msanti84
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I'll never be able to fully thank my wife for her patience, dedication to the cause, encouragement, and support.
EDIT: First you all surprised me by voting this post up to the front page. As a reward, my wife surprised me with a very awesome dinner and dessert - https://imgur.com/a/DehTX. Life doesn't get much better!
MultiplePersonalitiesProfile
What? Did you graduate in jet fighting and got to fly f35s during uni?
HamOnWholeWheat
Sad. Great, but sad.
djnikk
Fuckin hell!!!
DaisyfromDownunder
Now to save for the funeral.
AmericanSatan
Ten years four months!?
Treblaine
Somewhere a college administrator is driving an Audi who wouldn't be were it not for your invaluable contribution.
MisanthropicVeteran
You're my hero.
mtnhunter26
I am 8k away, can’t wait! Nice work OP
Lovingtheoreos
Keep it up! Way to go!
AnythingMuchShorter
News sites are like: Why aren't millennials buying houses? Our textbook cost was your tuition, our student loans were your first house price
msanti84
Truth!
Thojira
"i would like a loan" "for a house?" "no, education"
SchoolBus2Hell
And the university has the nerve to ask me for donations!?!? “Go fuck yourself!...and Go Bears!”
Galhaar
...that's what an apartment costs in Eastern Europe.
Astha
I’ve come to terms with the fact I’ll die with my debt.
TH3G3RB
Awesome, congrats! Now pay mine...
IHAVENIPPLES
That is a lot of dicks sucked at a nickle a piece
Antineutrino11
Nickles? Na, my man here is a dime boy
TehStoner
Pimp has to take his cut....
BigBidiza
Im glad that ~450 Euro are enough here in Germany for a bachelor degree. Living is expensive enough in bigger cities as it is.
Illsaysomethingjusttomakeyoumad
Time to get a mortgage?
msanti84
Time to pay off the mortgage.
thinkinthatheneedsit
I paid my house off. All $250,000 of it. 15 years. With a job that didn’t require a degree. I weld for a living.
ImAfraidYoureAllPsychosSoIMadeThisAccount
What kind of welding do you do? Out of curiosity.
thinkinthatheneedsit
Pressure welding in the Boilermakers Union. Allot of overtime. Like lots. 7 12’s for months and months. 6 10’s etc
GeddyLee2112
Hurray for tradesmen! My hat's off to you, sir or madame.
BenjaminMu
Congratulations. My wife and I are down to our last $7,300 of debt after 12 years of paying down student loans.
msanti84
Stay after it! You’re so close!
deedogmoneypants
That's what I paid for my house....
msanti84
My house literally cost less.
ivegottwolegs
Grats! We have about 3-4 months left on my wife's.
MoldyKetchup95
I'm 16 and cant wait to get my own crippling debt and no job to show for it!
GeddyLee2112
msanti84
Consider trade school or community college as a first step. It’ll save you some coin.
DarthVaderDidNothingWrong
Look into studying abroad. It's almost free in Germany, and we have studies in English. I'm sure that's true elsewhere, too.
Grandmastersexsay2
That should have been around $1500/month.
msanti84
Yeah. But I didn't get super-serious until the last 3yrs when we stepped up to $2500-$2800/mo.
Knightendae
Ok, now... Put as much as you were paying to student loans into 401k or savings, low risk stocks, mutual funds. Diversify, retire rich!
jetah
i haven't seen the story of someone doing that being rich.
Knightendae
If you can do 100k in ten years!? Invested in secure, low risk stocks, some high & have a good money manager, 30 yrs & you can have millions
Knightendae
Especially if you keep contributing close to $1000 a month.
jetah
it's still subject to whims of the market. I've never seen a story where someone retired rich because of bonds or mutual funds.
hofbrauhauss
If only I have an extra 2500 bucks to put towards something every month.
khazaria
Loan forgiveness will strike before I could ever pay off, so I'm not worried about it and pay the minimum amount.
msanti84
Detailed budget. Track your spending. Cut what you don't need to survive. It hurts. but you'll be surprised what you can find if you HAVE to
Lovingtheoreos
Amen!
ashywushu
So, like, are you a doctor? Or something?
investigation27
For 107k I got a not that kind of doctor.
ChrisThrasher
Medical school loans tend to be in 2-500k range of debt from what I understand.
fluffy408
I’m a doctor, try tripling that number for our student loans. I’m gonna go cry now
msanti84
Closer to "something" than "doctor".
Disclaimered
Nurse?
BORGALOOGIE
Drug dealer. Must be drug dealer.
SEALTeamRicks
Drug dealer and doctor are synonymous in today's world.
bawdeepinsheep
sheep molester ?
Colenelshitpostermcgee
What are you?
nikkitine06
Back to school at 33. Thankfully, I’m using my GI Bill. Cannot imagine being in debt due to obtaining an education. Congrats @msanti84
fluffy408
Random question..does one lose the GI bill if they get kicked out of military, even if it’s like 1 month before being done?
nikkitine06
To my knowledge, you are only eligible for the GI BILL if you have an honorable, general, or medical discharge.
wantsthefunnystuff
Your indentured servitude is at an end. Breathe the free air again my friend.
Antineutrino11
Now time to work on that mortgage!
PolyphaseAvatron
Nah. The indentured servitude continues. Just under a new master.
Noburo209
Rdc24703
Yeah.... I'm sure he has a huge mortgage and a car loan too.
BORGALOOGIE
It’s been about 10 years for me and I’m still digging for about $30k more but good news! Girlfriend wants to find a house. My ass hurts.
prodmerc
Then go back into the mine, filthy peasant.
MachineInterface
Until he gets sick and owns $500,000 to the hospital. Don't worry though, if you escape disease and arrive into old age wealthy, you'll be >
MachineInterface
declared incompetent by a judge and robbed of your belongings by a court appointed guardian. #murica
DeadnCold
Look at Mr. Moneybags here, all solvent and debt free.
Carlitos81
Plot twist: he paid it all off by taking out cash advances on his credit card Congrats on bankruptcy, OP
BackInTheBox
Is McDonald's giving raises?
meresin2718
Yeah. Screw that guy for picking a degree that has a return on investment.
ASlackerOnTwitch
10k a year to pay back tho.... Making 40k a year and living humble and you can pay that back
MoneybagsMcGee
I’m relevant
nashpotato
But you're Mr. McGee not Mr. Moneybags
MoneybagsMcGee
Mr.Moneybags is my father
FISHonmydish
Well bring him in!
SirRedPanda
Its truly shameful that youd need to be debt free to be called rich. :(
Solkanarmy
well, yes, that's sort of one of the conditions, rich means you have more than you owe
Irisuniverse
All i want is to be debt free. Not to be rich, but because i want to be poor. I want to live nomadically and i can’t do that with debt.
Cokenose365
Samsies
theirownreward
Oh, no... people who are debt free aren't rich. They're just not drowning.
prodmerc
That's... not exactly true. You can be in millions in debt and still considered rich (assets), and banks will kiss your ass for repayment...
AustriaNotAustralia
139.000 student loan? I´m studying since 10 years, and my total is about 300 Euros. Your System is crazy America. Go change that
Counterfit
SOSHULIZM
dommen
They won't 'cause educated people could start to think. So what to do? Ruining education by money. Most american thing in history.
prodmerc
BUT is paying off your student debt such a big event that you can celebrate?! Didn't think so! Worth it! /s
HermausMora
yea its insane man mine are like 400, how do you rack up so much dept
SpruceCaboose
Well, because they can. They're treated as businesses and basically nothing more, so they raise rates because they can. 1/2
SpruceCaboose
major lending institutions are willing to pay out what are functionally small loans for them because they'll get paid eventually 2/2
HermausMora
that doesn't really seem right tho
NCRMadness50
Well, when it costs 10s of thousands per year for some of the loftier schools, combined with a healthy dose of type 'Fuck you' capitalism...
Irisuniverse
I voted for Bernie in the primaries ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
sleeek
Same dude
jrellis462
Didn't matter. DNC rigged that shit
Carlitos81
And Hillary in the General when she promised to make it free for families with incomes under 140,000 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
FourtytwosQuestion
i am happy for you, but reading this and knowing it is most likely true make me think what a fucked up country the usa is.
thunderheat569
How dare somebody be able to hire the educators they want to teach them the skills they want for the price they command!
atechnicnate
If you pay it they will charge it.
islandlala
All being ransomed by Republicans.
LinearAlgebro
to be fair, going to a school that costs that much is retarded if you're gonna complain about it. Nobody forced OP to
stealthee3k
Student loan debt has nothing to do with the US. There are BILLIONS in student grants, from the US government, that go unused EVERY YEAR.
PonyMadness
I got 4 years of free college by committing a crime while a juvenile, then went straight to the oilfield and make 6 figures annually
PonyMadness
Not everyone goes into massive debt. Some people work menial jobs. Others find ways around it
HaraldHartgeld
"because everybody has the same chances" except kids with rich parents. the have more same chances.
Lovingtheoreos
Husband and I both came from single parent, barely above poverty line families. Self paid college, and became debt free at 28. We are 35
aggressivecomments
+1 for more same chances
MoldyKetchup95
The politicians able to change a thing are being brib- sorry, lobbied, by companies that dont want that change
Dicksrichard
Graduated with 120k over half way done paying it after 5 years
Lovingtheoreos
Go man go! That's awesome!
SlaughteringApricot
what did you study?
Dicksrichard
Mechanical engineering
SlaughteringApricot
cool! if you like what you do with this degree, it's absolutely worth the money! :)
Dicksrichard
Yeah the $1200 a month payments hurt though
QuackQuackAttack
If it makes you feel better, OP will make 50-100k more per year for the rest of their life than non college grads
iwouldshootobytwice
As someone w a college degree and a PhD, the only way I’m making 50k more than someone is if they are making $0
thunderheat569
You obviously got a PhD in stupidity.
iwouldshootobytwice
Yes, good point
QuackQuackAttack
Average income with a PhD is 86k. HS only is 34k. Your individual experience may differ, but those are the average incomes.
iwouldshootobytwice
Fair enough. Probably average over all years though. With a PhD you have many more years of lost income than someone with a HS degree.
NinjaMonkey13
It’s true. I will owe 150K+. Mine are deferred until I finish a fellowship. They will be more than a mortgage payment each month.
SpeckledOne
Went to engineering school. Mine is more than my mortgage right now.
TypicalNerveCell
In Norway, a masters degree (5 years) will put you 250K NOK in debt (32K USD), which means a monthly downpayment of 160 USD.
TypicalNerveCell
That is, IF you apply for the loan. Some people live off the scholarship (5K each year) and part time jobs. Gotta love free education!
DarthVaderDidNothingWrong
That's truly fucked up.
QuackQuackAttack
But what is the average salary in your profession? Average salary for HS only is 35k. I bet that 150k is only 3 years of the difference.
NinjaMonkey13
I’ll also never be able to retire, but in the context of having a job I love that’s ok
NinjaMonkey13
It’s a good point. My salary *should be* (barely) sufficient to cover it. We will live paycheck to paycheck for X years, but so be it
QuackQuackAttack
Average salary w professional degree is 90k. HS degree is 34k. Average career is 40 years. 1.4m lifetime earning increase vs 150k invested.
NinjaMonkey13
My career won’t start until I’m 40, thus the “never going to be able to retire” comment. Ok with that though-I’ve chosen a career I love.
WellThatsOriginal
The thing about college debt is you should know if you can afford to pay it back before you acquire it. It's an investment in you.
XianArchangel
I agree. Count the cost and make an I formed decision. The alternative of work first buy later doesn't seem to be popular.
WellThatsOriginal
Stop using your brain. It doesn't work well with imgur.
HolyCringeLordBatman
Crazy how much of the civilized world doesn't royally fuck thier students like. But hey any justification I guess
WellThatsOriginal
They problem with that is the US has the best of every level of college. From trade school to Ivy League. There is no excuse.
idrinkcheapbeer
The idea that you need that much debt to acquire a living wage is preposterous.
WellThatsOriginal
I agree. Buy I don't have a college education and I live very well
FrozenRhinoSperm
I’d recommend college to very few people. A motivated person could do just fine without a degree, and I’d argue a degree could hurt some
alvastar
Well you don't need *that* much. The average undergrad debt is 30K. Plenty, to be sure, but not entirely unreasonable for making extra 10K
alvastar
(Which, need it be said, is the approximate annual benefit of a college degree)
WellThatsOriginal
My son used to argue that you need a Uni degree. Then he got one. He told his younger brother to start at community college.
HypnoChanger
Except that it's basically worthless because everyone has one, while also being mandatory because not having one therefor makes you stand 1/
HypnoChanger
out as a bad pick for any job. So, you pay an extremely large amount of money just to "not be unemployable" rather than paying for actual 2/
HypnoChanger
benefits for yourself.
WellThatsOriginal
That's your fault if you didn't pick a reliable education instead of wanting to design video games.
HypnoChanger
I'm talking about the system in general. If you want to get personal about it, my game design career is going quite well. Self employed, 1/
HypnoChanger
with comfortable work hours, doing what I love, and my income passed what I used to earn in normal employment many months ago, and is 2/