Toward the end of the year Sallie Mae had created a collections branch called Navient. I got my paperwork in around Dec and took a quick peek at it and took note of the due date of my payment and set it aside. Yesterday I took a good look at it. OMG confusing! I did go onto the site to see if I can get any clearer info on what I was seeing. Basically a breakdown of all my loans, the interest rates for these loans and what my payments are and what I paid so far. Its not a pretty picture. I am on an income based repayment plan so it made it a bit easier. Still its not like I have the extra money. But I am doing to do my best to keep these people off my phone.
I am working on paying off other debt and I am happy to say I am seeing progress! I hope to make some good goals for this year. Like we do need to purchase a car or truck for my husband this year. And hope to make another major home improvement this summer. But we will see in a few months what we can do or not do.
I organized my budget binder!
I found a free printable pack of sheets for my binder. I forget the link but just google free budget printable sheets and you will find many to choose from or make your own
These I laminated so I can use a dry erase marker on them.
Nothing fancy or really pretty in my binder. Its pretty basic and easy to use.
Student loan stuff. I used page protection sheets to keep this stuff in.
I do want to work on my emergency fund this year. For now I am putting in loose dollar bills into the envelope to start it. How I am going to go from here I do not know just yet. I need to add this into my budget somehow. I do know I want to get this built up and put into a savings.
If you look up binders, filo planners, planners etc you can find loads of information on how to create on. You can make them really fancy and colorful. I thought about this and decided that while it is great fun to have all the post it notes, colored pens etc that I am going to keep my pretty basic. I may stick in art work in there as I go. But as far as color coding things that just sound like more work to me and a reason to spend money on things I do not really need. I do that enough now as it is.
Things happen for a reason. I suppose that I have learned here a huge lesson on money, loans and debt. I'm always learning it seems. But this studen loan has forced me into taking a good look at my life, our money and how we live. I realize that I do not have to keep up with my neighbors, friends and family. I do not desire designer clothing, purses or fancy cars or homes. I am pretty happy living a frugal life and it suits me. I am working on my art and will work toward building on that dream again. I might not have the degree but there is lots of ways to reach that dream I am finding out.
That loan will always be lurking in our lives unless something happens and its forgiven and wiped off my credit report. But for now I own it and it owns me. We meaning the loan and me have to learn to live with each other. It will not be easy to live with. Kind of like a rotten relative who moved in your home to stay a few months and never leaves.
