ladysprite: (Default)
ladysprite ([personal profile] ladysprite) wrote2001-12-04 06:45 am
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Disgrace period

Last night I just got a notice in the mail that my grace period for my student loans is over. Time to start paying everything back. I knew it would be bad, but there's a difference between knowing something abstractly and holding the bill in your hands.

$780 a month, give or take. On top of the bills I'm already paying from undergrad, which are about $380 a month. Ack. I was living on less than that per month when I was in school. How on God's green earth am I going to find the money for that? I was safe. I was managing to pay my bills, and put away a little bit of money, with the budget I already had. Now... now this huge monstrous fiend of a student loan comes along and starts gnawing on my checkbook like a hollow-toothed government viper, sucking away my livelehood. I know it's my own fault, I know I chose this willingly, and I shouldn't complain, but being charged this much to take a low-paying job saving lives does seem kind of frustrating.

I don't know how I'll afford it. I don't know if my income will cover it. What if I can't pay it? I can pare down my expenses a little - lose the cable and the internet connection, but other than that everything is a necessity. If I go into default, I'm hosed for life. I won't be able to save any money as is, I'll be broke and scraping poverty level for the next 30 years.

I'm trying not to panic. I'm applying for consolidation, that will help a little. And my bills will go down a bit next year if my boyfriend and I move in together. But I'm so scared. What if I can't pay it? What if I spend my life living just like a starving college student and it's not enough? Then what?

[identity profile] filkerdave.livejournal.com 2001-12-04 07:29 am (UTC)(link)
First things first. Try to consolidate and cut back, and then get in contact with the people holding the loan and arrange for a payment plan that you can meet on your income.

And feel free to rant at us. That's what we're HERE for

I know what you mean.

[identity profile] browngirl.livejournal.com 2001-12-04 11:06 am (UTC)(link)
My college loans alone are choking me. One I'm not in regular repayment on because I can't afford it on a budget I can make myself stick to (I deferred my life till I was 18, I refuse to any longer).

I have no good advice, just an offer to share my meager pottage of beans. :)

*big hug*

*HUG*

[identity profile] autographedcat.livejournal.com 2001-12-04 01:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't have any useful advice either, since my own fiscal management has been historically pretty haphazard (and something I'm trying to change), but I'm here in any way i can be for you. Yeah, it'll be tough, but with discipline and a little creativity, I have faith you'll find the way.

I wish I had more than a big hug to offer! *HUG*

-R