I’m depressed — I have so much debt (college loans) and I’m only 23…. =(?
Question by marycotter5678: I’m depressed — I have so much debt (college loans) and I’m only 23…. =(?
I’m $ 40,000 in debt for college loans and I make $ 38/year. I feel like I’ll be trapped in my parents house until I’m 40 and it’s depressing me.. How can I get out of this debt fast???
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Answer by hirebookkeeper
at $ 38 per year – you will never get out of debt.
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me too, I owe 40,000 in college loans. you mean you make $ 38 a year or $ 38,000 a year?
stay with your job thats good, you dont have to pay rent.
I dont make $ 38,000 a year
I rent a room for 475/month
I went for a few years doing computer animation but didnt pass so I dont have a diploma for that. my diploma I have now is for bartending so I’m going to have to work as a bartender for 10 years before I can move out and get my own appartment.
I’m 21, without a job
I owe 40,000 dollars
my advice, is if you have a job that pays $ 38,000 a year I say stick with it and stay on a tight budget- you already get free rent!
What job only pays $ 38 dollars per year? Get a new job NOW!
Assuming you don’t have living expenses (parents covering rent, utilities, and food?), if you live on a tight budget you could be out of debt in a little over a year. Don’t go out to eat, don’t buy dumb stuff like CDs or movies – put as much as possible of your take-home pay towards your debt. It is a lot of sacrifice but worth it!
If you make $ 38 K a year (which is what I think you meant, not $ 38 you can do it. Try to work out a better payment plan for paying it back. I couldn’t pay on my loan for a few years because I was supporting my son and myself on just my paycheck (still am, better job now). So, I called up citibank where I got my loan and told them that I needed a better way to pay it back. They made the payments lower for me and even deferred it a few months until I got on my feet. A college loan isn’t the end of the world, just be very careful with getting other credit items, such as loans or credit cards. Get a part time job to help pay off the balance. You are only 23. I know plenty of people still living at home in CT at 26, and it’s not because they are paying on loans. Keep your chin up and your eyes on the prize. You can do it!
Why did you borrow $ 40,000 to get a job that only pays $ 38,000 a year? That wasn’t very logical was it? What is your degree in?
Being able to live with your parents is a blessing — use this time to put every penny toward your debt. Take a second job. And start looking for a higher paying job and take it when you find it.
No she meant $ 38 thous/year.
Oh dear. You will be fine, Once you are finish with your bachellors or associates please use it. I do not know what your major is though. but, as long as you know how to save money. you will be out of debt. My friend went to a pharmacy school for masters.owed like $ 350,000 but, shes happy with what she had accomplished and god to pay it off in 8 years. but, even those times she had a nice car and a condo..just spend wisely and you will be fine. as long as you are working and not spending too much on luxory..you will be fine $ 40 thous is not a lot.
why dont you just worry on finishing college first and then worry about your loans later. besides…theres jobs everywhere. some people work 2 jobs for a year and they are fine..
or get yourself a rich husband..yeah..thats a plan (just joking)
oh and trust me you will miss your mom as soon as you leave her house so relax enjoy her good cooking…while it last
and you are sooooooooooo young.
Congratrulation,
You are on the 1st step on a seemingly endless journey. it is not.
u owe 40 , u make 38 . u live at home ?
pay ur folks 500$ mth rent.
drive a cash car. get second pt/tm job.
u should be able to knock off 18 -25thousand dollars a yr. really.
Pay it off in two yrs. THEN it is OVER
visit daveramsey.com to learn ur hard lesson from others mistakes.
understand most millionaires start where ur at , they didn’t stay/
visit thinkrightnow.com to get a fresh out look on ur viewpoint.
I am 25 now and getting ready for Grad school. I will owe well over $ 50,000 when I’m done.
I think if you got a good job then keep it. Cut down on unnecessary spending and come up with a plan for your money (budget).
Live tighter and pay a little extra on the school loan bill every month.
Don’t do anything crazy for money and avoid taking out any new loans. Only buy what you need and save up for things that you want. This is the only way to get out of debt.
Hey, if it’ll make you feel better, you’re not alone. Many Americans are in a similar situation. You should be glad that you have a job, and that your debt is a student loan (low interest rate) and not credit card debt (which is higher interest rate).
You will get out on your own, if that’s what you want. You can and will find better paying jobs and other opportunities if you’re willing to look for them. You’re still young, and still have many years ahead of you. You have time on your side. Be grateful for what you have – you have a place to live, you have a job, and you have a college education, and you have youth (which is priceless).
Here are some things you can do to get out of debt quickly:
1) Don’t spend more than you make. That will get you in more debt.
2) Sharpen your skills, especially communications skills. People who communicate well get ahead faster.
3) Be more out-going and network. Networking will allow you to find possible future opportunities.
4) Set a budget, save money, and stay within your budget.
5) Try to find $ 150 to $ 200 more to pay for the college loans every month, and pay twice a week instead of once a month. This will pay off your student loan faster.
That’s all I can say. If you want a more detailed plan, you need to provide me with more detailed information, such as:
Your take-home pay, your monthly expenses (line by line), and your monthly student loan payment amount.
What your feeling is so common. You will be OK if your willing to work at this. If I can give any advice it would be that if you are trapped to living at home use it as a tool to dig yourself out of debt. Devise a budget of your expenses and you have to save money and really stick to it. Look where you could save in any way . The mistake young adults living at home make is that their living expenses are free. Then they find themselves spending money that they theoretically shouldn’t have. If you are able to save any bit of money for rent do it! Use that extra money to chip at your debt it will add up.
Typically student loans have different types of payoff options. You probably qualify for the income sensitive repayment plan where you pay less for a longer period of time.
you should consider opening up a interest earning savings account and come up with a amount that you would spend as “rent” every month and put it away towards savings or paying your student loans in advance which will make the future payments smaller and possibly further apart.
You can do this!
If you really make a commitment to paying off your student loans fast, you can do it.
If your parents will let you live at home for a little while, that’s great. You won’t have to pay rent anywhere.
Since your living costs will be low, you should be able to make pretty aggressive payments toward your loans. Don’t spend a lot of money on entertainment or clothes. Pay as much as you can toward your loans, not just the minimum payments. Include a note with each payment stating that the money above the minimum should be applied toward your principle balance. Some places will try to cheat you if you don’t specifically say what the extra amount is for.
You could even try to get a second job in the evenings.
If you do these things you could actually pay off your loans pretty quickly (2 years).
Good luck!
If you want to pay it off faster, you have to accelerate the payments. Figure out how much you’re paying towards the principal each month, and divide the $ 40,000 by that amount. That will tell you how many months you will need to pay it off.
Now add say $ 200 to the amount you pay towards the principal, and figure it again. Quite a difference? I hope so.
So you need to pay more each month. If you need to, that means you may have to get a 2nd job, or give up stuff you’re spending your money on. Do you spend a lot on lottery tickets, or smoking or drinking, or going out to lunch? Time to cut that out, or at least way, way back. Got a snazzy car? Sell it, get a plain jane used Honda or Toyota instead. You’ll save on insurance, too.
HONEY DEPRESSION AND MONEY GO HAND IN HAND!!! YOU NEED TO FIND A WAY TO PAY OFF THESE LOANS SOONER SO UR INTEREST WON’T BE HIGH…
$ 40,000 is nothing. You’re living in you’re parents house?? Why? I think that sucks more than being in debt. Debt is not a problem, there are many ways to make money. Grow up, get your own place, and pay the minimum on the student loan until you make more money. It’s really nothing to be depressed about if it was worth it.
I hope you meant $ 38,000 per year!
Regardless, most people with college loans are in debt at your age. The trick is to budget your finances properly. You’re already saving a bundle on rent or mortgage by living with your parents (you might not be crazy about it, but that’s a different problem!).
Good luck!
When I got out of school, like you, I lived in my parents place for a few of years (rent free). I had a job, but didn’t make as much as you. I set a goal to pay more then the minimum. I paid $ 400 a month and got rid of Sallie Mae in about a year and a half.
My suggestion is every month you get paid, set aside how much you want to pay each month and stick with it. If you can afford to pay $ 500 each month, then do it. You should still have enough money to buy some things, but don’t go overboard.
You are not alone, there are a lot of people in your age that have college debt like you. In fact their are a lot of people who are still paying off the college debt. You decide, do you want this to hang around for a long time? I chose not too have Sallie Mae when I’m 40.
not if you use your creative juices to to create some way of marketing yourself for extra money. if you have the time, you could explore things or projects to do like: silk screening – after you’ve learned, it could be applied to anything, or even bead stringing for necklace and bracelets. the ymca teaches this craft, it is simply a rewarding field. if you stop and think about how people arrived at these decisions, usually their ideas were birth out of some type of position that made them quite uncomfortable. if so happens that your current activities are dominating your free time, see if you can get a loan consolidation providing it doesn’t effect the loan in any negative way. this will help to aleviate any pressure that may be upseting your life. most importantly, while you are paying whatever bills you may have, don’t forget to pay yourself also.