It’s not a new issue.  But every once in a while, everyone starts talking about it again.

So, here’s my story, and my thoughts, on the subject.

When I was getting ready to go to college, I didn’t really know how I was going to pay for it.  I was encouraged by friends and family to go to MIT, even when Rutgers was offering me full tuition (I’d still have to pay room and board and other expenses).  MIT seemed like a better fit for me, and I wanted to go.

My parents had socked some money away in some mutual funds for my 2 sisters and me, but it was not enough to cover all of us.  We filled out the FAFSA forms to see what sort of financial aid we could get.  I was eligible for a small federal loan (not sure if it was subsidized or unsubsidized), and for “work study”, which really meant that I was able to get a job from MIT to earn a little money.  (I worked at the MIT Libraries for a semester or so in the back rooms processing new books).  I had a few scholarships I got through my dad’s work, and a few other tiny merit-based scholarships awarded to students at my high school, but that’s about it.  In retrospect, I really should have tried harder to find more scholarships.  Any amount would have helped.  I also didn’t take all the AP exams for my AP classes, because I misunderstood the way that MIT accepted AP credits.  Oh well.

So, to make up the difference between what aid/need-based discounts I received and the actual cost of going to MIT, I had to take out private loans.  Yep, those loans that they tell you to try your hardest to never have to take out.  There just wasn’t another option.  As a middle-class family, we were doing well enough that we couldn’t get a lot of  need-based financial aid, but we weren’t loaded enough to be able to pay upwards of $160k to send me to college for 4 years.

So, each year, I took on private student loans.  My parents did co-sign the loans.  But it built up during the 4 years at college.  And so when I graduated, I had $57,701.00 in private loans, and $18,218.61 in federal loans.

Honestly, like many of the people talking about student loans, I didn’t really know what I was doing.  I took on the debt a bit blindly, and there were ways I could have taken on less debt.

How could I have taken on less debt?

• I could have gone to Rutgers instead of MIT.  I don’t think Rutgers was the right fit for me, but had I gone there, I’d have had tuition covered due to in-state tuition+ my GPA/SAT scores.  Final verdict:  Going to a public school would have been cheaper, but if I had to do it all again, I would still go to MIT
• I could have looked for more scholarships.  I have a feeling there was plenty of money out there that I could have tried to get, but didn’t really look.  Plus, I didn’t really think to look for more scholarships after freshman year.  Final verdict:  Glad I got a few small awards, but I should have tried harder to find funding for freshman year and beyond.
• I could have tried to earn more AP/college credits before attending college.  Though MIT wasn’t very big on accepting outside credits, had I gone to another school, getting college credits through AP or a cheaper school would have helped lower costs.

There are lots of things I could have done going in.  But I’d like to think that some of my decisions helped me slowly dig my way out of debt.  I’ll talk more in another post.

What were your best and worst decisions when it came to paying for college?  What did you wish you had known?  What are you glad you did?  What advice would you give to high schoolers planning for college?

It feels really awesome.

The loan started out as a bunch of federal student loans that I consolidated back in 2006 (after I graduated).  So they were serviced by the same bank that my private student loans were at.  At some point last year, Sallie Mae stepped in and took over as the company in charge of my loans. The Sallie Mae accounts page made me want to pay off my debt even faster, since they showed the daily accrued interest.  I was getting sick of it!

So today, I paid them off.  I’m no longer paying 3.5% interest on any debt.  Woo!

Of course, I still have about $29k in private student loans (thanks for being so expensive, MIT!), but they’re at a pretty sweet rate of 2.75%.  But I’m still coming after those!  And that’s much better than what I graduated with:  more like $70k at 8.5%.  But I’ve been aggressively paying that down, too!  Luckily, that loan’s rate was pegged to the Fed Rate, and (unluckily for those of us with savings accounts) the Fed rate has dropped like crazy since I graduated.  Plus I enrolled in all the programs that the bank had to offer that would lower my rate.

I am thankful that my rates are so low.  I know a lot of people aren’t as lucky.

But the final message for today:

My federal student loans are GONE!

[Edit 5/7/12:  Just looked back on my private student loans.  Turns out I only started with $57k at graduation.  And so far I've paid $49k in principal and interest, but I still owe ~$29k.  It's mildly frustrating realizing I've already paid at least $13k in interest on my private loans (according to the loan company).  No, not mildly frustrating.  Gut-wrenchingly disgusting.  Oh well.  NEVER AGAIN!  (until I buy a house)]

I came to the realization that I needed new running shoes after a few things happened.  I looked at the soles of my sneakers and saw that they were pretty worn away.  Then I read a few articles that said that even if you don’t run much, you should replace your shoes every 6-12 months.  And seeing as I bought the last pair in 2009, I was WAY overdue for new sneakers!

I checked with friends, including my resident Fitness+Boston expert Elizabeth, on where to go to get a proper fit.  Everyone said to go to Marathon Sports.  So, I finally did.

The employees were really knowledgeable about what kind of shoe I’d need.  I’m not a superstar runner.  I want to be able to walk and run in comfort.  So they helped me out.

When I went there, a woman named Suzanne helped me out.  She watched me walk without shoes on, and determined that I have a neutral gait (rather than having over- or under-pronation).  She found a few pairs that would work for my feet and my fitness plan (i.e. lots of walking and running).  She watched me as I ran in the first pair I tried on, to confirm I was in fact in the right kind of shoe.  I tried them all on, and she let me run down the street and back to try out each pair.  I had trouble deciding, which is a common problem for me.  So, even though she said “pick the shoes that feel the least like anything”, I did the opposite, and picked the ones that I actually could “feel” the most.  I figured I’m paying good money, I might as well have shoes that were “doing” something.

Happy with my purchase, I wore my new shoes around the house to test them out.  It was at that point that I realized that I should have listened to Suzanne.  The new shoes were squeezing my feet!  I wasn’t sure if that’s “normal” for a new pair of sneakers, so I tweeted @marathon_sports with questions.  They said I should come back in and try a few other pairs…squeezing isn’t normal!

So, I took their advice and came back in.   Showed the pair I had bought to one of the employees there.  Nick, I think.  He saw just how tight those shoes would be.  Whoops!  So he brought out a few pairs he knew would fit better (probably some of the same ones I tried on before) and I took a quick run in all of them.  Settled on the Saucony Progrid Ride 4.

Say hello to my new shoes!

I signed up as a walker for the 20-mile walk around Boston.  I might be crazy.

My first fitness+fundraising event will be the Walk For Hunger, the oldest continual pledge walk in the country.  It is the main fundraising event each year for Project Bread, a Massachusetts-based charity dedicated to alleviating, preventing, and ultimately ending hunger in Massachusetts.

I’ve never done an athletic event to raise money.  I know so many people who do, but between my lack of athletic ability and my discomfort at asking people for donations, it never happened.

I found out that our company has a pretty big walking team (and a lot of volunteers) for the Walk For Hunger, and I wanted to spread the word among my colleagues.  I figured I couldn’t tell people about it without doing it myself!

So, I signed up.  I donated a little bit of money to get things going, and then I spread the word.  I posted it on facebook, my gchat status, and twitter.  I posted information on my cubicle to let my colleagues know they could walk, volunteer, or pledge a donation.

There are three main ways to participate for the Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 6th:

As a walker:  You can sign up to walk part of or all of the 20-mile route.  If 20 miles is too much for you (and maybe it might be too much for me, we’ll see!) there are shuttles at each of the checkpoints to take you back to the starting/finish line in Boston Common.  I have a colleague who pledged per mile, because he doesn’t think I can walk the whole thing.  Well, I’ll prove him wrong!  You can join as an individual walker, start a walk team, or join a team with friends, family, or colleagues.  As an added incentive to walk, there will be refreshments and entertainment all along the walk route to keep you going!

As a volunteer:  If you’re not keen on walking, there are plenty of other ways to help out.  Check out these descriptions of possible volunteer opportunities.

With Donations:  You can donate to an individual walker or volunteer or make a general gift to the Walk for Hunger.  Like I said earlier, I’ve never personally done one of these fundraising events before.  So I was overjoyed to see how many of my friends from work, school, and twitter were willing to support the program by donating through me!

If you’d like to donate through my page, I would be so thankful!

Many of my twitter pals already donated!  So I’d like to thank them here:

• Joe Taxpayer, who generously pledged a matching amount! (@JoeTaxpayerBlog)
• The Weekly Grind (@TheWeeklyGrind)
• The Frugal Toad (@thefrugaltoad)
• Moxie Avenger (@moxieavenger)

Everyone else who donated so far is not on twitter (to the best of my knowledge).  But thank you all so much!

Have you ever participated in a walk/run/jog/dance for hunger/curing a disease/raising awareness/etc.?  Are you participating in the Walk for Hunger this year?  Do you hate me for making a post that all lead up to me asking you for money?

You can see the whole post here.

I felt honored!  And of course I immediately told all my friends.

So, new readers.  What can you expect from me?

Like the article said, I’m usually talking about personal finance.  I often write about financial decisions I’m trying to make, new financial websites I’ve tried, or career/personal finance books I’ve read.  I’ve recently started branching out a bit beyond finance to fitness.  I’m also hoping to start writing about Boston events and places a bit more.

I always welcome questions, comments, and suggestions!

So, are you one of the new readers?  Or have you been reading my blog for a while?  Either way, I hope you stick around!

But I just hopped onto TurboTax and finished everything up, e-filed, and called it a night.  (Of course I called it a night.  What else would I call it? )

And good news!  I’m getting a refund (yes, I think it’s good news).

I’m getting $10 back from the federal government, and a nice $443 from Massachusetts.

As an added bonus, I was able to file for free this year, because I won a TurboTax giveaway on Twitter through Vanguard.

But if you’re a slacker like me (i.e you waited until the last minute), and you want to file your taxes on the cheap, I’ve compiled a bunch of options from around the internets.

I’ve actually posted a list of discounts/options for a few years.  You can find my posts from 2009 and 2011.

So, there’s going to be a bit of copy/paste action below, with updates and new discounts I’ve found thrown in.

TurboTax Online Discounts:

First off, if you have a really easy return, you can use their free version for your Federal returns, and it looks to be ~$40/state filing, though you could probably get it cheaper using the next discount.

Fidelity:  Save 25% off Federal and State products.  In addition, you can access the “Basic” version, a cheaper blend between the free and Deluxe versions.  I initially filled out the “Basic” version, then “upgraded”, and saw that it made no impact on my returns.  So I’d recommend going with the Basic if you can.  (yes, I did that a few years ago, but this time I did it on purpose since I knew I was going to get TurboTax for free)

Bank of America:  Save 35% off Federal products.

Chase:  Save 35% off Federal products.  Not sure if you have to pay your taxes with your Chase card to be eligible.

Vanguard:  If you’re a Vanguard Customer, you can get 25% off Federal and State products.  It looks like they also have the “Basic” option available.  Unfortunately, unlike the Fidelity discount, it looks like you have to be a Vanguard customer.

Those are the best discounts I’ve found.  You can also get a bunch of different discounts (depending on what version you pick) through RetailMeNot.com.

I’ve used TurboTax every year since graduation, but there are plenty of other online options.

TaxAct:

They have a good free federal option, as well as a relatively cheap fancier version (deluxe) at $9.95 or deluxe federal + state return for $17.95.  I’m not as familiar with their product, so anyone with experience with TaxAct, let me know what you think of it.

IRS’s FreeFile:

If your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is less than $57,000 you can use one of these tax preparation sites for free.  If you want some help figuring out which site to use, you can answer a few questions to narrow down the list.  Some companies just offer free Federal filing, but some also offer free State filing as well.

If your AGI is more than $57,000, you can still e-file for free.  You can access the forms you need and fill them out through FreeFile by following the link here.

Also, for my fellow Massachusetts people, I came across this part of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue website where you can fill out and file your taxes for free.

One of the options for: people with low AGI (below $31k) OR Active Military with AGI below $57k OR if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, TurboTax offers a the “Freedom Edition” which is free for federal and free or discounted for state (depending on your state of residence).

We all make excuses.  It’s too hard!  I don’t know how to do it!

No.  No more excuses.

I’ve talked before about how it’s a good idea to open an IRA.  And I’m especially keen on the Roth IRA as a good way to diversify my tax liabilities when I retire.

So, I’m here to show you that there are NO EXCUSES.

Disclaimer:  I’m not a financial advisor or other money professional.  I’m just a blogger.  But I want you to pay attention to what I say anyway.  You don’t have to.  But that’s all I can offer.

Excuse number 1:  I don’t have any money to do it!

No.  You do.  You just don’t realize it yet.  Depending on what company you end up opening an IRA with, you’ll have a certain minimum initial or repeating investment.  If you don’t have enough for the initial investment, start stashing away $10 or $20 in a savings account.  Maybe you’re getting a tax refund this year?  There’s some money you can use!  When you build up enough, go for it.  As I said, it depends who you open an account with, which leads me to excuse number 2…

Excuse number 2:  I don’t know how!

As I mentioned before, that’s a lame excuse.  And if you honestly don’t know how, guess what?  It’s easy.  You pick a discount brokerage or bank (I’ve used Fidelity, I know Vanguard is highly recommended, I welcome other good suggestions in the comments).  Check out their website to find out minimum investment requirements, fees, benefits, etc.  If you’re still confused, call them up.  Tell them what you want to do, find out what is required of you to avoid fees, taxes, etc.  Then do it!

Excuse number 3:  I don’t want to lose money!

Guess what?  NOBODY DOES!  You don’t go to Las Vegas hoping to “strike it poor”.  Yes, investing in the stock market (and in bonds, ETFs, etc.) has risks.  There’s no guarantees.  That ridiculous 2008 downturn?  I remember it too!  But here’s the thing.  An IRA is a really good idea.  You’re putting money away for your retirement.  There are tax benefits to having an IRA.  And if you follow the theories of John Bogle, buying low-cost index funds and invest over the long-term, you’re pretty likely to come out ahead over the long run.  And if you consider that keeping money in a regular savings account doesn’t really keep up with inflation, the market is a good way to go.  Which leads me to:

Excuse number 4:  I don’t know what to invest in!

As I said before, I’m not a financial advisor.  As they said in this Marketplace Money interview, the most important part is just starting that account.  You can start by contributing whatever you can (up to $5k, or $6k if you’re over 50 years old) each year.  Your best bet to start is to invest in a low-cost index fund or life cycle fund.  As you build your account, you can start learning more about investing (by reading books, magazines, blogs, listening to podcasts/radio shows), and diversify as you see fit.  If you want, you can always talk to a fee-only certified financial planner or advisor to get some advice.

So.  What do you think?  Any other excuses you can come up with?  Anything I got wrong here or left out?  Where do you find your investment advice?  Let me know!

And I’m not immune from holiday spending.  Heck, I splurged on the Xbox holiday bundle for my boyfriend (which is a bit of a boomerang gift…I wanted it, too!)  I’m a big fan of giving gifts, as long as I have a good idea of what to give!

But the other thing that stands out for me is holiday apparel.

What?  Is that a thing?  Yes.

Take, for example, a holiday party I attended last year.  Festive apparel and costumes were encouraged.  So, I wore things like this:

Holly socks in bright red shoes

A jingle-bell ring I picked up at Davis Squared

And the obligatory green on red (green short-sleeve sweater over a red long-sleeve sweater)

There’s something about dressing for the holiday that makes me feel extra festive!

I’ve got Halloween pajama pants and two different pairs of socks (don’t worry, I don’t wear the pajamas in public!)

Red heart earrings for Valentine’s Day

And most recently, on a trip to A.C. Moore for sewing supplies, I caved and bought myself some St. Patrick’s Day socks for $1.  Big spender!

Whether  it’s obvious (like the earrings or ring) or more secret (like the socks), I really love dressing up in holiday colors and designs.  Since it’s usually frowned upon to wear Halloween costumes to the office, wearing fun socks is my own way of secret celebration.  So every once in a while, I’ll pick up a new pair of holiday socks.

How do you celebrate holidays?  Do you buy lots of stuff at the party store every year?  Or have a collection of holiday decorations and swag you pull out every year?

Do you have a stash of holiday socks like I do?  Wear all green on St. Patrick’s Day, orange and black on Halloween, and red on Valentine’s Day?  Because I do!

Questions from Eric at Postgrad Agenda:

1. If you worked in your current job until retirement, would you be happy?

I’m assuming the question is if I’d be happy to stay at the same company until retirement.  I’d be happy as long as I continue to be challenged and learn new things.  My happiness in my career is contingent on gaining additional responsibilities and expertise.  I love working with my colleagues and learning a lot from them, and hope I can continue to grow.

2. What are three things you do that you wish you could change?

I wish I could change my procrastinating habits:  case in point, this post is LONG overdue!
I also wish I could stop putting myself down.  I think I tend to look at myself and find all the flaws (physically, intellectually) instead of embracing all the good in myself!
I wish I could change my addictive behavior when it comes to computers/video games.  I will stay on my computer way too late or play a video game for hours.  It’s bad news.  Go to bed!

3. What do you enjoy doing more than anything?

I love spending time with my family and friends.  Especially if there’s delicious food around

4. Do you think everyone is born with the potential to change the world, or just a few?

I think everyone has the potential, but not everyone gets the opportunity.

5. How would you like to change the world?

I’d like to change the world by increasing access to education and knowledge.  I don’t know how to achieve it, but I think education is a good way to start.

6. What have you done so far to make that change?

Not much.  Though I try to teach people about personal finance

7. Fiction or non-fiction?

I’m always hooked on personal finance books!  And books about interesting science discoveries.  So sign me up for Non-Fiction. Though I would read a good fiction book, if anyone has some suggestions!

8. Have you succumbed to the Apple influence? Why or why not?

I had the same iPod (or a repair/replacement) since college, until it finally kicked the bucket late last year.  And since then I’ve been using my new iPod Nano.  And I have iTunes.  And I’m always tempted to take my parents up on their offer to get me an iPhone.  But I never do take them up on that offer.  I think the stuff Apple makes is really cool, but I fear having it would make me less productive (too many distractions).  Not sure if that means I’ve succumbed or not!

9. What would you consider yourself an expert in?

Well, I’m not an expert in personal finance, but among friends, I’m definitely a resource.  And I think I’m pretty good at the Materials Science stuff that I’m working on.  And I’d probably consider myself an expert at making puns.  Or at least an expert at making people groan at the puns I try to tell

10. What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’d like to think getting into MIT and then graduating in four years from MIT are two things I’m pretty proud of.

11. Ideally, what’s next in life for you?

I have no idea.  I’d love some big happy changes, but I’m content with small happy life

And from Make Love, Not Debt:

1.  Have you ever been ripped off and for how much?

Last year I was parked in a lot with signage that I assumed meant I could park there.  Apparently the tow trucks in Allston had a different interpretation of the sign, and they stole my car away and held it for ransom (that’s at least how I see it).  So having to pay this sketchy place, IN CASH, for my own car seemed like a bit of a rip off.  Especially since I thought I was in the right.

2.  Do you have pets? Are they awesome?

I don’t have any pets.  I hope to get a dog when I have a house and yard more suited for one.  I’m ridiculously allergic to cats, so that’s not going to happen.  So, my future dog is awesome.  That’s already a given.

3.  What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

African or European?  Apparently someone actually tried to calculate it.

4.  Why are most children’s musicians terrible?

I think you’re just listening to the wrong children’s music.  Go with artists like Raffi, Fred Penner, and albums like Snacktime from the Barenaked Ladies and a lot of stuff from They Might Be Giants.

5.  What’s the most offensive thing about the $5 bill?

That it’s not a $50 bill?

6.  Prior to Jeremy Lin’s current basketball greatness, he was staying on his brother’s couch because he didn’t have a definitive contract with the New York Knicks. Was the couch long enough to fit an out-stretched Jeremy Lin?

I have no idea.  My guess is regardless of if he fit, he probably wasn’t very comfortable.  I’ve fallen asleep on the couch with plenty of room to stretch out, and I’ve woken up as quite a mess.

7.  What’s the least you’ve purchased with $100?

I’m not sure.  I know that the next thing I’m planning on purchasing with ~$100 is a FitBit Ultra

8.  What’s a reasonable amount of money to spend at a strip club?

Zero dollars.  Ew.

9.  How much do you tip the bartender? Really? That’s it?

I rarely go to bars.  I’ll usually give them a dollar or so per drink.  I’ve even given a tip when I asked for ice water because I felt like I’d be a jerk not to.

10.  How much would you pay for the perfect hamburger?

Maybe $15 max?  But I’d be okay with a $7 hamburger.

11.  Is an iPad worth it?

I only ever really want an iPad when I’m on travel and everyone else has their Kindles, Nooks, and iPads.  It’s gadget envy.

And now, here are the questions I want answers for:

1.  What would you do if you won $10,000?  How would your answer change if it was $1 million?

2.  Is your current job anything like what you thought it would be when you were younger?

3.  What store/brand are you unable to resist?

4.  What’s the last book you read?

5.  Who do you most admire among your friends and family?

6.  What’s your go-to recipe for dinner?  Dessert?

7.  What’s your least favorite food?

8.  Which Disney character do you think you are most like?

9.  What board game do you love to play?  Do you dominate at it?  Or do you always lose?

10.  What’s the longest distance you’ve ever walked/jogged/run?

11.  What clichéd phrase drives you the craziest?

Who to tag?  I’ve already seen Elizabeth, Serendipity, Big City…Beer Budget, Fabulously Fru-girl, eemusings (the Abstract Aucklander, Annabelle (twice!), Nicole, Bridget, and Andrea participate in these.  I’m not going to make any of them make a new answer list (unless they want to!).

So, I’ll tag some new people who (to the best of my knowledge) haven’t been tagged yet.  Hello Below Her Means, Deena Dollars, Stacking Pennies, Paranoid Asteroid, My Pretty Pennies, Money Maus, Penny Pinching Pro, Fig, ShtinkyKat, Julia, Mariel, and Katie.  You’ve been tagged!

Anyone else who wants to answer these questions, either in a comment below or on their own blogs is welcome to.  I can’t wait to learn more about you!

I know that getting in physical shape and financial shape have some similarities.  You need to practice self-control, avoid giving into impulses.  And a big part of getting in shape (physically or financially) is balancing money (or calories) in vs. out.

Back in January, I asked a question of my twitter followers:

If you could wave a magic wand and either be at your ideal weight/fitness level or be debt free, which would you pick?

Well, what did my twitter friends have to say to this magic wish? Well, Brad (@bradkindercoach), Jenn (@payingmyself), Kristen(@thriftyandfit), Life Money Center (@lifemoneycenter) and Joe Taxpayer (@joetaxpayerblog) all said they’d want to be debt free (either because they had a mortgage, or because without debt they could pay for someone to whip them into shape!).  Jesse (@pffirewall) wanted to know how long the fitness would last, and only two respondents (@Metz77 and @FinancialSamura) opted to be magically made the perfect human specimen (Financial Samurai said “I’d rather be fit with debt”).

My “wish” was to magically be the perfect weight, in great shape, with toned muscles, and a decent running pace.  Wouldn’t that be great?

Why did I pick the physical over financial fitness?  Mostly because I already have a plan for how to eliminate my debt (eventually), and it’s definitely easier for me to prevent overspending than it is to prevent overeating.

We know how to be debt free:  pay off the debt, don’t incur more debt.  But at least for me, the answers for getting in shape seem a bit more elusive.  I know the basics:  eat healthy, don’t eat too much, exercise.  I understand that.  But it’s a lot easier (and less dangerous) to have a no-spend day than a no-eat day!  It just seems easier to “set it and forget it” with auto pay and making good money decisions.  So, even though the healthy body would be more difficult to maintain than a healthy net worth, I would love to have a good starting point (already at ideal fitness) and work from there.

I still owe over $33k on my student loans.  Would that mean I’d pay $33k to get into peak physical shape?  No.  I also know that wishing wont eliminate my debt or my flab overnight.  But I’m trying to get in shape, eat right, and exercise.  I’m actually starting to get in the habit of adding exercise to my day.  So that’s a start!

What about you?  Would you wish to rid yourself of debt or of fat?  Which do you think is easier to achieve and maintain?