recently came across a post on Facebook about how a woman took out what essentially amounted to be a very expensive loan for underwear. I’ve included the text below and you can find it here too. It’s a public post so hope it’s OK for me to repost. Credit to her for admitting to it. Upon reading it, it got me thinking about my own spending habits and the “loans” I’ve taken out by putting certain items on credit so here goes.
And it all began with one small win.
This is a celebratory post. Back in 2014, my husband and I decided to purchase and finance a brand new vehicle, a Subaru Outback. Today, we just sent in our final payment and are now reeling in that monthly payment free feeling. No more monthly outlay. ::dance::dance::
“You will be in debt for the rest of your life.”
That was my welcome into the veterinary profession. Starting as early as when I began my undergraduate studies, if I spoke with a veterinarian, the assertion that I would be in debt for the rest of my life would inevitably come up. Going less waste is what allowed me to break the cycle of mindless consumerism and believe in a future where we can be debt free. I’m so excited to continue to align my actions with my beliefs and can’t wait to see what we can accomplish once we have financial independence.
This has been a question that's been weighing on my mind lately. Today, my husband and I have two large debts: a car loan and his student loans. I've been trying to weigh what our best strategy is towards these. Should we pay these off quickly or use some of the money to invest instead. Those in the FI/RE community will probably have a different way of looking into this.
I pretty much expected to be in debt for the rest of my life.
I graduated in 2011 from a private liberal arts college with a degree in Theatre and over $25,000 in debt. In addition to that, jobs were scarce when I graduated and I was unable to secure one directly out of college. I bounced around from job to job, industry to industry, city to city, making just enough to cover my bills and even save a little before settling in Buffalo in the fall of 2013.
Is being basic costing you money?
There's been a term floating around for a few years now called "basic." Urban Dictionary defines it as someone who "engages in typical, unoriginal behaviors, modes of dress, speech, and likes." Is there anything wrong with liking the things that are being mass marketed to us? Absolutely not, BUT, sometimes we have to start doing the unconventional to be able to get off of the same hamster wheel that everyone is on. Being average in the world of Financial Independence sometimes carries a price.
