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**RANT Alert!!**
Man i hate money. Especially when we don't have any.
NYU seems to be in their own universe and on their own schedule, cuz school started last Monday and i *still* haven't received the rest of my school loans!! We're dying over here!! I mean, DH is working full time so at least we have his paychecks, but in a few weeks they're going to be cut in quarter due to the tuition remission we're able to take advantage of (he gets taxed on my tuition like he's earning that amount of money...ugh...).And we have rent coming up to pay and bills going thru!!
And i have delusions of grandeur; i wanna buy stuff for the apartment, i wanna finally go on an actual vacation, i wanna save money for retirement, i wanna start saving for future kids... But technically that school loan money isn't even ours! We have to pay it back!
I've been thinking of getting a part-time/weekend job, but i know that would be too much with my school schedule. But what else is there to do?! I hate feeling like we're destitute. We have a pretty large amount of money coming to us, but until then, i'm eyeing the $80 or so that we have in our 'house jar' in case we have to use it.
Ugh.
Thanks for letting me go off.
Re: **RANT Alert!!**
I understand what it's like to be a student. I am finishing my last semester. The only difference is that I am working full time and going to school part time (which feels like full time). Plenty of students work part time so you can do it. You just have to adjust your personal schedule. As for the other things you want to do, you have to prioritize unfortunately (I hate prioritizing!). If you are going to put money in savings, let it be a small amount until you graduate and then you can save hard. If you want to vaca, take small vacations and look for last minute amazing deals, even though they might not be your first choice of destination. Go shopping for your apt. on Craigslist or wait until nicer weather and hit the stoop sales.
You can make it all happen. Just sit down with your DH and really crunch the #s. You can do it!
I think it's natural to be frustrated when you want and can't have it all. Unfortunately, you do have to prioritize. A vacation might be nice, but it might be nicer to have whatever money you spent on other things. Things that in the long run you would appreciate more.
Don't feel you have to do it all at once. Many of the things that I have wanted took me a long time to save for or pay off. It took H and I five years just to save up for a down payment on our apartment. And I'm just now finishing up paying students loans. Totally worth it in the end.
Thanks ladies!! *All* good advice!! And i know i just need to be patient...but it's hard...
Now i'm cleaning my apartment from head to toe to get some of this frustration out.
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I think it's the irony of living in such an exciting place like ny. You have to work so much to live here, that you don't get to enjoy it. Can you do part-time work too, like teach some dance classes? That's might be flexible and you could do just a few. Or even work on campus then you don't have to commute to a the job. Otherwise, I will let you know that even if it's hard right now, after you graduate and are working, you'll be able to do all that fun stuff. Until... you have a kid and then are looking at $1000 a month daycare bill (my current money dilemma).
And feel free to come get more frustration out by coming to clean my house.
I feel you, girl! Money (along with most people) is probably a daily topic of conversation in our household...unfortunately. =/
Our dilemma is if I should quit my job. I only work part time at a local hospital, but it definitely helps pay some bills (even tho' DH has a very good job). Samantha will most likely be our only child and I really want to be here with her for the 1st year of her life...you never get this time back, but my problem is that my job will only hold my position for so long (definitely not a year). After my maternity is up (next week), it is at the discretion of management on how long I can stay out (even tho' my union will allow 9 months). So, I'm torn on whether or not I will go back (I have my mom to babysit, so there is no worries there). I'm also reaching 5 years in April with this particular hospital, so my vacation time goes up to 5 weeks and I get 12 sick days a year, so it's not too shabby for a part time gig...ooh, and I'll also have 14 years with the union come this June (I worked at another hospital for 9 years prior to this...but, it was the same union). Anyway, I look at it this way...we will never be rich and you only live once...I think I will enjoy the time off with my baby.
Prioritizing is key. I have always been a budget conscious person from back in the Caribbean and when I started living here, DH was the only one working for 8 months. And his job was not paying that much but we made tons of sacrifices like staying in a crappy apartment (rent was a bit cheap), never having cable/internet (we still don't have these), clipping coupons, paying off CC (we are still doing this), and saving 10% of that small salary. I took the first job I got, albeit it was a silly job and paying near minimum wage but at least I could contribute.
So, all my rambling is to say, you have to make sacrifices and keep your eyes fixed on your goals. It's not easy but it can be done. I think it will all be worth it. Good Luck!
Our New Home! Renovation Underway! The Law Nest
TTC Journey
7/2008 - begin TTC
7/2009 - began charting
9/2009 - Dx Endometriosis
10/2009 - HSG/SA (Normal)
12/2009 -6/2010 - Lupron #1 & 2
Sep-Nov 2010- Clomid Cycles #1&2 = BFN
Dec 2010 - Clomid Cycle #3 = BFP (1/11/11);no h/b (2/10/11); D&C (2/23/11)
5/11-6/11 - herbal tea regime = BFN
7/24/2011- herbal tea regime = surprise BFP
You ladies are *fantastic*! Thanks!!
I'll try to keep my eye on the light at the end of the very long and frustrating tunnel.
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Hang in there, Meg. It?s really hard, but it will get better. Make sure that you take some time for yourself. Sometimes just decompressing a bit helps all the worrying about money.