Hey y’all, it’s been a minute.
Lately I’ve been living under a rock.
Yep. That’s me.
I just started a new job, and have been working really hard to pay off the remainder of my student loans.
And let me tell you, the process has been hard. But it has been so rewarding!
Together, my husband and I have paid off 83% of all our debts (combined) in the last 2 years. Because my job pays better than we expected after I graduated, we should have everything paid off by the end of this January!
I’m not saying this to brag. Some of this has been due to favorable circumstances, most of it has been due to hard work and discipline. Why I’m saying this is because I want you to have some hope and encouragement if you are drowning in student loans and other debt.
There are times when it really sucks to tell yourself no. Sometimes you forget your objective and cave into desires. You get so tired of never having anything you want. Sometimes you even put off things you may need for the sake of creating a better future.
But every penny you put towards paying off that debt is worth the sacrifice.
It feels so amazing to not be bound to anyone. To not have payments sucking your money every month. When we made the last payment on our car, it was one of the best moments in my life. We own that car! It’s all ours, and no one can take it from us. We had an extra $200 in our pockets every month. That makes a huge difference in the level of stress you have!
But when you’re paying off debt, it’s easy to feel hopeless. Jealousy is a constant companion. You become afraid. Afraid you will never have what everyone else seems to have. Afraid you will never get what you really need and want. Afraid you will always be bound in the shackles of debt.
“At the root of jealousy is fear and sadness.” -Unknown
You see friends going on vacations, getting new furniture, living in a nice place, and wearing nice clothing. And sometimes it may even just be little things. I often get frustrated because we live in the cheapest apartment we could find and we don’t have a garbage disposal. Or that we don’t have a dishwasher, and washer/dryer. With a baby, it feels like you are forever doing dishes, and hauling clothes away into the car to go wash them every 5 minutes…(can you feel my frustration?).
When you make payments to debt, sometimes it feels like your money is not going towards anything. It may feel like a bottomless pit. Sometimes there is not a tangible result for all your hard work. The result may have to come after much sacrifice and pain.
But it is worth it. And the pain is only temporary.
You don’t have to live in a crap place forever. You don’t have to give up everything you ever want forever. It won’t be a sacrifice in the long term. You’re giving some things up now, so that you have more later. It’s only temporary.
You can’t compare yourself to others. They have completely different circumstances than you do. They have different job situations, health, and financial help. You focus on you, what you want, and how you are going to get there.
Work with a partner (if you have one). Things become infinitely less frustrating when you have someone to share the small victories with. Or even just to complain about how crappy your life is. If you don’t find a partner talk to a friend or family member.
You will get through this even though it seems like forever. Keep working towards your goals, and remember to take a break sometimes.
I am far from perfect, but I can tell you the feeling you get after releasing your debts is amazing! It’s indescribable. Everything you have given up: your sleep, your time, your energy, your wants, your needs, is just bringing you closer to your goal. There have been others down a similar road you can turn to for help.
You can do this!
And it’s okay if you have to live under a rock for a while to get things done. 😉
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