Know your student loans.

My first act of getting my loans paid back is sit down and go though them and know which are government and which are privet.

You can not accomplish anything until you know what it is you have to do and how much its going to cost.

Find help with questions when you need it. Here is one facebook page that people join to get some help and support and answers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/forgivestudentloandebt/ Also it lists any new information out there that is happening with student loans.

I"m going to look into 2014 with new hope and new goals. Who knows I might even get to use that almost degree I almost got to make some money to pay back my load. A non degree in Graphic Design because I ran out of money?? Wonder how that would look on a resume. I did well in school I almost graduated but darn it the school was a scam and I ran out of money. Go figure.

Until next year.

I know its a little early for a blog break but life here has become a bit of a mess with my family situation and I need to focus on my family and getting to the end of 2013.

I'm excited to be researching about student loans, fraud, paying them back and how to reduce my debt as quickly as possible. The biggest thing will be getting a brand new budget in place and making it work on what we make. And also find a small bit of money so that we can also enjoy a little of our lives. At this point it seems as if we will never get though this, never go on another trip, or fix our house or buy a new car. All normal things people look forward to. But I"m not discouraged. If there is a will there is a way.

So until next year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Finding myself with no extra money. And it sucks.

Basically its Christmas and any time of year finding myself with no extra cash for a few days would not bother me. We have grocery's, gas for the car and heat for the house. A few days with out spending money will not hurt us at all. But its Christmas and this sucks. I have gifts to buy and I"ll be out this weekend like a crazy woman figuring out what to get people. Thankfully we do not have many to buy for. But just the thought of buying stuff at all sucks some. Not that I do not like giving gifts. I do. But its the smaller things I cant do this year. Stuff or my co worker, something for friends, you know the little things. If I"m lucky I"ll be able to pick up a few cards and lottery tickets for a few people. I budgeted myself 50.00 a person in my family. It will be challenge. I have mostly men to buy for. One a gift card will work. But the other two is harder. I'll be window shopping online in search of the perfect cheep gift that looks like something special.

I have to call Sally Mae also yet so I can get into my account. This really pisses me off right now. And I do not have time to sit on the phone with them waiting for a person to pick it up. I think I"ll try email again and see what happens. I do wish I could remember my user name and pass work. Darn sites that make you think of a pass word and user name that is so confusing that you can not even remember  it. Very secure in deed those sites.

To the end of 2013 to make new goals for 2014.

There is much to do and goals to make. This is good because in order to pay off debt you need goals. 2014 is fast approaching. The end of this year is not looking pretty. Car needs inspected and is sitting at the garage. I dread what the bill is. Christmas needs bought yet. Although I did tell everyone that its a tight year lets not go over board. I have a budget of 50.00 a person. I do not have many to buy for so I think I can manage this. By the time the new year rolls around I"m going to start new. I have already taken a look at my bills and I"m working on working with the student loan people. So I hope to have progress made by the end of 2014. I want to make a reasonable goal. I need to think about this during Christmas break. 

For now this is what I know. 1. My car payment will be paid for. 2. I hope to have small eBay business going, 3. I need to work on my art and crafts to sell this summer into fall. This is something I wanted to do this year but we have a family situation that needs my attention more right now. So its on hold with lots of pins on pintrest waiting for me to get back to and work on. :) 

Small things for now. I want to see where I"ll be on some of my loans, what I can pay this year. If all goes well I hope to have a good bit paid on. OR a little bit. Anything is better than nothing.  

Sallie Mae frustration!!

I can tell this is going to be a frustrating time with our lovely Sallie Mae Government loan people. They been calling. I get that I had no time to get back to them. Yesterday I finally called. We made a deferment arrangement which oddly enough was really easy???  hmm. All I want to do is log onto the site and look at my account information. I tried every possible user name and pass work I can think of that I use and cant not get in. I also tried using the email option of them sending me my user name and after several attempts it has yet to show up in my inbox or my junk mail! I figure since I had these people on the phone I could get someone to help me. Nope I get put on hold, send to several people to the point that I hung up.

Now how am I suppose to do what I should do if I can not get into my accounts! I even found my user name and pass word and that did not work either. So what is the deal??

I know I want to look into the income based repayment plan. I cant do that if I can not get to my accounts! And I want to know the exact amount they show that I owe. Because the 600.00 a month payment they tell me I will have to pay just will not do! That is more than my house payment for one, that is  1/2 of my own income. So I have to see what I can do to make this more manageable somehow. I really cant send in more money to another loan yet. I need to see what my options are so I can move on to do what I hope will be what I want here. This is the big loan that I have to work an extra job for or sell like a mad woman on eBay for, or hope that someone will buy my art for  or I find freelance work. All of which I"ll be working on next year I hope.

This online stuff is nice once you can get to it. But really I am beginning to thing that the old snail mail system with paper bills in an envelope works just as good. At lest I can blame myself for screwing up if I cant find the bill in my pile.
Wish me luck I can get logged in today. I need to do this before the end of the year.

And the deferment thing being so easy. Yea I"m a bit concern about that. I need to see what they did also. Because I just do not trust these people all the time. How stupid I was to get into this mess. I could kick myself so hard. But it will not do me any good. Just have to follow the rules and work it out.

Keeping track of progress.

I found some cute tickers to keep track of any and small progress I"ll be making on my debts! This is a small fun way to see how things are going. And hopefully keep me on track. I might end up adding more tickers in the future. See how things go and how much extra money I can manage to make to be able to do this.

As I start this week another payment did go out into the mail!!! Oh joy oh bliss. lol. I would rather spend that money on Christmas gifts but I have to keep this going or it will be hard to start again. We will manage to get Christmas bought and paid for somehow. We always do.

Just do it!

I woke up this morning and made a decision. Life if way to short to regret things too often. While yes we all make mistakes even great big ones that seem like you can never recover from until you die. There is a small amount of hope that yes it is possible to fix those mistakes and move on before you die.

We are heading into a new year. Its a new beginning and new possibilities. Embrace it, make goal for yourself for 2014. Make a list and make the best effort to achieve those goals. But by the end of the year if you did not reach all your goals its OK. Take a look back and take note of the ones you did accomplish. And celebrate it! If its only one goal then celebrate. Because life is to short to not reward yourself for something you did that you wanted to do.

This year was a hard one for us. I had a sick mother, had a huge student loan dropped into my reality, cars breaking down, a dog died and we  need this and that and everything else.

But there are a few things that has happen too. I got a newer car that we needed, a another car was given to us that we also needed. Although they have some small issues they are not too hard to fix so that is also good. I got a full time job that I love. I never thought it would be possible but its true. Its not much but I realize I can do this until I retire. I discovered I can draw finally. This is also good. I'm excited to start an Ebay business as a second job. And I kind of like the possibility of taking the dreaded loans and taking on the challenge of working with our budget to pay those suckers off! I can do frugal really well when I want. And at a time when I was really watching our pennies I was happier then. So back to coupons, making gifts, finding free or very cheep entertainment, shopping the clearance racks like a crazy woman. There are lots of times when something new can cost as little as 1.00-5.00. lol. And I do not mean junk. Timing is everything when watching ever penny you make by the way. I"ll be looking at thrift stores in a new light now. Not for things I may need but what can I sell for a profit. I'll be learning how to create a great website too and getting it out there for everyone to see.

So as I say good by to 2013 here in a few weeks I'll be making my list and checking it twice. Doing my homework and finding out ever possible way to make my life here the best it can be with the dreaded loan knocking at my door. As with anything that is worth wile doing it will take work.

Working with the student loan people.

When getting into this life changing situation never did I stop to think about what will happen. It was a stupid thing on my part. I was focused on getting my degree but did not stop to think about what will happen if  I did not get that far. In my mind I was on my way and never stopped to think that with only 10 classes to go I would hit a brick wall. But I did.

I have family matters to attend to so I have not been able to answer the calls that have been coming or return the calls because by the time I'm ready they are closed. So they wait for now. I am able to go online to  sort some of this out. So I will. Thank goodness for online bills, statements and paper work because it does save a lot of time having to talk to a person on the phone who is reading from a script on a computer screen trying to get money out of you that you do not have.

We are talking about  what is going to happen in the future with all of this. So we are going to looking in to a few things concerning our home, tax's and what not. We do not want to lose our home over all of this first of all. Its a scary thought too. But its where we live and we work hard to keep this place. To lose it over this student loan stuff would be terrible. So we have to find out how to keep that from happening at all.

I did start up on eBay again. I have sold a few things. So I need to do a little more research on how to build this business up and work on it some more. I"m going to toss in my art here and there also. Since I did go for Graphic Design and learned art I need to make money off of it somehow. If there is a will there is a way.

I want to find a ticker to keep track of my progress. Because I am making some. Not fast but it is something so I"m not a total looser. But the amount of these loans are so bad that we cant make the total loan payments right now. I hope to make this eBay stuff a second job. I have enough inventory to keep me going for awhile. I just need to be able to get it out there in a way to make people want to buy it. lol.

I have a web site started also. So it will be something I have to improve on as well. I need it to be where I show case what I can do as an artist, tell my story, then figure out how to get people to like what I am doing. Other people have done it so why cant I right? I got into this to make a living somehow. This is not what I planned but I am going to make it work for the better. I"m not wasting the time I put into this school for nothing. I will not give up.

So I figure 25 more dollars went out yesterday. So that is more off the one loan I can pay on. And another 20.00 to the school also. So that bill is getting smaller also. As long as I do something it will make a diffidence in the end. I keep telling myself that. I want this gone in 5-7 years somehow.  To prove to myself that its possible to get rid of this debt and find my dream and to prove to my husband that while it was a huge mistake I can turn it around for the better and find a way to get out of this as well.

Here is something I"m selling on eBAy http://www.ebay.com/itm/171190205938?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 A chandelier that my dad needed to get rid of.  I have several Avon things listed as well.  So take a look. I"m learning about all the things that sell well also so I will be looking out for those items as well. Like clothing and shoes. I have already found stuff in my own closet to list. So decluttering and making a little money are good things.

I might look for a second job one or two days a week. But I"m still thinking about how to make it work. Right now with my family situation I cant work another job unless its from home where I can make my own hours. That is why eBay works right now. But I may end up finding something in the future. I think a sign company or something like that would be a good place to look into. My job now is a good one since I just got full time last year. But its only during the school year. So I have to plan ahead now to figure out what I will do this summer.

I'm doing the research when I can. Will call the loan people when I get a chance. I will at least check my accounts online this weekend.

Keep moving forward. I got myself into this I will get myself out of it. We can say how unfair this is but really is it?? If you are determined to do the work then it will all work out in the end. Never give up on your dreams. Or debt for that matter. It is possible to reduce it or get rid of it. But it takes a shit load of work to get it done

First Payment went out!

I"m a little excited my first student loan payment went out on Friday. Its exciting because that is one payment down many more to go.  I also checked in to make sure I have regular payments going to the school that I owe them. And they are getting their payments, the amount is slowly going down but its going down none the less. So two bill's on their way of getting paid off. Although the Art Institute is sending me bills for the total amount owed now. Either way I'm sending in payments and they do not call but to offer me 1/2 off the bill in which I can not even afford to take part in right now. Hopefully when it gets to be a few hundred I can then call and ask to make a deal. Or if I get a windfall at some point too. But that may or may not happen so I"ll just continue on doing what I am doing. Ending 2013 on a good note with at least 2 of the 3 or 4 things I need to take care of.

Sally Mae has called me now? So I have to return their calls as well this week. I thought I already talked to them and made forbearance arrangements but I have to check. I think for my own good I'll contact all the loans people and check base and determine what I need or can do if anything. A small paycheck can only go so far.

I'm going to see if I can get ad sense to work on this blog. Anything is worth trying right? And many people make money off their blogs so why cant I! Who knows I may end up somewhere in this journey help someone else out like me who did not know where to start and is stuck with that sick feeling of what am I going to do. If there is a will there is a way.

Ending this year I do have a lot to deal with. 1. A sick mother, 2. student loans and a ton of debt, 3 old cars that need fixed, and 4 the normal house hold bills and such. And last of all 5. Christmas. I'm not sad to say I'll be glad to see this year end. Its has not been the best for us. But good things might happen next year. I hope. Unless Obama has his way and we all might find our selves living in card board box's in the city. lol. OK just kidding.

I'm going to start a new blog too for my Ebay auctions and other sales. I love vintage finds, I enjoy selling vintage stuff so I'm going try something new again. lol. Wish me luck.

The calls! grr.

The worst part of dealing with all these loans is the calls. I"m not home during the day when they call. They want me to call back, by the time I can its past the time they are there and I cant. I need to talk to these people to get something on the books about how to get these loans paid back. Sadly I can only handle so much. I need to see what is available to me right now.

This is a mess. I see why so many people just do not try. And just when I think I have something settled and confirmed they still call! What the heck. Never again in my life will I ever do this again. Its not worth it at my age. I'm not sure I would advise a young person to go this route either. Because it ruins your life. Its not fun having random stranger call you on the phone demanding money you so not have and will not have in the future  that you can tell them yes I can send you x amount of dollars. Who needs to live in a house, eat and get to work?? Yep I can do that. Sure no problem.

I am still going to continue to work on paying down my debt though. I only just started. So hopefully the calls will be a distance dream sometime here in my future.

So far I'm working on some survey sites and slowly earning money toward my first checks. It takes a few moments a few times a day or week to check on emails to earn a few cents. Its a slow process but hey a 30.00 - 50.00 check toward  a lone at some point is still extra money I did not have. So click away I will do. And I'll take a few surveys as well. Wish I had more time to do more than I do because I would earn that money a little faster. But it is what it is. I have stuff listed on Ebay as well. Its also going slow. Junk is junk. But a few dollars here and there will start to add up. Ebay is like a business where you have to keep it going to make any money. Its hard work. But fun too. Plus I'm thinking of all the clutter I can get rid of, and clutter from familys home too. Hey I'll split the profits with you to take and list your junk. Its extra money for the both of us. Lets do this! lol.

Still I just wish they would leave me along already. At least until I can figure out what I can send them and make an agreement they can live with. Which is never enough. Sadly.

Research

This planning on paying off a huge debt is hard work in it self. I"m doing research and so far what I am planning on doing seems to be the normal thing. Pay what you can on your loans or the minimum payments at least. Then any extra you make also send in. So one payment is on its way. I have a few dollars in my change jar that I'll deposit tomorrow and have it sent out also. So one week in and I have money sent! A small goal I think.

I have been looking to see what I can find to sell on ebay. I love selling on Ebay although there are times I do not do well. But I'm doing the research to find ways to sell better, and odd things to sell from around my home. Who knew people bought toilet paper rolls??  Points off of products, and who knows what else. How I see it is that 1. Its garbage to me in most cases so why not make a few dollars off of it right, 2 these things are easy to save up and package and are light. So shipping is cheaper too.

I set up a pintrest board for my ebay items that I"m selling. See if that helps get traffic to my stuff any better and people bidding on stuff any better.

Follow me on pintrest at  http://www.pinterest.com/buster3/boards/

I also have a board for paying off student debt, What a great way to save articles and what not to refer back to from time to time.

My name one ebay is dlsteincafelady. Stop in and see what pops up. Heck if you just want to see if I actually sold anything even. lol.

Tomorrow starts another week with Thanksgiving tossed into it. I hope by the end of the week I"ll have a few more dollars for that debt to pay.

The phone calls! ugg. Student loan hell.

I do admit I am one of those people who got to the point that when my loans was due I put it off for a bit. Bad bad idea. But truth be told I had no idea how I was going to pay them back. I did not finish school, I did not get to even apply for jobs in my field to have hope of finding the job I wanted. I would love to finish school. I got A's and B's in my classes! But I ran out of money. Online education is not what I expected in this way. I expected to have loans yes and I did get some grants. But I did not expect to have so much in loans to start with and not only that no one ever said there is a limit. How stupid was I?? But this not only happen to me it happens to millions of people all over the country.

We are told in order to have a good career and good paying job we need to be educated pass high school. I believed this well into my 40's. I had become the professional student. I went after a dream I always had and crashed and failed. Sort of. I"m proud I did as well as I did. I just wish I had the paper to prove it. But that is in the past I have learned and now I"m moving on. Do not get me wrong I"m all for education. But one must really know what they want in life, what their goals are and know down to the last cent what this is going to cost, what the payments will be after they graduate and can they make these payments regardless if they get the job in their field or not. This is reality. You do not always end up where you think you should.

So now I have to deal with the loan agency calling me until I get money sent in. They call my cell phone, my home phone and even my parents from time to time. Its annoying really. I cant wait to get them off my phone and sent back to their own world. Back to hell where they belong.

Yes I did this to myself. Yes I should of been smarter about it. Yes I followed my heart and not my head. But as with many things in life I can change this.

My first check went out yesterday. I'll be checking next week to see if its been posted. I'll be watching my loans like a hawk from now on. And I"m a little excited to send in smaller checks. hehe. Call me crazy but I'm am going to do everything I can to make extra money. If its a few dollars here and there then so be it. I will not miss it in the end right now. Its going toward my huge mistake in life. I have to pay it off somehow. Money in a check is still money going toward a debt. It may not be practical but when you live pay check to pay check you do what you can. At least I"ll know I"m trying. No on can argue that I am not doing nothing.

Making plans, and hoping for the best.

I have come to realize that I am very good at some things in my life. One being I discovered E bay selling. This started when my mother in law had passed away and we started to clean out her house. She used to buy at auctions and garage sales and what not. She had a lot of stuff. In fact my brother in law still lives in the house and there is still a bunch of stuff there. At the time I worked part time, could use extra money and so could my brother in law so I listed and sold stuff and made a deal with him on how to split the profits. I did pretty well until I kind of burnt out on it and the economy was not doing so well and I quit for a period of time.

There is still a bunch of stuff to sell. I need money any money even in forms of quarters to pay off these loans, the junk has got to go so I'm getting back into selling stuff again. If I could I might sell anything and everything that is not nailed down. If it makes a few cents then off it goes in a card board box to a new owner to take up space in their home. Another few cents goes toward my debt.

I have vintage salt and pepper shakers to start with. I like listing the small stuff. Its easy to photo graph, easy to pack and cheep to ship. I'll move onto vintage Tupperware next. lol. I'm going though my house and digging up what ever we do not need as well. From shoes to clothing to bad art. Its all going one way or another. If I can not sell it I"l donate it or toss it out.  Clutter and debt go hand in hand by the way. So hopefully I'll kill two stones with one throw as they say.

I started with scheduled regular payments on one loan. Now I"m off to work on the other that is in forbearance. One way or another I"m going to get rid of this. So I can get on with my life.

Getting back to frugal.

I remember a time when I became really frugal. I always was but I made it a point to really watch what we spent, how we spent money and what to save on. I also remember that at some point during that time I was happier for some reason. I think I love the challenge of saving money and paying off bills. I would rather save money but for now I"m paying off debt.

Today I had a crazy notion. What if I sent once a week a extra check to say my credit card payments, and student loans. But the catch is what if I only had 2.00 to send? hmmm. Well I thought then 2.00 x 4= 8.00 so that is at least that much  off the principal of the bill right? Times that by 12 months and that is 96.00 a year. So it does add up.

But I do hope to send in more than that but its a start for right now. How do I plan on this little sum of money?? A little change cashed in here and there, a little from filling out surveys, and reading emails, a little from selling stuff  I do not need, a little from here and there.

I'm going to coupon and cut back and work my way back to a more simple time where it was possible to save and live well. We did it before it will not take much to get back to it. Little did I realize that I love the challenge of finding free stuff, free entertainment, Or cheep entertainment. Stocking up my freezer with good food that is home made. Shopping thrift stores for bargains. And visiting the mall with coupons and looking for things that cost next to nothing. It can be done I done it before and I can do it again.

Life is not easy and sometimes you make huge mistakes. But its not impossible to fix those mistakes either. one can not just lay down and cry about it. Eventually you have to do something about it.

My one frugal thing I did today. Make my own bathroom cleaner. Go figure I had the ingredients in my house, I tried it and it worked pretty well. Its just plain old Vinegar and Dish washing soap. I think Dawn might work better I'll pick some up this weekend. But what I had seems to work on some of the soap scum in my tub. Heck that little bottle will save me from buying up cleaners to try to find something that works and wasting money on stuff that could not do 1/2 the job this did in a few moments! Oh joy.

Got to reach though the cob webs to remember what other little things I did. I"m determined to get rid of this debt. First check  is going out this Friday. Cant wait to knock that money off my balance. :) I have been paying on the balance at the school too. So that is 2 that I will keep track of more carefully. I'm thinking rewards to the 1/2 way point will be in order somehow. Got to keep this fun as well.

The worst mistake in my life.

It all began when my husband had health issues at a young age of 42. From diabetes to heart disease he has a laundry list of problems no man his age should have. It scared me and him and made us think about our futures and our daughters future. The advise from my mom go back to school and learn a skill. And that is what I did. My aunt worked for the Art Institute and got me signed up for my dream career of Graphic Artist. 4 years later and 60,000 in debt I did not get my degree because I ran out of money and I have no dream job. I"m a lunch lady cooking lunch for elementary kids.  

My first mistake was not paying attention to how the loans was adding up. Its not that I did not check it did not register in my brain how much. How does a person do that you ask?? I'm a busy mom, work, and was going to school and at the time seeing the end of the tunnel where I would earn that BS degree. I figure if I could get that good paying job paying back the loans would not be a problem. I did not realize or wanted to see just how much I ended up taking out in loans. It was a huge stupid mistake at my age. I should of known better. But yet I did it. All because I wanted to please my mom and I wanted to get that degree I always wanted. Only I should of thought this through more. Looking back if we just went to work and kept paying the little bit of bills we had today we would of been better off. But that was then and this is now and I"m facing a huge debt that will take 30 years or more to pay off. That my friends will be into my retirement days and my house will be paid off before these loans. Its not a pretty picture at all.

What am I going to do about this?? After putting one loan into forbearance, trying to ignore the other loan for a bit until I could not. Thinking and praying about this I have realize that I have to start to pay on these loans now and get it down and over with.

I"m not a stranger to living a frugal life and doing it well. We have slipped in the last few years and not paid as much attention to our budget as we should. Its me who pays the bills, buy the grocery's and tries to keep this house hold running so we do not loose our house, freeze in the winter and go with out electric and internet or phone. So I have to let my family know that we are going back on the wagon and getting us out of debt as fast as I can figure out how to do it.

It helps to keep in contact with the loan people. It does not help to ignore their calls. Trust me they will find a way to find you and talk to you. Just take a deep breath and get it over with as soon as you can. Then take a good hard look at your budget and make up your mind to create a new budget to include making payments on those loans. Its hard but you will be happier having a plan once you are done. I know I am so far.

So I am doing just what I suggested. I"m going to tackle that debt and find ways to make extra money to pay toward those loans. And I"m going to work on the graphic art design I learned in school and make it work for me somehow to make extra money to pay toward those loans. I have a good job now and I would be foolish to give it up now. I can work in freelancing into my day and have the summers off.

This is going to be a long journey for me. I got myself into this mess I'll get myself out of it. I hope to share what I am learning along the way. So get ready and lets find ways to make money to pay off this debt in less than 30 years. My dream would be to have it paid off in 5 years. But that is asking a lot. Lets start off with a 2500.00 loan and then tackle the next if I can. I have to start some where.