The Valentine’s Day Crashers: $51,133.40 Paid, $34,174.67 Till Pay Off

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Come On Man!

I walked through the door tired from work, annoyed from sitting through traffic, and brow glistening with beads of sweat. My phone rang, “Hello?” I puffed. It was my wife on the line she asked, “Can you text me a copy of the car insurance policy?”

Confused I asked “Why, what happened?” The response I got made my heart sink. In the heat of the moment, I didn’t handle my wife telling me she’d been in an accident well. Thankfully, she was close to home, being in route from work/picking up our daughter from school.

As a self-described slowpoke driver, I floored the gas pedal to reach my wife and daughter. Rushing to the scene of an accident was foolish, being already tired from work and hangry. Haha!

Upon arrival, I noticed my wife had rear-ended a car. I was relieved to find our daughter smiling in my wife’s arms and no structural damage to our car. I then inspected the other driver’s car and took pictures, and found it too had no visible damage.

You Are Kidding… Right?

Later, the driver of the other car decided to call the cops. Before we knew it, our eyes were accosted by red and blue lasers from ambulance, firetruck, and police squad cars. The lights seemed to reflect off everything, including my wife’s face. The whole time I thought, “Is all this necessary?”

Prior to first responders showing up, the driver’s passenger was coherent and mobile. However, once the paramedics asked her if she was okay, she expressed pain in her neck and back. Lol. So in the most dramatic fashion, she asked to be placed on a stretcher and admitted to the ER.

Adding Insult To Injury

Come on man, you gotta be kidding me! To make matters worse, it was Valentine’s Day. So our romantic evening was scrapped for filing an insurance claim. Neither my wife or I had ever been in an accident, and full coverage was $86 monthly to insure our cars.

You better believe the insurance company jumped at the opportunity to raise our premium to $131. Being the frugal person I am, I declined and took my business elsewhere. Haha. I am happy the claim was resolved without issue. I am more excited for the continued progress in paying off my student loans. Check out the updates below.

I have a request for you all, pray that I finish this race strong while serving my family, friends, and community in integrity. Do you have any failed Valentine’s Day stories to share?  Until next time, be blessed and fight on.

Hey There Mr. Tax Man: $49,293.51 Paid, $36,014.56 Till Pay Off

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Making it Rain!

Tax season is that time of year when people fantasize about how to spend their tax refunds.  In years past, I’ve used tax returns to fund vacations, cars, tuition payments, and clothes.  My favorite vacation was taking my wife to the Dominican Republic.  It was great practicing our Spanish, walking on beaches, and exploring caves.  It was a much needed vacation, as my wife 7 months earlier, gave birth to our daughter. 

This year, we made the difficult decision to forgo a trip to pay toward my student loans.  Well, it was difficult for my wife lol!  She is such a trooper, thanks for being Bonnie to my Clyde during these difficult times babe.

Big Belly, Small Wallet

Another component to my debt payoff journey is reducing how often we eat out.  After reviewing our credit card statements, I realized we spent over $6,000 last year at restaurants and fast food.  This year has not started off any better, as we’ve spent $600 in the month of February alone.  It seems like the more we make, the more we spend frivolously.  My family and I are blessed having not missed a meal, live in a safe dwelling, and have affordable transportation.  So the following questions boggle my mind: 1) Why must I feel entitled to dine out while having a refrigerator full of food?  2) What if I made a $6,000 payment toward my student loans instead of dining out?

With that being said, my old spending habits will not hold me back from a debt free future.  My last shopping trip included some of my all-time favorites: hamburger patties, General Tsao’s Chicken, and yogurt for smoothies.  There’s nothing like a blueberry/mango smoothie after a long day of work.

Challenge Accepted

The first challenge I foresee with not eating out would be my daughter missing out on pizza, her favorite meal.  Second, my wife and I enjoy trying new restaurants as a weekend hobby.  Cooking on weekends will take lots of time and energy.  Third, managing my schedule to help out more in the kitchen.  Disclaimer: I have cooked twice in the past month.  Thankfully, there were enough leftovers from each meal to last a few days.  Although my wife didn’t eat much of the food I prepared, she was gracious.  Hmmm…  Which leads me to my final challenge, to improve my cooking.

Thanks for stopping by.  Below, is an update of my student loan repayment progress.

What have you given up to help with debt payoff?  Until next time folks, fight on!

Educating the Homeless: $47,445.09 Paid, $37,862.98 Till Pay Off

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I work closely with students and find the topics of student loans and homelessness invade our conference meetings almost daily.  This posting will veer from the usual talk of debt repayment to discuss homelessness.   As always, I hope this blog entry is uplifting and challenges the minds and hearts of its readers.

Human Identity:

Jimmy Carter once said, “Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns.” Homelessness is a growing problem in the United States and many believe the destitute are unenterprising. At work, we serve high school and college students who face housing instability and food insecurity daily.  Many days I hear volunteers say a mix of the following, “These people are just lazy.” “Why can’t they just pull themselves up by their bootstraps?” “If I can do it, why can’t they?”

To these statements I say, many students are simply born into situations they either can’t control or are unaware of the dysfunction.  Homelessness is caused by many factors, one seen too often is the lack of family support. Often times, these minors are forced out of their residences due to disagreements with parents and left without basic necessities.  As a result, students may turn to crime to meet personal needs. Recidivism persists when the basic essentials of life (food, water, and shelter) are inaccessible or difficult to come by.  The cycle of a life of crime is tough to break.

Different Experiences:

Abilities apparent at birth or unfortunate events involving mental, emotional, and physical well-being play a role as well. For those who have worked to climb themselves out of the deepest recesses of economic despair, count yourself blessed and teach someone else how you did it.

Consider the following, 1) Not everyone you see on the street is a career panhandler, 2) Requesting financial support publicly by the homeless is the last resort, 3) A common factor plaguing the poor, is the poverty of relationships.

With that being said, the less fortunate need emotional care more than anything else. The sense of belonging is a powerful force.  What we purchase daily communicates something about us rather we want it to or not.  Some can afford to live in an apartment, others a 3 bedroom two bath home, while yet another owns multiple rental properties.

Possible Solution:

There’s nothing wrong with buying fancy houses, cars, and clothes. Allowing material positions to determine self-worth leaves emptiness when houses depreciate, cars rust, and clothes fade. Unfortunately, the poor are looked over daily due to what we can see, their evident lack.

So consider lending a helping hand to a high school or college student.  Someone in trouble may not know what they need to make their situation better.  Here are a few ways we can help combat homelessness if you are not already.  1) Become friends with people from different walks of life.   2) Learn of their needs through authentic relationship.  3) Fulfill legitimate needs without asking.  Most times, friends won’t come forth and request anything due to pride.

I am appreciative of the support received from this blog. You guys help keep me motivated! Below is an update of my student loan accounts.  Until next time, fight and strive on.

Merry Christmas?: $46,370.77 Paid, $38,937.30 Till Pay Off

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Image result for christmas hollyWell it’s that time of year again, Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year!  For those of you who are in college or have dependents, remember to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The FAFSA application was made available October 1st and the submission deadline is June 30th.

In Other News:
There have been current rumblings surrounding issues of: 1) Graduate Student Tuition Waivers, 2) Student loan interest and 3) Student Loan forgiveness.
I will do my best to stay out of politics, since I have a difficult time managing my 1 year old.  In short, law makers as represented by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate considered taxing graduate tuition waivers as income.  Understandably, students were unhappy and protested. Thankfully, their voices were heard.  College students don’t make much and I speak from experience. Click here for more from NPR.

Hard Times Were Fun Times:
During my college days, I worked 3 jobs and enrolled as a full-time student.  Money earned was spent attempting to cover tuition.  My usual meals were Chef Boyardee, Ramen, Ensure, and 99 cent double cheeseburgers from McDonald’s.
However, I was blessed to have some meals provided for by a loving elderly couple.  Also, 3 meals a week were provided at the cafeteria through a job as a Resident Assistant.  Man, college sure was fun.

Paying the Tax Man:
Next, lawmakers considered removing the $2,500 student loan interest deduction.  By what I understand, the deduction is not guaranteed. In fact, the amount a tax bill is reduced is based on the tax payer’s income.  So the higher your salary, the less interest deduction can be used; the lower your salary, the better your chances to use the full deduction.  This is the best I can do to explain this, for more information click here.  This interest deduction greatly reduced my tax bill for calendar year 2012, as my career was in its fledgling stages.  To hear more from the IRS click here.

Generational Debt:
I work in education and student loan debt is a concern for young and old. To my surprise, “seasoned” coworkers disclose more than the 20 somethings about financial issues. What I hear mostly is the shame of still paying school debt while having a child in college.

The recent graduates I work with are really hoping for student loan forgiveness. Unfortunately, not many of them are taking advantage of the Income-Based Repayment programs. Although I am currently enrolled in an IBR program, I’m prepared to pay off every penny of debt should loan forgiveness is denied.  Here, CNN gives insight on the current plight of the first group of borrowers who are eligible for loan forgiveness.

Help Is On The Way:

I am grateful for my talks with coworkers as they have been very supportive. Below is an update on my loan balance.

Speaking of college, I am excited to announce there is help out there. It is called the Dallas County Promise.  It is a last dollar tuition scholarship for students in attendance of any Dallas County Community College District campus or participating university.  So far, The University of North Texas-Dallas (UNT-D) and Southern Methodist University (SMU) are participants in this scholarship program.  Follow the link for details and spread the news!

 

 

Someone Call A Mechanic! $45,645.72 Paid, $39,662.35 Till Pay Off

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College Years & 1985 Chevrolet Cavalier:

Ugh. Car problems are the absolute worst! They always happen at the most inopportune times.  My wife and I usually buy cash cars in effort to keep costs low. However, cash cars aren’t usually in the best shape.

My car issues began while in college, from 2004-2010 including graduate school.  At the time, I owned a 1985 Chevrolet Cavalier.  As shown to the left, is an actual picture a college buddy took of it.  I remember him telling me my car was cool lol.  Thanks for those kind words man, I never forgot them.

My wife who was my girlfriend then, owned a 1990 Honda Accord. To say the least, we both drove cars no one would be caught dead in.

Driving a car as old as me during my formative years definitely repelled the ladies lol. However, my car did attract the girl who didn’t mind being seen with me in it. I call that old Chevrolet Cavalier my “Wifey Magnet” haha.

Getting an Upgrade:

Anyways, I traded the Cavalier in for a 2002 Ford Explorer Sport in 2010. We then bought a 2003 Honda Accord in 2015. We were happy giving our “new” cars extra tender loving care. Despite our best efforts in keeping our cars maintained, both cars decided to give up the ghost the same day in September.

The Ford became impossible to turn due to problems with ball joints and steering rod. My poor wife knew of the issues a few days before, but decided it best to wait on telling me. At the time, we were battling incessant oil leaks with the Honda caused by a shady mechanic. In the end, the Honda’s engine started to make grinding noises due to lack of engine oil.

Enough is Enough:

Finally, I had enough with our car problems. We went to a car dealership and pulled the trigger to finance cars. The intent was to find cars: 1) manufactured in this decade and 2) low mileage.

I honestly feared financing a car, but truth be told, my monthly payment is about the same as I paid to maintain the Ford and Honda. It’s funny how my car loan’s interest rate is lower than my student loan interest rates of 3.03%-6.8%. Anywhoo…

Still Pushing Forward:

Although student loans have been the bane of my existence, they have enforced discipline in the areas of budgeting and saving. Besides car issues, it has been another great year for student loan repayment. I am thankful for the progress made in tackling this $85,308.06 monster.

Below is a running total of loan amounts. How are you guys doing? What goals have you made progress on this year? Until next time everyone, stay focused.

 

Good News!: $44,685.55 Paid, $40,621.52 Till Paid Off.

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Hi everyone!

It has been a busy summer and fall is upon us. Lots has happened since June, so let’s dive in. After coming home from work one evening in August, my wife greeted me with two pieces of mail from Nelnet. My immediate response was to shake my head and groan, “What’s wrong now?”

In years past, receiving mail from a loan servicer meant one of the following frustrations occurred: 1. The servicer had not received a payment. 2. Interest accrued on a loan account; or 3. A loan account was transferred to another servicer.

After staring in space for a while, I reluctantly tore open the first envelope. I have included a picture of the letter below, click to enlarge if you wish.

In summary, the letter says that ACS owes me .01 and the student loan will be transferred to Nelnet. Yippee! ACS owes me a penny, thanks for the mini heart attack.

My interest is piqued at this point, I ripped apart the second envelop and expected to be another penny richer. To my surprise the second letter informed me that another loan was transferred from ACS to Nelnet, and I am owed $225!


Out of all the loan servicers I’ve worked with (University Accounting Services, Brazos, Fedloan, Nelnet, and ACS), ACS made the repayment process most difficult. Tax and income-based repayment paperwork always seemed to get lost with them.

So that’s my good news everyone! I am $225 closer to reaching my goal of repaying my student loans. Check out the updates below.

September Update2

Now I only have 2 loan servicers to keep up with.  Until next time everyone, fight on and keep my hometown Houston in prayers!

House Hunting: $42,701.83 Paid, $42,606.24 Till Pay Off

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Hard At Work & Daydreaming

The past four months have been packed with stress. However, I am thankful the stress is due to new and exciting developments: new jobs, our daughter starting preschool, and house hunting. So far our jobs are going well, and our baby girl likes her school. House hunting on the other hand, has been less enjoyable.

The housing market is booming in the areas we are looking. It’s an incredible feeling to be able to afford a mortgage. I get excited thinking about my daughter playing in the backyard and hosting cookouts.

Reality Hits…

Then I realize not considering a means to an end got me into debt in the first place. Although home ownership is ideal, delaying it will improve my family’s financial situation. In addition, to be honest, we grew frustrated with the overall process.

While actively placing offers, our realtor went on a Caribbean cruise lol. That’s all I’m going to say about that. So we’ve decided to continue apartment living a little longer. Moving from one apartment to another sucks. On the bright side, we are enjoying the new neighborhood’s amenities, and check out the repayment update below.

A Change in Plans

Since we aren’t buying a house right now, I’m tempted to apply the house down payment toward student loans. I would love to reach my goal of zero balance sooner, but the money could be of better use elsewhere.  Besides, having money saved for a rainy day is usually a good idea.

Lessons Relearned

Looking to buy a house is an emotional rollercoaster. I’ve experienced the highs of coming within a nose hair of closing, and the lows of sellers rescinding late in negotiations.  Through the process I’ve reinforced:

  1. Happiness doesn’t last forever, because it depends on what happens.
  2. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
  3. Whatever happens, accept your lot graciously.

Questions for You

How long did it take to close on your first house? What was your realtor experience like?  Any helpful insights will go a long way.

Until next time, continue the fight until no debt is owed but love.

 

Busy, Yet Productive: $41,507.06 Paid, $43,801.01 Till Pay Off

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It Feels Like Forever:

Hi everyone! This post feels long overdue. Work has been very busy and having things to do at work is job security. As stated in the last post, I’ve picked up another teaching job.

When I’m not advising students on career choices, I am grading, and replying to frantic emails at unholy hours in the morning. The emails and office visits from students energize me, so I’m happy to assist in any way possible.

In addition to job duties, I have made the decision to torture myself by returning to school. On top of this, my daughter is crawling now. While I’m studying, she gets into EVERYTHING; so it can be fun finding her, but scary when she hurts herself.

Student loan repayment hasn’t stopped. Check out the updated balances below.

Reminiscing On Love:

My wife and I just celebrated another year of marriage, pray with us for many more. As the years roll by, I realize the importance of not taking her for granted. We’ve been through so much in our little 6 years and can’t believe she has stuck with me this long. I’m awestruck when meeting couples who have been married for 20 years or longer. A long list of joys and sorrows are undoubtedly present when loving someone.

Love Isn’t Easy:

I remember fondly my first job out of college. The pay and benefits were great and the feeling of accomplishment swelled in me everywhere I went. Being recently married, next on the agenda were children and a house.

Then One Day…

I was given the ultimatum at my job, leave or be fired. Being young and dumb I quit voluntarily. Now thinking back on it, I would’ve allowed my employer to fire me, for unemployment benefits lol. Naively I thought having a college degree would exempt me from hardships.

I imagined my voicemail box full from employers offering even higher paying jobs than the one I left from. My next job wouldn’t be found until six months later, washing cars.

No Love Lost:

My wife loved me before I had the high dollar job and she loved me after it was gone. She remained consistent in her affection toward me, and for that I am thankful.

Student Loan Advice:

  1. Expect and plan for hardships along the journey- A friend once told not to worry. Citing a theologian he said, “Worry is interest paid on trouble before it comes due.” So it’s best to do what you can when you can, don’t fret.
  2. Believe-To do the seemingly impossible you must believe in the impossible. Someone had to eventually create the first plane, then came breaking the sound barrier, next was space flight.
  3. Stay Consistent-Learn as much as you can and learn to fail. When you fail, never give up because it is your “First Attempt In Learning”. Things take time to improve, with each payment there’s less interest and hopefully less principal owed.

Feel free to comment below and share your warm and fuzzy memories. The next post will be titled, “House Hunting”.

 

 

Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017: $40,291.38 Paid, $45,016.89 Till Pay Off

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Major Life Events

Since last post, two major life events happened: 1) my wife finished her graduate program, and 2) my Perkins Loan was paid in full. To aid in paying student loans faster, I’ve accepted an extra adjunct teaching position. Below is a loan amount update from my NSLDS (National Student Loan Data System) account.  Click on the image for a larger view.

nslds

 

Everything has gone according to plan until I got some bad news from ACS. When I logged into my account, I was greeted by the following image.

acs

Yes, you read that correctly. On the right-hand side of the image reads “Soon to be: Conduent”.

ACS has been the bane of my existence since graduating college.  This company makes the repayment process convoluted by closing and transferring loan accounts at a whim without notice. ACS has delayed adjusting my principal and falsely reported my account as delinquent 3 years ago. These discrepancies would occur even after paying double the monthly payments.

Mortgage Loans & Student Loans

I recently watched the movie, The Big Short. It tells the story of Michael Burry, a board certified medical doctor turned hedge fund manager. Michael essentially predicts the financial meltdown due to the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. Prior to the collapse, global sentiment to lending money to Americans was positive.

What happened in 2008 with subprime mortgages is reminiscent to what’s happening now with student loans. Many companies once saw student loans as a guaranteed route to increased profits, just like banks viewed mortgage loans. With the closures of for-profit schools and cancellations of debt, organizations are being more cautious with student loan offers.  Sadly, the damage has already been done: outstanding student loan debt is the second highest U.S. debt burden at $1.2 trillion.

Pieces of Advice

Like many of you reading, student loans were a necessity for me to pay for college– but if you must borrow, keep track of what’s owed and to whom.  One important detail left out of promissory notes is that your lender can sell and transfer portions of your loan amounts. Think of your student loans as a single piece of tissue paper. When you first start out, it’s typically one easily traceable amount with one company.  Over time, what often happens is your pretty little paper gets cut into pieces, over and over again.  Before you know it, your loan amount has become confetti, spread across different entities, in different amounts, and of course… with different website logins to remember.

Even in the face of “loan confetti”, I’m making it my party by paying these babies off. What helps is frequently checking your nslds.gov and studentloans.gov accounts. These websites give you running totals on what you owe, as well as contact numbers if you experience difficulty in repayment. I must admit to reviewing my loan accounts daily– once in the morning and once more at the end of the day. It’s simply part of my routine.

My 2017 Resolution

I will keep my eyes on the prize of one day seeing my loan balance reading $0.00. My 2017 resolution is a prayer for improved leadership skills and good stewardship of resources given to me. Here’s an excerpt from an excel spreadsheet detailing the loan accounts.

loan-accounts

Look there! You see that? It’s progress. No matter how big or small, I’m happy with simply giving my absolute best in this thing called life.

Share some of your resolutions for this year below- here’s hoping we achieve a few!

Pressing Forward: $39,333.96 Paid, $45,974.11 Till Pay Off

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Thankfulness
Hey folks! Thanksgiving is almost here and I am thankful for the veterans of this great nation.  Regardless of who’s in office, the responsibility of changing my life for the better is mine.   I am also thankful for my education.  It has exposed me to opposing thoughts and opinions, stretched my view of the world, and equipped me with tools to solve problems.  Student loans are one of my problems, let’s address it together.

Financial Advice
The best financial advice I’ve received was to “Act Your Wage” by Dave Ramsey. This means to only spend what you can afford. I have to admit– it’s pretty difficult living this way, when I want to make my first home purchase, take extra vacations, or frequent the barbershop.

To me, purchases represent the time we spend on jobs, toiling for things we are privileged to enjoy. Had student loans not been as easily available, the prospect of years of repayment would have directed me to other less costly schools. It is no one’s fault but my own. Making purchases beyond my financial means is a mistake I don’t anticipate doing again.

Improved Outlook
Things continue to improve and I anticipate continued growth in 2017.  I resolve to have at minimum $10,000 of principal balance paid off.  This goal will not be easy given my current salary, but anything is possible coming from $85,308.07. So far this year, I’ve repaid $5,038.35 in principal.

This will be accomplished by sticking to the family budget below. Childcare is now $400 instead of $680. A family member has graciously volunteered to keep our baby girl during the day, and we are in turn blessing them. Needs for the baby are significantly less going forward.

november-budget

Also, as mentioned in the last post, we were waiting on the final delivery bill for the baby. Our initial out-of-pocket expense was $1,500 and could have been more after filing with the insurance. Thankfully, we were recently informed that everything was covered under that fee. Although family health coverage of $798 per month is a significant portion of the budget, I remain happy with the benefits.

Perkins Loan Repayment
It gives me great joy to announce that I am weeks away from paying back my Perkins Loan. Perkins loans are offered to students with financial need, with the school serving as the lender. The original amount owed was $8,200. Needless to say, I can’t wait to type in “0” in the place of the fourth loan account! You can see the updates for all the loans below.

loans-update-november-2016

Contentment
After 5 years of repayment, I am beginning to learn the true meaning of contentment. To get ahead in life we must start with an attitude of gratitude. There will always be someone we perceive as possessing more talent, resources, or influence than us. We need not exhaust ourselves chasing after other folks’ blessings, look in the mirror and see what you have been blessed with.

You guys have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday. Until next time, continue the fight.