Student loans killing me!! stressed!

MrNurse(x2), ADN · May 24, 2018

Just graduating out of highschool I had no idea what I was getting myself in to and now looking back regret not going to a school in my state or even a community college. Learning my lesson now so really don't need to be to be lectured on that. No I did not ask them to pay to fix my car I'm a traveling nurse and most travel agencies will help you with a rental car since you are traveling for your assignments. That being said my company is not one of those. In regards to the "what sort of privileged life have you lived" comment makes me laugh because my family grew up with nothing and lived off of food stamps for the first part of my childhood.
I went to school at the university of Arkansas. Most of my family are not college graduates so I didn't have a lot of guidance with what to do with my fianances and college.
Would appreciate some constructive criticism instead of the rude comments from some you. Everyone is brought up differently and everyone makes mistakes. All we can do is learn from them.

So you may not like this, but when you put this out there, you may get hard truths. You incurred these debts. Food stamps are a benevolent benefit of the people of this great nation, a benefit that may lead to entitlement, that feeling that the government should always fix our problems. I encourage you to search your heart and conscience and see if any of these attitudes live there. These debts are yours, do massive OT and live on beans and rice or rice and beans until you see some light.

SC_RNDude · May 24, 2018

Although working on lowering this debt should be a priority, please find a balance when doing so. You only live once.

How would you feel if you ate nothing but Ramon noodles, used corn starch for deodorant, worked extra shifts every week, and never went on any kind of vacation for years on end and god-forbid you come down with cancer or something?

Or, if the Bernie Sanders type crowd gets their way and student loan debt is erased?

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · May 24, 2018

So you may not like this, but when you put this out there, you may get hard truths. You incurred these debts. Food stamps are a benevolent benefit of the people of this great nation, a benefit that may lead to entitlement, that feeling that the government should always fix our problems. I encourage you to search your heart and conscience and see if any of these attitudes live there. These debts are yours, do massive OT and live on beans and rice or rice and beans until you see some light.

She knows she messed up, knows she should have done Comm College or at least an in-state college/university.

She is stressed and reaching out for some encouragement and wisdom, not holier-than-thou hate such as you have posted. you figure you have or had it rough, so everyone else should, too. Maybe you could get some counseling.

Lecturing her on ethics, morality, financial wisdom shows only that you think you are entitled to kick your fellow man while he's down. Shame on you.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · May 24, 2018

So you may not like this, but when you put this out there, you may get hard truths. You incurred these debts. Food stamps are a benevolent benefit of the people of this great nation, a benefit that may lead to entitlement, that feeling that the government should always fix our problems. I encourage you to search your heart and conscience and see if any of these attitudes live there. These debts are yours, do massive OT and live on beans and rice or rice and beans until you see some light.

She knows she messed up, knows she should have done Comm College or at least an in-state college/university.

She is stressed and reaching out for some encouragement and wisdom, not holier-than-thou hate such as you have posted. you figure you have or had it rough, so everyone else should, too. Maybe you could get some counseling.

Lecturing her on ethics, morality, financial wisdom shows only that you think you are entitled to kick your fellow man while he's down. Shame on you.

nursinglove30 · May 24, 2018

I would plan my life on only two weeks take home pay and use the remaining two weeks pay to just pay the loans. If you work extra shifts, use that money toward the loans as well. Trying to limit yourself on basic needs will be challenging but if you plan life well on 50% of your income, you can do it. Also make sure you have about 1 month expense saved in bank before doing this. Good luck to ya.

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · May 25, 2018

And do not buy the book. Get it at the library for free.
Do not buy new clothes, household items, or anything you can get free or for a lot less at thrift shops and yard/garage/estate sales.
Ramen noodles, peanut butter, crackers, beans, soup, pasta, cheapest cuts of meat. Learn to cook, don't eat out.
Take the bus instead of having to pay for and insure a car.
Food pantries. These also often have hygiene items - soap, shampoo, deodorant (use corn starch or zinc oxide cream), etc., and household soaps, bleach, and so on.
No beauty shops or nail salons, tanning salons, subscriptions, memberships, even donating to anything; no buying girl scout cookies or any other items being sold by coworkers (maybe you should buy from the boss, though if that ever comes up).
Join the Y to exercise and shower if you have to join anything. Get financial aid there.
Ask local charities for help with utilities and any other expenses.
Someone above posted that travel nursing doesn't help with PSLF loan forgiveness. Do look into this.
Find a church or other group where you can make friends, maybe receive some counseling.
Just be patient and be smart, discipline yourself. Best wishes.
Just pinch every penny 10 times before you spend it, is my point.

Hi,

I am kind of put off by your suggestions of using the food pantry and using local charities to pay utilities!!! Those are meant for people who do not have a job or are otherwise struggling because of low income, not someone who just wants extra money to pay off student loans!!!!

It's one thing if the OP was unable to buy food etc, but it doesn't sound that way, and it sounds like she is capable or working extra shifts!

This is the exact reason why I no longer donate money or food to pantries and other charities, because people feel entitled and take advantage of it rather than working harder!

Annie

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · May 25, 2018

Although working on lowering this debt should be a priority, please find a balance when doing so. You only live once.
How would you feel if you ate nothing but Ramon noodles, used corn starch for deodorant, worked extra shifts every week, and never went on any kind of vacation for years on end and god-forbid you come down with cancer or something?
Or, if the Bernie Sanders type crowd gets their way and student loan debt is erased?

I am with this poster. I kind of laugh at the Dave Ramsey stuff because essentially he wants you to live like your income is at the poverty level so you can pay debt off, which in my opinion means less enjoyment in life. You could be dead before those debts are even payed or just after you payed them off, so enjoy life while you are healthy enough too and you are here, not after your debts are paid off! Of course don't add to the debt, but just pay it off as best you can while you are still able to enjoy having money!

Annie

klone, MSN, RN · May 25, 2018

She is stressed and reaching out for some encouragement and wisdom, not holier-than-thou hate such as you have posted. you figure you have or had it rough, so everyone else should, too. Maybe you could get some counseling.
Lecturing her on ethics, morality, financial wisdom shows only that you think you are entitled to kick your fellow man while he's down. Shame on you.

Are we reading two different posts? Where on earth did you get "hate" from what he wrote?

"Shame on you" really??

Daisy4RN · May 25, 2018

She knows she messed up, knows she should have done Comm College or at least an in-state college/university.
She is stressed and reaching out for some encouragement and wisdom, not holier-than-thou hate such as you have posted. you figure you have or had it rough, so everyone else should, too. Maybe you could get some counseling.
Lecturing her on ethics, morality, financial wisdom shows only that you think you are entitled to kick your fellow man while he's down. Shame on you.

MrNurses response did not sound like hate or holier-that-thou to me. I think it is good to advise people to try to take care of themselves and clean up their own messes instead of looking to others to do it for them. No hate there!

NurseBlaq · May 26, 2018

I'm first generation American citizen and my family immigrated fr. a 3rd world country. When you don't have guidance when it comes to education we find it ourselves. The first though to bettering your life wasn't how much it was going to cost right? You wanted an education and thought the American opportunity will help you. That's too bad you didn't qualify for the forgiveness loan or even some of it. Keep trying though! Make sure they are federal govt. loans because if its private sallie mae/navient they won't pay for that.
As for Dave Ramsey he helped me pay 70K in debt in 1.5 years. there are a lot of people who follow his steps to a debt free life. I wish you the best!

1.5 years?!!!! Mind getting into my messages and helping me find the holy grail of debt management? Please and thank you. :whistling:

NurseBlaq · May 26, 2018

Hi,
I am kind of put off by your suggestions of using the food pantry and using local charities to pay utilities!!! Those are meant for people who do not have a job or are otherwise struggling because of low income, not someone who just wants extra money to pay off student loans!!!!
It's one thing if the OP was unable to buy food etc, but it doesn't sound that way, and it sounds like she is capable or working extra shifts!
This is the exact reason why I no longer donate money or food to pantries and other charities, because people feel entitled and take advantage of it rather than working harder!
Annie

Hi Annie,

I completely agree except not donating. Food pantries have people verify their income before they give food or money so not donating would actually hurt the cause. Please donate, there are many out there who need it.

I am skeptical too. Some charities I don't donate to and choose to donate directly to people I know in need.

Don't mean to lecture you, just want you to know donation is a good thing and it's not all flawed.

Have a good day!

Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM · May 26, 2018

Hey guys,
so im in a ton of student loan debt about $110k to be exact. Found out last week debt of edu disqualified me from the loan forgiveness program TWO years ago despite turning in all my paperwork. I never got any letter/email stating they were disqualifying me either. I just happened to stumble upon some small print after I logged in to my account last week to make a payment. Needless to say I've been extremely stressed and feel like I'm drowning. I almost made a couple mistakes while at work because I think subconsciously I'm so stressed and distracted about my loans...then that made me even more stressed thinking about how I could've potentially harmed a patient (looking at the wrong patients lab results and almost replacing potassium when it was
already elevated). Thankfully I caught myself before giving it but I feel stuck. Plus I'm a travel nurse so I feel like my license is even more on the line at times. Always wanted to move out of the country or do a mission trip overseas for 6 months, but feel like I can't even do what I've always dreamed about because of my loans.
On top of it my car broke down and my travel agency won't help me out. They said they would take the cost out of my paycheck. So I went and rented a car myself and ended up denting it on a short pole that I couldnt see when backing out of a driveway. ðŸ¤¯
Any advice on loans, how you deal with stress, etc would be helpful!
thanks all

I would recommend a financial counselor. Why would you think that renting a car would be cheaper than fixing the one you have?

Unfortunately, if you make less than $110K, unless you make some MAJOR sacrifices, you have less than a 5% chance of every paying off those loans in your lifetime.

You can't even afford to live by yourself. Work two jobs and get a roommate, that is the only way you are going to dig yourself out or join the military.