God damnit! For fucking real

No that’s completely logical. I use myself as an example when explaining- no one forced me to take out the loans. However, to get the job I wanted, I needed the degree and to get the degree I needed the loans. No fasfa, minimal scholarships (that’s on me, I didn’t take things seriously enough).

Fast forward 4 years. I have the degree, I’m working on getting the job. Interest rate is nearly 8% (I’d been paying interest for 4 years already without making a dent in the principal). In lieu of one great job, I’m working 3 shitty ones so I can make ends meet.

My loan payment was some $1400 a month (including interest). Then there’s gas for my car as well as maintenance, car insurance, phone bill, camera gear (one of my gigs was freelance videography), no rent since I couldn’t afford to leave my parents, grocery money, some money for the occasional night out (nothing crazy mind you, a few beers with the boys), birthday and Christmas gifts, and those miscellaneous expenses that end up adding up (clothing for work, haircuts, dry cleaner, amenities, etc etc.)

At that point I barely had my head above the water, and I’m sure there’s many people in a very similar situation). I’m fortunate enough to not have defaulted because of great personal work ethic and a strong mind but I’ll admit, it started to drive me crazy.

Now I’m on my second year with an excellent company with near unlimited room to grow. I’ve moved out (moving in again soon to save $$$), and seemingly have my shit together. Refinanced my loans down to around $900 a month and got a better (fixed) interest rate.

Here’s the catch though- I can still hardly contribute to the economy in a meaningful way. Since I’m still a debtor, I see no point in spending what little money I have left over after bills on frivolous things and going out. More than anything I want to travel, eat at amazing restaurants, buy gear for my hobbies (all outdoors stuff that requires quality gear think surf/snow/scuba).

I basically just grind and grind and grind. 5 days, 40 hours, 53.5 weeks a year. It’s exhausting. I still find solace in my hobbies but at the end of the day I’m still just living to work. The end is in sight though, I can finish these loans off in about 5 years, or less if I get a better job soon.

And then all of that for what? Now I get a mortgage? I can’t even fathom that, I’ll probably become a beach bum and live in a trailer working remotely.

Where I’m going with all of this is that if my loans were forgiven, my quality of life would increase tremendously. I’d be pumping cash into neighboring states with all the hiking trips I’d be doing. Ma and Pop stores would get my hard earned money instead of Walmart. Instead of fixing everything I own (car and phone included) I’d be willing to put money down on a newer (safer) vehicle that suits my lifestyle better.

So in the end, yes these loans were my decision. But if someone offered to pay them right now, I’d absolutely let them because throughout all of this, it’s occurred to me that more than anything I just want to feel true freedom again. I don’t feel that, I feel just like the smashing pumpkins said “trapped like a rat in a cage”. And for what? So I can pay for the bank’s board of directors multimillion dollar bonus? It’s not like my money is going to a charitable foundation because if it was, I’d retract everything I said.

Anyway, sorry about the book of text, I’ve never really gotten it all out like this before. Cheers and congrats on being able to crush $24k in two years that’s seriously awesome.

Oh- fuck the people that dropped tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands on a liberal arts degree that bitch about not getting a job. No shit, the term “starving artist” has been around longer than them. If you’re going to spend that much on a degree if it’s not STEM or something guaranteed high demand you’re an ignorant fool and I have no sympathy.

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