Oh These Student Loans

2 Part Feature In Forbes (WHAT?!)

2017-02-14T16:43:00.000-06:00

Meet the 29-Year-Old Who Paid
Off $113,000 In Student Loans

Well here I am, single on Valentine’s Day for the umpteenth year in a row... However, I am featured in FORBES again today, so I think I’ll be just fine ;)

All joking aside, I wanted to let you all know that I accept these interview requests and post these stories not to toot my own horn, but to help folks. Every time an article comes out in a major publication, I get an influx of emails from you guys. Finances are a very private matter for most, but I am grateful for those of you that have the courage to ask for help. Some of y'all send me emails longer than I know what to do with and some merely ask one simple question; I love both kinds. Some of you I can help, some of you I can’t. It might take a few weeks, but I try and reply to everyone because I know exactly how you feel.

If you would’ve told me in high school that I’d have a 2 part feature in FORBES at the age of 29, I for sure would’ve thought the subject would be around music, not finances. So believe me, I've had my share of humble pie along this journey of mine, but if I can help just one person, it’s worth it. Is this the story I would have written for myself? Uh, no. But I didn’t write it, He did; and for that I choose to be grateful and agree to share my experience with anyone who genuinely wants to know.

Shout-out to Zack Friedman at Forbes for publishing this interview as well as letting me be a part of his podcast on Make Lemonade (coming soon)!

Click here to read Part 1 of my interview with Forbes
Click here to read Part 2 of my interview with Forbes

Click here to read the same Part 1 article on Make Lemonade
Click here to read the same Part 2 article on Make Lemonade

Budget Featured in Business Insider Again (Woot!)

2017-02-07T14:24:00.000-06:00

Here's the budget of a 29-year-old who finished
paying over $100,000 of student loans

Two updates as to where I am since paying off my loans a few months ago was written up by Libby Kane and published in Business Insider. Their audience is not hesitant at all to write to me and tell me all about their own debt journeys while asking for a quick piece of advice on an area they may be struggling with. I love connecting with them! I have SO MUCH to learn in this big world of finances, but the things I have learned so far, I am always willing to share.

I love the folks that realize I am a 29 year old woman who assessed her situation and did what she thought was best for her. And that’s all I did. I am not cramming advice down throats, I am not saying it is my way or the highway. I do me. You do you. If you look at my journey and you want yours to resemble mine, awesome! Let me know if I can help. If you look at my journey and want nothing to do with it, also awesome! I hope we all win with money in this life no matter the approach we take to get there. I simply happened to start blogging about my journey on that faithful August 1st Sunday back in 2010; the day I was struggling the hardest and decided to find an (anonymous) outlet for my student loan battle.

For those just reading about my story from the latest Business Insider article wanting more detailed information on my budget, click here to read where I elaborated on the first BI article surrounding my budget.

Also, between us, I spelled 'restaurant' wrong in my now public budget (Ha!)

Click here to read the latest main Business Insider article: "Here's the budget of a 29-year-old who finished paying off over $100,000 of student loans"

Click here to read that same article in Yahoo Finance

Find the latest spin-off Business Insider article, "A 29-year-old who paid off over $100,000 of student loans gives her 3 best pieces of debt-repayment advice" by clicking here.

Cheers to Breaking up with My Bae, Sallie Mae!

2017-02-06T11:44:00.000-06:00

As planned, I officially became debt-free on Thanksgiving Day(!!!).

Over the course of my pay-off journey, so many people asked me what I would do to celebrate and my answer was always, “PARTY!” So, party I did; on December 9th, in-between all of the holiday craziness, I hosted some of my closest friends at my home in Nashville. The name of the party was, “Cheers to Breaking up with My Bae, Sallie Mae!”, and the theme was obviously money. The night was filled with tons of chocolate gold coins, play money, Hundred Grand chocolate bars, mint cupcakes, confetti, and champagne. I also had gigantic gold balloons that read 113K floating around the party. We drank and partied the night away listening to a playlist full of songs across all decades and genres about money such as: We Don’t Need No Education, If I Was A Rich Girl, All I Do Is Win, Workin’ 9 to 5, She Works Hard For The Money, and Bills Bills Bills.

2016 was a tad rocky for some folks, but in order to think about it on a positive note, I will forever remember it as the year I paid off my student loans. We are a little over 2 weeks into the new year, and I am already loving this new found freedom; there are still a lot of goals still to be completed, but with step one out of the way, they are seaming more and more possible. Cheers to all of the adventures ahead in 2017 :)

New Year New Me

2017-01-07T12:02:00.003-06:00

Quick update on where I am after my announcement of being debt-free in late November. I have been debt-free for a little over a month now. In that time, I have purchased long-term disability insurance through my employer, upped my 401k contribution to our company’s match of 6%, and am 3 months away from having my $10k emergency fund fully stocked.

I jumped the gun a little by upping my 401k contribution before having my emergency fund fully stocked, but due to recent deduction changes at my work, my paychecks are exactly the same in 2017 at 6% as they were last year when I was only contributing 1-2%. That being said, there was no harm inflicted on my saving schedule by jumping on the increase a few months early.

As for my emergency fund placement, I have decided on Capital One’s 360 Money Market Account. The runner up was Synchrony Bank’s MMA. Although Synchrony bank gives you the debit card access that Capital One does not, they both allow you to access your money fairly quickly should you need it. And if I remember correctly in my research, the both allow you to tie the MMA to your personal bank’s savings account where you can make the transfer if need be; Capital One’s processing time being a day or two quicker than Synchrony’s. What the decision ultimately came down to? Interest rates. For a sum of $10k or more, Synchrony offers 0.85% and Capital One offers 1.00%.

After my emergency fund is fully stocked (hopefully March/April), I will open a Roth IRA. Since my goal is to allocate 15% of my gross income into retirement accounts, I need to contribute the remaining 9% (after my 6% 401k contribution) to this Roth IRA. Why not just 3% into Roth since my company is matching my 6% giving me an overall of 12%? Glad you asked. Because I have learned that you do not count matches as a part of your 15% contribution; I will be thinking of the 6% match as simply gravy.

So this is where I am. I feel behind in comparison to some friends my age, but I feel ahead in comparison to others. At the end of the day, I am 29, and am thinking I’m right where I need to be in order to set up the rest of my financial life for success. Should I have picked another college where I needed very little to no loans? Maybe. Should I have started a Roth IRA at 16 when I got my first job? Maybe. Should I beat myself up for what I did/didn’t do in the past, and succumb to a life full of minimum payments in addition to paycheck to paycheck living? No. 29 might not be the ideal age to finally be debt-free and start building a net worth, but it beats the pants off of 39 or 49 or 59. That is what I have to remind myself when I start comparing to those around me. This is not to say there is anything wrong with becoming debt-free and building a net worth at 39, 49 or 59, because that also beats the pants off of never doing it. I am merely allowing myself the grace to be okay with where I am.

In my studying, I have read that a lot of folks state the time in-between debt pay-off and wealth building is where the momentum starts to die. The two main scenarios around losing momentum are:

1. People fall into the “normal” trap of buying the things they couldn’t afford while in debt. They tend to get excited about becoming debt-free from student loans, medical bills, and credit cards all to have the “money” for a new car, new wardrobe, or new home, and the debt slowly but surely begins to exist again.

2. People continue to live a debt-free lifestyle (yay), but never invest which leaves them with absolutely no wealth (boo).

I still have SO much to learn about the financial world, and am so excited for you all to be on this journey with me! Cheers to not losing momentum in 2017!!

MY STUDENT LOANS ARE PAID OFF!

2016-11-24T11:56:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it?! I did it!! It feels surreal. It feels great.

Total borrowed: $68,545.
Total paid back: $113,019.24

I started repayment December of 2009. I made my last payment November of 2016.

Thank you, sweet sweet baby Jesus that I am FINALLY DEBT FREE!

Almost Out of Debt: The Fear

2016-11-16T20:10:00.000-06:00

Sounds backwards, right? But fear is oh so present. Here are 3 examples:

Fear that I am 1 week away from completing a journey I have been on for years and something could go wrong. Something catastrophic could happen and trip me up mere moments before crossing the heavily anticipated finish line adding possible years to the debt fight.

Fear that I will be debt free then end back up in it down the road. Although I have taken the necessary behavioral steps to ensure this doesn’t happen, you never know what could shift.

Fear that even if I do not end up back in debt, I will not win with money in the long run because I will misplace money along the way. Not choose the right options in stocks, a Roth IRA, investments, etc.

These may seem a little silly, and I haven’t put much thought into those 3 things over the years; however, now that I am about to step into the bright light at the end of my dark tunnel, these are my present fears. I’ll keep you posted as always, but for now, I’m simply keeping it real J

A bite of food to chew on:

“If you live in fear of the future because of what happened in your past, you’ll end up losing what you have in the present.”

I Spoke at My Alma Mater!

2016-11-15T10:11:00.000-06:00

One of my close friends has been such a great cheerleader for me during my debt pay-off process. She encourages me and lets me pick her brain a little bit on how her and her husband run some of their household budget. She works at a well known bank and was appointed to take charge in their ‘Women in Wealth’ initiative. She felt a great starting place to get the message out would be at the college level. SO, since we were both Phi Mus at Belmont University (she was our chapter’s president), she decided to start there by speaking to the current Phi Mu Theta chapter, and invited me to speak alongside of her.

It was great to be back on campus talking about all things finance and student loan related to those who are quite literally in the exact same place I was a cool 7 years ago. I hope my story resonated with them, and if anything, I can be a resource to someone who might feel a bit like she is starting to drown here in a couple of months after graduation. I know from memory, and from reading back on this very blog, that I was completely lost and had no one to turn to for guidance. It might have taken me 7 years to get back to these girls, but at least I am here now and can be a lighthouse for this wave of Belmont graduates to find their way back to shore.

I snapped this photo of the renovated music business building entrance as I'd like to think I AT LEAST paid for the gold that now lines the stair railings OR the glitter that now covers every inch of the floor :)

About.com/The Balance Hosted Me in NYC!

2016-10-13T08:54:00.000-05:00

How'd she do it? Grab a cup of coffee and join us for a Facebook
Live chat with college debt success story, Jessica Elberfeld
moderated by Jean Chatzky!

I just got back from having an amazing time in NYC! The folks at About.com reached out to me in hopes of having me participate in a Facebook Live Session at their NYC office in the middle of Times Square. The interview was to aid in the launch of their new financial site, The Balance, where the financial editor of The TODAY Show, Jean Chatzky, would be moderating. How could I say no to that, right?!

My friend Scarlett went to the interview with me, and everyone there was so kind towards both of us. Security checked her in as my 'representation' so she got a real kick out of that :) I wasn't sure what to expect as the live conversation was set up to be pretty candid. But whenever you live this debt stuff day in and day out for many years, you can talk to it just fine; I didn't get too nervous about not knowing what questions were going to come my way.

Before we started the live interview, we were all standing around chatting and introducing ourselves. I have to say, being in a room with like-minded people who were there to applaud my debt pay-off accomplishments instead of question them, was very surreal. These people study money. They live and breathe it. Their studio (which was in the same building as Good Morning America!) felt like the ultimate safe-zone to completely nerd out in with zero judgement. I am telling you, it is rare to find a person, let alone a group of people, that can talk about finances for hours on end without falling asleep mid sentence.

In summary, the trip was awesome and the interview went well! Here is the live video if you want to give it a watch:

Here are some pictures from the trip!

Me & Jean!

Hanging out on Wall Street

The BULL!

Night out in Times Square!

Plane fun - I heart NY!

I was in The Wall Street Journal!

2016-09-13T10:02:00.001-05:00

Does It Pay to Start at Community College? Maybe

"Does It Pay to Start at Community College? Maybe"

A reporter reached out to me back in June about interviewing for a piece she was writing on transfer students for the Wall Street Journal. Of course I agreed, and I am glad I did! Although the interview process was quite lengthy, the portion of my story in the whole piece is quite small. I am in no way complaining about that though; it's just an FYI!

Late last night my mom wondered if my article made it to the actual printed Wall Street Journal. I hadn't even thought about that and wondered myself, so I emailed the reporter, and sure enough! The article I was in, as well as my picture, was printed in the wealth management section of every Wall Street Journal nationwide. So naturally, I drove to Nashville's Barnes and Nobel as well as a Starbucks and picked up the few remaining papers for my family :)

That was a very cool feeling and a very humbling day. Big thank you to Jillian Berman for reaching out to me!

Click here to view the article!

Spotlighted on IonTuition!

2016-09-09T10:12:00.000-05:00

Thank you to the sweet people over at IonTuition for featuring me on their Q&A Spotlight Series!

It is amazing to see a site/blog dedicated to all things finance and helping people win with money by using other people's journeys as an example!

You can click here to read my interview with them :)

I was Featured on Business Insider!

2016-07-19T10:46:00.000-05:00

The interview I had with Business Insider ended up being a story that was posted in three separate articles on three different days as opposed to what I thought would have just been one. The reporter, Libby Kane, was awesome to work with, and I loved her tone of writing.

My parents, family, friends, and co-workers have expressed how proud they are about all of this, and that means the world to me; their opinions matter most.

What I didn't see coming were the mean comments on the article as well as on all of the social media sites (other than my own, of course.) It was truly entertaining for a minute, then I quit reading them. People were some kind of tore up over my budget. They had an opinion on just about every category, and didn't hold back in the slightest on expressing said opinions. I never responded to a single person on any of the articles or on the social media posts because you simply can't argue with someone on a faceless platform; it is a true waste of time and energy.

What I would ask that you keep in mind is this - the budget you see in these articles is just one month out of my year. My budget changes a little from month to month; not only in expenses, but in income, too. I am a sales rep as well as a server so the money coming in is different every single month due to fluctuating commissions and tips. As far as expenses go, there are indeed times when I will budget to go see a big ticket act in concert, and there are times where I will budget for an item I've had my eye on at a store. Not every category will stay the same month to month. To quote some Dave Ramsey here:
"A good money plan is dynamic and changes as your life does. Do a review of your budget each month and make adjustments."

My intention for this post is not to spotlight the negativity, but I do want to address some topics that were in question for those who really are trying to build a budget and get their finances in order. That being said, this blog is my house where I say what I want; allow me to sit atop my roof for a moment and clear some things up:

Rent:

Wow. People really lost their cool over this one; there had to have been a couple hundred comments on this topic alone. I have 2 roommates. I live approximately 10-15 minutes from downtown Nashville. I live in a condo owned by one of my roommates. She has owned it for almost 1 year. It is not, and I quote, "a cardboard box," "a storage unit," "a closet," "a dog house" or "a shed." And we do not "live like hermits." The townhouse was built a mere 5 years ago so it's modern, and we have more than enough space. Other cities I cannot speak to, but rent like mine is indeed attainable in Nashville. We lived in Brentwood (known for being an expensive part of town) for the last 5 years before moving to this condo, and we were paying just about the same then as we are now. I lucked out 6 years ago by finding a roommate I enjoy living with; she has great taste, is a built in friend, and is trustworthy.

My advise? Find one (preferably two) like-minded people to live with and then search for a house/townhouse/condo in the outskirts - try to stay away from living inside of the downtown areas, and avoid apartments as well as high-rise condos.

Best stranger danger comment goes to:

"$450 rent? Is she camping?" (I actually did hit the like button on that one)

Medical:

I have heath insurance. It comes out of my check and is not factored into my budget. The $100 in medical is there for instances like physical therapy and co-pays.

Best stranger danger comment goes to:

"$0 spent on medical. She is supposed to buy Obamacare. We have ourselves a liar and another phony story"

Groceries:

$150 is doable. It helps that I am a pretty basic, kindergarten eater; however, you can very much so purchase vegetables and healthy food on this budget. I buy store brand a lot of times. I purchase things on sale. I am by no means an extreme couponer, but I do indeed use them if I have one for an item I purchase on the regular. I also work part time at a, wait for it, RESTAURANT! I get a free meal with every shift.

My advise? Get out of the expensive grocery stores. Places like Publix and Whole Foods provide a great experience and all, but there is nothing wrong with a good Kroger or Trader Joe's.

Best stranger danger comment goes to:

"For $150/month, I assume she eats paper?"

401k

Not contributing up to the 6% match right now was hard for a lot of people to agree with; and I absolutely understand their reasoning. Rest assured, this will go up to 6% in order to get my current match percentage, but not until November when I am debt free. I already have an IRA from my previous company's 401k match that I rolled over. I was not following the Dave Ramsey theory for some of my 4 year employment there so I contributed a lot to that account. I also still have stocks from that same company which I have not touched.

Retirement contributions when in debt is a topic where Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman have a big difference of opinion. Although I took advise to from both as it stated in the article, in regards to this particular area, I chose Dave Ramsey's approach.

Best stranger danger comment goes to:

"If she actually paid attention to Suze Orman she'd know this. That's like her #1 tip to everybody."

Here is a spot on, positive reply to all of the above...

"She's probably more focused on the Dave Ramsey plan, which has you stop 401k contributions temporarily until you pay off all debt and save up 6 months of emergency fund. It can make sense that you focus on one thing before going to the next. That way she frees up all that debt money, when that's all freed up he urges to put 15% of your money (not including matches) into retirement each month. Yeah she is missing out on some company match right now, but she'll be putting 15% (if following his plan) away each month, which is MORE than most Americans stash away."

Overall winner of the stranger danger comments (It's a tie):

"Alcohol for home: $10 budgeted $21.93 spent. Priorities (3 of the crying laughing emojis)"

Agreed, and cheers to you, sir!

"Holy cow...we found a responsible millennial. Clone her quick before she gets a tattoo and starts taking pictures of her food."

I read the book Start by Jon Acuff earlier this year, and I wrote down this one quote in my notes even though it didn't pertain to me at the time. I thought that some of my friends might need to hear this one day as there have been times when someone will say a hateful thing about his or her's music when uploaded online for the masses. It helped me before it ever got a chance to help them:

"When someone leaves a hateful comment on your blog or tweets about you, that is the equivalent of someone driving by your house and yelling, “I hate your yard! Your heart must be horrible too!” You’d never listen to that person in real life. Don’t listen online."

For every negative comment (I spared you all of the vulgar ones), there was a positive one right behind it, so believe me, those are the ones I will take to heart. Bottom line, what I am doing is working; that is what matters. Thanks to everyone for all of the kind words and for reaching out with your own stories. I wish you all the best of luck in your personal finance journeys!

Click to view the first article on Business Insider: "Here's the budget of a 29-year-old who's almost done paying over $100,000 of student loans"

Click to view the second article on Business Insider: "A 29-year-old who's paid over $100,00 of student loans gives her two best pieces of debt-repayment advice"

Click to view the third article on Business Insider: "How a 29-year-old who's paid over $100,000 created her monthly budget"

From Triple to Single Digit Debt: I Am So Grateful

2016-07-06T09:57:00.000-05:00

Even though I never saw my debt have a balance in the triple digits, I have indeed paid triple digits. I am only $9k away from being finished. It feels so good to not have any number in front of or behind that 9. It feels surreal. I am so thankful for my journey. I am grateful God has blessed me with the ability to work and be in good health. There is no doubt, even in this less than ideal situation of mine, I have been blessed.

There are a lot of things a person can do to stay on track; there is an accountability that is hard to explain. However, a person could be on track and taking all of the appropriate steps, but for some reason keep getting knocked down: medical bills, car wreck, death in the family, etc. So many things are out of our control, and although we can plan for these things, we can’t see them coming. If these unfortunate events happen while we are in the beginning stages of planning and getting our feet wet with debt pay-off, it can really knock and keep a person down.

Looking back, it is very difficult to not see God’s protecting hand over my life. I have been paying off my student loans aggressively for the last 3 to 4 years; thankfully, nothing catastrophic happened to me in that time which allowed me to finally start winning with my debt snowball. Back when I was first starting, it would have only taken a gust of afternoon wind to knock me back into my same spending habits; now that I have some successful years under my belt, I am intentionally building up my financial life so that hopefully not even a hurricane can destroy it. I have not done this alone, God has been beside me every step of the way. I am beyond grateful for what I have been given and for the opportunity to learn from my twenties and build in my thirties.

Thank you Jesus for the single number I am seeing on my balance today!

I Was Featured on CNN Money!

2016-07-02T12:40:00.000-05:00

"4 Steps to Paying off Your Student Loans,
from Someone Who Crushed $100,000"

"4 Steps to Paying off Your Student Loans,
from Someone Who Crushed $100,000"
After connecting on Twitter, a CNN Money reporter reached out to me via email and asked for an interview. At first I thought the email must have been spam. It wasn't. So of course I said yes.

The phone conversations and emails that transpired woke me up to just how much I have paid off. Not that it didn't sink in before, but saying my financial story aloud from the very beginning to present day was quite the humbling experience.

I started this blog in 2010 and was so... ashamed isn't the correct word... sad. Sad about the amount of debt I had and therefor did not want anyone to know my feelings about it. After all, many of my friends had the same situation going on, but for whatever reason, no one spoke up about it other than the occasional griping over hefty monthly payments. I needed an outlet. So I created this blog. I had no idea that 6 years later it would land me on the front page of the personal finance section of CNN Money. But I am glad it did. Now that I am out of the woods, I am okay with everyone knowing this blog, and all of these words, are mine. The encouragement I received after the article published was simply unexpected and overwhelming.

I do not have a business set up where I charge people for financial advice. The article does not lead you to a website where a company I created can help you. It leads you here, to this blog; it is simply my story. And Katie Lobosco, the reporter, broke all of my ramblings into 4 simple steps. Those simple steps are what got me to where I am, and I hope others can follow suit from that. I have spent several hours with several different friends in the last 2-3 years quietly helping them create their budgets and debt pay-off plans. I have no idea what the future holds for me, career wise. It could be staying in corporate sales, singing/songwriting, music business, or it could be becoming a CFP and starting my own company; I just don't know yet. All of that to say, right now I am simply focused on the next 5 months of getting these loans out of my present day life.

If you would like to give it a read, you can find the article here.

I Went Bananas!

2016-06-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

My student loans weighed most heavily on me when I started this blog in 2010. I found the snowball approach in March of 2013. In 3 short years, I am 6 months away from being completely debt free.

In those 3 short years, I have paid a little over $77K.

In 6 months that will climb to a total of $91k.

That makes a total of $113k in payments since graduation in 2009.

Almost exactly 7 years to the day of payments.

Boy am I glad my student loan journey will be done in 7 years versus 25 to 30! What a burden it would be to carry this around for more than triple the amount of time I did. I understand, not everyone went as bananas as I did. Not everyone threw every penny they had at their loans.

I will be 100% honest, while I was busy concentrating on paying off my loans, I was worried about what my peers were getting to do with their extra money since they were just paying their monthly minimum. Here are a list of things I thought my peers would get to have that I do not because of my decision to pay off my debt:

- Roth IRA

- Fully stocked emergency fund

- Up-to-date wardrobe

- New car with all the modern features

- A house that they own

That’s a pretty adult looking list seeing as I, as well as my friends, are all 25-30 years old. But you know what reality is for them? It is not quite the set life I thought they were getting to live while I was slaving away. The majority of them do not have a Roth IRA, a fully stocked emergency fund, or house that they own. They do however have a semi up-to-date wardrobe, and for the most part, the majority of them have new cars. But you know what is a reality about that statement? They already want new clothes as well as a new car! They simply got to have little pleasures here and there that I didn’t, and I am 100% okay with that because it paid off for me in a massive way.

I say this not to knock my friends AT ALL. I say this because I was so concerned with what I thought I was missing out on that I let the envy drive me a little crazy at times, and I don’t want that same thinking to happen to you! Do I wish I would have started a Roth IRA at 16 years old? Hell yes. But I will be so grateful looking back when I am 50 that I started my Roth at 29 years old. Better a little late than never.

Yes, there are sacrifices in this debt-payoff game, but I cannot tell you how proud I am of myself for sticking to it and getting it all paid-off. It is a route no one around me was taking. Now I am 6 months out and am truly happy with the decision I made back in 2013. I am so glad I did this. Those 4 years of concentrated payments will change the next 20 to 25 years of my life.

If you’re reading this, and you too are on a debt-free journey, I hope you will learn from me not to be too hard on yourself; because before you know it, your journey will come to a close, and it will all have been worth it. Keep your head up, your thoughts fixed on your own finances, and the big picture in mind. Go bananas. Get it gone!

Be Vocal About Your Debt-Freedom Journey!

2016-05-30T10:43:00.000-05:00

My debt pay-off plans come out of my mouth before I even realize it does in many conversations with my peers. Sometimes I get blank stares because people either don’t realize the gravity of $113K in student loans or they simply don’t care. But it occurred to me that I seldom tell those who are older than me what I am doing. I don’t know if that is because they are somewhat out of the equation when it comes to people I speak with on a daily basis, or if I am concerned about how they will judge me for living my youth. After all, the norm these days is ‘YOLO,’ ‘Can’t take it with you,’ and ‘Live it up while you’re young!’

Whatever the reason, last night at my night job, I told two older managers of mine (that I have known for many years) that I hoped to be able to quit serving tables at that job in a couple of months. They asked where I was going and I told them nowhere, it is just that I will be debt-free at that point. I told them I have kept this night job while working a day job for so many years because I made it a goal to have all of my student loans paid off as fast as I possibly could. They were floored when I told them I have paid off over a hundred thousand dollars thus far. They genuinely celebrated with me and said so many kind words. That typically doesn’t happen. Typically I will get, “Wow cool, pay off mine next.” with a chuckle and a fast exit. I was floored they didn’t know that about me, but they indeed had no clue; they had no idea I had a reason for being a server other than to make some fun, side money.

So what did I learn from this? Tell everyone what you are going through, not just your peers! People you least expect could encourage you and celebrate your accomplishments. I didn’t feel that I needed any praise, but let me tell you, now that morning has come, I feel a smidge prouder of myself than I did yesterday. Praise helps. Praise should be welcomed. I am doing something many do not. I do stand out. It felt good to be noticed for that even if I was standing there covered in barbecue sauce while wearing a worn out apron.

The First Real Mistake I Ever Made

2016-05-19T11:31:00.000-05:00

The sky was the limit and the world was my oyster. I was going to be a star. A country star. And country stars belong in Nashville, Tennessee.

However, I was not going to be one that signed a horrible record contract I would spend my adult years trying to get out of. I was going to be smart by getting my education at Belmont University. No one will be able to take advantage of me because I will 100% know better. Music business here I come.

I didn’t let things like an 8-9% interest rate on a loan stop me because “you can always refinance after you graduate.” I learned the hard way that was indeed not true. I had made my first mistake before ever even stepping foot into the alluring spotlight of the music business. I made my first faulty steps by entering into a life altering contract with Sallie Mae. The worst part about it was I didn’t realize I had made this grave mistake until about a year or two after I graduated. Who knew my ‘be an educated artist’ plan would get derailed from a school loan long before a record contact was even visible? They did. Sallie Mae sees people like me coming every day. They capitalize on those people. And I don’t blame them. It was a bad decision on my part. Period.

Fast forward approximately 10 years and I am almost done paying that demon off. But you know what I lost in the meantime? That hypothetical record contract I so longed for as a young adult. I am still young, technically; I am 29. I was so screwed over by my first mistake with college loans I could not concentrate on how not to make another mistake in the music industry. All I could think about after graduation and the years to follow was how in the world I was going to right this financial wrong of mine. So in essence, that first business mistake robbed me of my chance at not making the mistake I was trying to avoid by learning the business side of the industry. Pretty ironic if you ask me. Maybe saying student loans are the reason I didn’t get a record contract is an excuse. There are so many country artists and songwriters who have ‘made it’ by doing whatever it takes. And whatever it takes most times means getting your car repossessed, defaulting on loans, and borrowing money from your family. I just couldn’t do that. I could not make that sacrifice. When advised that I should choose between my dream and my credit score, I picked the latter. I picked not defaulting on my loans, keeping my car, and leaving my parents and relatives out of my financial mess. I chose the safe road.

So here I am, 6 months away from closing my student loan chapter and about 7 years late on opening my music business chapter. There are outliers, but for the most part, music professionals will tell you your window of record contract opportunity becomes exponentially smaller once you surpass the age of 25. And about 10 times harder if you are a female.

So that’s great news given I am a 29 year old female.

I am very aware these loans were my decision. A decision that haunts and taunts me daily. I got a brief taste of the industry I so love right after college and then before I knew it, I was ripped out to work in boring corporate America with my business degree so that I could afford my new ‘welcome to adulthood’ loan payments. I have hustled by working 2 jobs and budgeted unlike anyone I know. Did I have to pay off my loans 15 years early? No. But I was so incredibly infuriated by them that I needed them gone.

I have many friends who are still in the music industry, and for the most part, they love what they do every day. I don’t know many success stories of singers who have ‘made it’ quite just yet, but the majority of my college friends stuck with music. However, they are also all still stuck with their loans and very much so living paycheck to paycheck. Perhaps there was a better path for us to have taken back then that didn’t include college. Perhaps there is a better path now we could be taking. Who knows, but what I have learned from all of this is that there is indeed such a thing as not being able to afford it. And although college is something that has been programmed into us as a necessity, there are other routes to explore that may not have college in it.

I do not regret my decision. I learned and experienced things at Belmont that will stick with me forever. However, to all who are reading this, I urge you to look for any and all possible paths before signing your freedom away to attend the college you think you “just have to go to.” I promise, there will be people around you who are successful that don’t have a minute of their time or a dime invested in a university; and there will be successful people around you who seem to be in a perpetual state of higher education. If you think you have the drive, determination, and the entrepreneurship to at least attempt your dream without the textbooks and professors, by all means, you owe it to yourself to try and blaze that trail. If the security of a degree is something you know you will need in order to stay sane, do it. But take it from me, (Ivy leagues aside) there is no real difference in having your degree come from an expensive private Christian university versus an affordable public university.

If you are just finishing high school and determining where you want to continue your education, please consider your choices very carefully, and don’t listen to the lenders and school advisers who will tell you and your parents how easy the repayment will be upon graduation; they cannot guarantee a thing. I made a mistake, and it took me a while to come to terms with that. How did I get to a place of acceptance and forgiveness? I learned from it. I learned to do the best I could in my situation, and try my very hardest to not have regret. The past could not be changed so I figured out how to make lemonade from my lemons. My hope is that if you are in a similar situation, you will try to find the positive, too. Fix the mistake with intention and grow from it.

So What if I Am STILL a Server!?

2016-04-29T10:08:00.002-05:00

I moved to Nashville to go to Belmont University in order to be in the music industry. I took a job right before enrolling at a downtown bar/restaurant/music venue to help support myself through school. Fast forward almost 9 years, and I am still working at this same place part-time on nights and weekends in order to help support my Belmont student loan pay-off. I am no longer in the music industry as I took a job in corporate America working 8-5 for a bigger salary in order to pay off the loans I accumulated while at Belmont.

This bar/restaurant/music venue is a tourist place for sure; we do not have ‘regulars,' and for the most part, I seldom see any friends there that reside in Nashville. However, being the music venue that we are, we sometimes have up-and-coming country bands play for a spot to be a regular house band of ours. That being said, I was working last night and there were 4 different up-and-coming bands playing. It seemed like it was going to be a normal night in tourist town except that I kept seeing people I knew. They were all there to see their friends play in the various bands. A couple of them came up to me to say hello and to tell me they were there with so and so who is currently on stage. My conversations with them were quick given it was a busy night for me, but out of the 5 people I saw and conversed with, 2 of them made it a point to insinuate the word still in conversation with my employment there. They said it in the oh so southernly sweet, ‘bless your heart’ kind of way, but the insult was heard loud and clear.

I felt embarrassed and ashamed. There they were in their cute, bright colored spring clothes with their high heeled shoes hanging out with the band; there I was in my dark barbecue covered t-shirt looking like a sweaty mess sporting an old baggy apron still working as a server. Then my pride kicked in and I thought of how great it is to be 6 months away from a debt-freedom that a few of them may never experience. I know at least one of those ladies still have college loans and there is no telling what else the rest have financed along the way.

So yes, I am still a server.

Drinking From the Same Lemonade Stand

2016-04-05T09:39:00.001-05:00

I keep my expenses low and pay off debt.

Some don’t.

Does that make me better than them? No. Lately I have been trying to not judge others too harshly on their personal decisions because they are just that, their personal decisions. I can try and explain to my friends and peers the benefits of my financial lifestyle, but at the end of the day, I need to be okay with them choosing their own way. And I also need to be okay with them judging me for my ways as well.

I get aggravated when I watch friends who I know are in student loan and credit card debt go on shopping sprees, finance cars that are way beyond what they can afford, drink all that Starbucks has to offer, eat out every night, and vacation like it’s their job. All of these friends are in their 20s. The decisions they are making now will follow them into the remainder of their adult lives. It is not my place to say my method is better than theirs, but I get aggravated when they casually ask for financial advice, I provide them with such, and they eventually veer off until they are in the complete opposite direction of what we discussed.

Many think a hyper-focused method of paying off debt is nothing more than an unhealthy obsession; brainwashing via various financial experts if you will. However, I disagree. Is it different? Weird? Extreme? You bet. Does that make it brainwashing? No. And unfortunately being debt-free seems all three of those aforementioned things because so many Americans have turned their back on their own finances. Paying off debt is merely a personal discipline in order to better your future.

Debt pay-off takes WORK, FOCUS, DEDICATION and SACRIFICE, and since those are not normal actions for most people, they wrap the idea of it up as a package labeled CrAzY in their minds. But ask any millionaire how they got where they are, and I bet the answer will have nothing to do with them staying in debt.

For those of us in debt: we were all handed the same sour lemons. As life tells us to do, we make lemonade out of them. Some of us are paying 25 cents to drink it from paper cups and some of us are paying $1 to drink it out of crystal glasses. The ones momentarily sacrificing the finer things in life by drinking from the 25 cent paper cups will be able to afford their pitcher faster and move on to a non-lemon beverage. Those drinking from the $1 crystal will be stuck in their lemon situation for longer than they need to be before they can move on to something better. Either way, it is the same lemonade that we are all drinking, but ultimately, it’s the decision of how we handle it while it is in our hands that counts. Ditch the crystal, drink from paper for a while. You’ll thank yourself later.

9 Months Away From Debt Freedom!

2016-03-10T11:16:00.000-06:00

I borrowed 68k in August of 2007, started repayment in December of 2009, and will make my final payment in December of 2016. How much will I have paid in those approximate 7 years you ask? $113k. Yep. That’s 45k more than I borrowed. The scary part is, so many graduates are in the same boat I am, but they do not do the math to figure out the numbers of how upside down they are. They simply pay their minimums each month for years on end without actually seeing just how much they are paying the lender. I know 45k is bad, but trust me, there are friends in my circle alone who are already at that total with 15+ years to go.

I am at peace with my numbers. I will never do something like that EVER again, but I am finally at peace with it. If you have followed me from the start of this blog in 2010, you know that peace was not something I had; I had hate, envy, bitterness, and deep regret.

I am okay with the fact that I attended Belmont University. I do not have any hate towards them or myself any longer for the debt that I got into. I have forgiven myself for the mistake I made. I am done overthinking the past because there is nothing I can do about it. There is no time machine, just the breath that God has chosen to give you each morning, and for that you must be thankful and move forward with your life.

I am truly grateful that I found out about Dave Ramsey when I did in 2013. I honestly can’t remember how I stumbled upon his teachings, but I for sure know I will be forever thankful that I did.

This is not me signing off, but merely keeping you all updated. I hope you are all doing well on your paths, and as always, feel free to email me if you need any advice or want to know more about my debt payoff process. I am 100% happy to help.

ohthesestudentloans@gmail.com

Target (The Store)

2016-03-04T13:10:00.000-06:00

I usually refrain from shopping at this store due to the overwhelming temptation to buy everything. From the enticing smell and trendiness of Starbucks greeting you upon arrival, to every single (this is so me!) item screaming your name, it is, at the end of the day, a place I cannot afford to love. I am often price comparing groceries, and Target has never really won any store comparisons, but lately I have heard they are a little lower on a couple of items. There is a store on the way home from my normal shopping places, so I stopped in to get 4 grocery items they offered a low price on.

When checking out, my total on the screen was $8.22. The cashier said aloud, $82.20 then quickly corrected himself and apologized by saying, “Sorry, I am used to seeing large totals all day.” I chuckled and told him I completely understood. Then as I was walking out, I felt sad for a moment, and the Starbucks that so enticingly greeted me upon arrival was now mocking me upon my departure. I felt poor. Poor for only buying $8.22 worth of items in this super-store; then poor again because who wouldn’t love a delicious $5 latte, but I simply didn’t have room for that impulse buy in my budget.

Then, as it always does, pride came around and got in my passenger seat as I was pulling out of the store. I could have purchased hundreds of dollars’ worth of merchandise. I could have purchased that $5 latte. I chose not to. I chose not to because what I truly want is to be debt-free, and to keep the momentum of throwing a couple grand a month at my student loans; not to have that perfect tote bag, or to have that wonderful smelling candle on my dresser. I can have those things later down the road, but for right now, I have a way bigger goal in mind, and I would be foolish to place a bag and a candle as a roadblock in my own path. By the time I got home, I felt overjoyed about my $8.22 purchase, and more motivated than ever to keep going.

I am not saying I always walk away from tote bags and Starbucks, but for the majority I do, and in this instance, I did. And I can tell you, it feels better in the long run to walk away. For those of my peers still in debt and prowling the isles of Target, may the odds be ever in your favor. My hope for you is that you find an accountability friend. A friend you should alert when entering Target so that he/she can give you a fake emergency call about 30 minutes into your trip that ultimately saves you from the super-store’s predatory ways; just as you would want on a horrible first date. That right there sounds like my kind of friendship. Stay the path, friends!

Happy Last Month of 2015!

2015-12-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

Hello out there. I figured it was time to check-in and provide an update or two on where I am these days J

I have a new job. Still corporate America, still a cubical, and still 8-5. BUT I like it a lot better than the previous one that I was at for the past 4 years. Although it was a lateral move, salary wise, there are budget saving aspects about it that will make it feel as if I got a pay increase for jumping ship:

- It is 4 minutes from my house. That shaves off approximately 40 minutes each way every day and saves a ton of gas. Also, no more interstates every single day; thank you, Jesus!

- They have a parking lot. It is free. No more having to give $65 a month to a crappy downtown parking garage to be able to park while at work. (Side note here, their parking spots are just a few steps away from the door which means no more elevators, escalators, stairs, and having to walk 1/3 of a mile outside just to get to your office. HUGE quality of life improvement!)

- They do not have any restaurants, grocery stores, and cafes in walking distance like the previous job. So no more breakfast, lunch and snack buying temptations; I eat what I bought to eat from the grocery store that week. Sadly, that means no more Starbucks either, so there’s $25 a month alone.

So, where am I at on my loans? I last updated y’all on my balance in mid-June; it was at $36k then. I am happy to report that now, approximately 5 and a half months later, my loan balance is at $26k. So 10 grand down from my last update J

I am still aiming to be debt-free by late next near.

Be a Unicorn

2015-08-12T10:49:00.000-05:00

Being normal is easy. Too easy. It is a path that is very alluring in every way. Want this? Well, buy it, finance it, or put it on a credit card and it’s yours. It will never stop; you will always want more. You will want what he has or what she has or what they have. It is a nightmare that will be on replay your entire life. I don’t’ want to live like that. However, a lot of my peers do and they don’t even realize it. I am not in any way perfect with my budget, and believe me, I have expensive wants, but I do feel that I have a sense of control over it. What first made me realize this was reading Dave’s slogan, “Debt is normal. Be weird.” It is SO TRUE. Everywhere you look, people are in debt. And the problem with that? They don’t see a problem!! Because? It’s normal!! Face palm. If that’s the norm, normal sucks.

Sure, there are people who have been and always will be financially responsible. I have a large amount of student loan debt to pay off. Some don’t. But working through my pay-off plan, I have stumbled across many other things I would have never stopped to take the time to research: 401k, stock options, Roth IRA, etc. I hope to be debt free and in retirement saving mode by the time I am 29, almost 30. Talk about a goal I never thought I’d never thought I’d have at 29! Are there people out there my age who are debt-free and already have a significant amount in the bank and in their retirement? You bet. But I’m also willing to bet it is not a huge percentage of folks. I want to join that small percent. I want to pass up the beautiful Michael Kors purse and matching wallet so that I can put that money towards financial freedom. And knowing that my TJ Maxx purse is a symbol of that, makes me feel not so ashamed toting it around town.

Debt snowballing is not really normal. There are people who know nothing about it and there are people who wholeheartedly disagree with it. But that’s okay. I know I am going against the grain here, and when I stop to think about where my motivation comes from to keep this going, it is precisely that; I’m not normal. I am doing something very few people are doing and I think that is cool. I am standing out in a crowd. I am a unicorn.

Help Me I’m Poor (How I stay social in a world of Helens)

2015-08-04T14:30:00.001-05:00

It is frowned down upon to take trips, go out on the town, and go out to eat while in debt; and for good reason. However, being a single female in my 20s, this area around being social is something I am not willing to completely put the brakes on. This is how I reasonably stay social with many different groups of friends while still paying off chunks of debt each month.

You all know how to save money and watch your spending; if you are anything like me, you’ve scrolled through news feed article after news feed article on how to save x dollars when doing x activity. The knowledge is there. But most of the time, the behavior is not. We all (or at least I) view the penny pinching method as a cheap play penny-pinchers use to save a dime; and for some reason, that theory has a negative connotation tied to it. BUT IT IS INDEED EFFECTIVE. Penny pinching doesn’t have to be viewed as sitting in a cardboard box, reading free magazines that you find next to newspaper stands because you don’t have cable and no longer own a cell phone. There is a happy medium that you should strive to find. To quote some Dave here, “Winning at money is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge.”

Social Parties (Birthday, Wedding, Baby Shower, etc.):

- Cards: Buy a pack of cute, blank cards at your local craft store. Most come in packs of 12 for $1. That is 12 different occasions you can have a cute card and write what you want in it for less than 10 cents a card versus spending $4 on a store bought one every single time. I have already plowed through 2 packs of these this year saving myself almost $100.

- Packaging/Wrapping: Again, craft stores and/or the dollar tree. Buy ribbon/twine/wrapping/tissue paper by the bulk and save yourself money and time. There is no reason to spend $3 on a paper bag, $2 on tissue paper and another $3 on a ribbon to watch it be thrown away once opened – every. single. time. That adds $8 to the gift you already spent money on! You can find really cute things at Hobby Lobby or Michaels (and both have coupons online); if you aren’t crafty, just take a gander at Pinterest if you need some basic ideas.

- Pot Lucks: You don’t need to bring your cream of the crop buffalo chicken dip that costs $20-$25 to make each time, or the chicken and dumplings that also cost $20 as well as 4 hours of your time. And you don’t need to be the one who brings the huge meat platter which costs more than I care to know (keep in mind here I am a single female, and the Helen’s of the world are all married J - two incomes versus my one). Look online or to Pinterest for cheap (but delicious) recipes. Don’t show up somewhere empty handed or with a pan of brownies sporting a huge, bright orange 2.99 sticker on top of it when your other friends/co-workers spent time and money on their contribution. You can make a dish that tastes great, and looks presentable without breaking the bank.

Dining out:

- Food: Order an appetizer as a meal. If you are purchasing a meal, do not also order an appetizer. Try and split with a friend if possible.

- Drinks: Skip the soft drinks and opt for water. Do not buy the $12 cocktail. Do not buy the $11 cocktail. Ask for specials. No specials, but by God you want a drink? Order a cheap beer. Don’t like beer? Ask for a well liquor or wine. Again, do not buy the $12 cocktail.

- The Check: Believe me on this one, I have been a part-time server for 8 years. When out with others, say yes to individually split checks. There will ALWAYS be that one person in your group every now and again who will say “put it all on one check and we can all split it”. NO. Is it easier on the server? Yep. Is it easier on your budget? Nope. What happens every time is, the person who ordered an appetizer and a water pays the same amount as the girl who ordered the entrée and $12 cocktail. You don’t want to make a scene and ask that you contribute $8 less than everyone else do you? Yeah, she didn’t think so.

*Always remember to tip your server at least 20%, there is no tip or trick to this one.

Grocery Shopping:

- Coupons: you don’t need to look like you are auditioning for extreme couponing, but if there is a coupon that arrives with the junk mail in your mailbox for $1 off of the sunscreen you know you’ll need for your beach trip coming up, cut that puppy out and use it! No shame.

- Location: Yes, Publix looks pretty and the people are oh so sweet, but 7 times out of 10, they are way more expensive than Wal-Mark or Kroger. Take a journey on down the street and save you some money, you won’t be plastered on PeopleofWalMart.com by just walking in the door, I promise.

- Plan Ahead: If you have a road trip coming up, buy your snacks, drinks, and alcohol beforehand so that you do not pay the mark-up at gas stations or tourist traps.

Trip/Vacations:

- Where: Obviously you will not be the only one who determines where your group goes, but you do have a say and can try to sway your group to agree with you. Just like in Bridesmaids, there will be the friend who suggests Vegas every time; try to not. If you want to gamble, suggest a closer gambling place – such as Tunica or Biloxi or wherever is close to you.

- Who: As many people as you can fit. I am very fortunate to have friends who, for the most part, have the same mentality as myself when it comes to trips. We travel to places we can drive to and stay in places where one person may be on the couch and the single ladies roll 2 or 3 deep in one room (bed count/size depending) so that it can be cost-efficient.

- What to do: Just about anything but shop. Hanging out at the beach is a free activity. Hiking in the mountains is a free activity. We spend a lot of our time in the beach house or mountain cabin that we paid for so when we do get out and about in the town it is usually for only a day.

Other Social Tips:

- Feel like seeing a movie? Try and host a RedBox night instead.

- All of your friends have manicures and pedicures? Paint your nails yourself.

- Want a clean car? Wash it yourself, don’t take it to get detailed.

- Want to read the same books everyone is reading? Get a free library card.

- Want new clothes? You don’t have to shop at Nordstrom or Saks, check out a department store or TJ Maxx.

Once you get used to being aware of your spending, you will be less and less tempted to buy the $15 candle because it smells nice, the $45 shirt that you just have to have, the $30 hat because it is on sale, the $27 bracelet because you can’t have too many, the $150 purse because everyone else has it, and the $100 work out pants because you just can’t work-out in anything else. At first I felt a tad out of my comfort zone; I felt cheap and judged (mainly by my own self). But now that I have spent a lot of time in this spending behavior, it has very much so become the norm, and my old spending behavior feels out of my comfort zone. It is not something I am super focused on, it is not something I talk about all of the time, it does not hold me back, nor does it brand me; I am simply aware and in control. I promise you, it gets easier and easier to walk on by the things you do not need and did not plan to purchase.

The majority of these examples have to do with little things, but for me, the little things can really add up. Notice the title of this blog is not “How to stay social” it is “How I stay social.” Big difference. What I do may not work for you in the slightest, or maybe it does, but either way, it does indeed start and end with your behavior. There is a reason these “how-to” articles work for some and fail miserably for others; it all comes down to what you can realistically stick to. If you know without a doubt you absolutely positootly cannot live without Starbucks, no matter the price, then for heaven’s sake, don’t read an article about saving $800 a year by cutting out Starbucks. OF COURSE you are going to fail. Aim realistically. And by the way, please don’t be spending $800 a year at Starbucks – that really is a problem J

Another Grand Bites the Dust

2015-06-18T11:50:00.000-05:00

I put down $1,000 today towards my student loans and it got me thinking that I haven’t updated you fine folks on the numbers in a couple of months. Here is where I am at:

As I stated back in March, I was able to get a consolidation (praise!) and my new outstanding loan total that I financed was 43K. As of today, my total balance is around 36K. I have paid off approximately 7K since the beginning of April.

For those of you following me since my first “holy smokes I am in some deep water and am about to drown” realization back in 2010 (73k in the hole), then to my “okay, I am pissed about this debt and I am about to tackle it” phase in 2013 (79K in the hole):

I HAVE PUT DOWN 54 THOUSAND DOLLARS

IN A MATTER OF 28 MONTHS.

(About 43K being principal, the other 11K being ridiculous interest)

I say this not to brag. I say this to motivate you. I say this to say that If I can, you can. Get mad. Get motivated. Get started!

You don’t have to have a consolidation to win with this. You can tackle this on your own without a consolidation; yes, it may cost you a bit more if your interest is high like mine was, but if that is the case, keep trying to consolidate in the background, but move! move! move! at all times on extra payments. Paying down that smallest debt first needs to be your priority.

All that motivation aside, allow me to get real with you for a moment. There is great joy found in paying down a debt you owe, but there are also the ever present Smith’s, and their besties, the Jones’ – aka, the modern day wants:

My current pain point: I want a new car like bad.

I still have a positive outlook overall on my debt management, especially in comparison to where I was a couple of years ago; however, here lately, it has been really hard to keep driving my Honda. And when I say 'I want a new car like bad', I do indeed mean somewhat used. I have had the same Honda since I was 16, so after driving it for 12 years, I am REAL ready for something different. It has relatively low miles (150K) so I know this thing will last me another year or two, but I just want to trade her in like pronto.

On the contrary, I read a chapter out of 'Total Money Makeover' the other night and there was a line in there that struck a chord. It said something to the effect of how Dave Ramsey passionately believes he and his wife were able to win with money due to their willingness to drive old beater cars in the beginning of their makeover. I know this is true because I am projecting to be completely debt free in about 18 or 19 months; again, completely debt free!! However, if I cave and get a new car now, I will most definitely be looking at 30+ months before I would be debt free. That’s 10 or more months of having to stay in the same job that I am not super fond of, that’s 10 more months of ‘edge living’ by delaying the start of a fully funded emergency fund, and the list goes on...

Help reassure this wordy birdy that I can indeed put on my mature pants and WAIT a while before I go purchasing something I know I cannot afford yet. I need not to finance another thing, even if the payments would be completely doable and relatively low. Amen? Amen!

Adjusting the Sails (Living with Intention)

2015-04-07T20:13:00.000-05:00

Moving forward, I am going to aim at an overall tone of positivity for this blog as well as its accompanying Twitter account. Instead of pointing my finger at ole’ Aunt Sallie, I will try and point my finger towards meaningful things that bring hope and have a chance at making an impact in the lives of those who read this blog.

Make no mistake, I am not agreeing that the repayment system is no longer unfair and stepping down from the fight; that is not the case. However, now that I myself am out of the deep waters and can begin to see land, I will lock in my line of sight straight towards home. Straight towards home INTENTIONALLY and with a POSITIVE attitude by my side. Looking back to where I was, I think I found great comfort in searching for and joining the online team of ‘Sallie Mae haters’; there was a common level of understanding within that community. I think what I really needed to know, aside from the fact that there were other people aboard, was that intentional living and positive motivation on a constant basis would be the extra power that would steer my boat safely towards shore.

It is easy to have hate in your heart. It is easy to point the blame. It is easy to get overwhelmed. You have to decide to make the switch into beast mode and challenge the peanut butter and ramen noodles out of yourself. And beast mode is indeed what it takes. Thankfully, I have found both Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey to be very relatable, and that is the reason I have stuck with it; you may not find any hope or inspiration in their words, and if that is the case, I encourage you to seek out other financial advisers/approaches until you find one that motivates you.

My hope is that this blog can now serve a community of people who have chosen to live an intentional life of positivity all for the purpose of getting their boat to shore. I for one know that I was completely fed up with sitting out in the middle of the ocean with a bunch of other motionless boats just waiting in anticipation for the next storm. Something clicked and I realized I had to be the captain of my own boat and do something DIFFERENT if I had any chance of getting to shore. My love for those still remaining motionless out in the ocean runs deep; to them I send out this blog as an SOS received in hopes that they too can implement the necessary steps to have their compasses point them home.

I don't plan to delete any of my previous postings as it helps for me to read about my darkest days so that I have a reminder of just how far I have come. I know this struggle has made me a stronger and much wiser person. Believe me when I say I am not to shore yet, (I still need about 40K more to get me there) but the fact that I can see land is something I will never take for granted. Since intentionally staying focused and trying my best to think in a positive manner has gotten me this far, I am going to stick with it. My hope is that you do as well; because when you do, that also helps me to do the same. Together we can get to shore; besides, what fun is it going to be if I get to shore and am the only survivor?

Stay positive. WE GOT THIS.

"It's not only moving that creates new starting points. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective, an opening of the mind, an intentional pause and reset, or a new route to start to see new options and new possibilities."
― Kristin Armstrong
“Impact is never about knowing all the steps ahead, but about taking one intentional step after the other.”
― Bidemi Mark-Mordi

“Empowerment is the intentional absence of negativity.”
― Stephanie Lennox