Thursday, October 4, 2012

How I feel about alterations, plus some random finance stuff.

You guys, I've only been working at Formal Fantasy for two weeks, but I'm already enjoying it there a lot. Mainly because I'm getting to learn so much new stuff about alterations/repairs; it's practically like I'm getting paid to take an extra sewing class!

Okay, okay, that description may be pushing it a bit. But seriously, I feel so lucky to have a job where I get to sew for money. I love seam-ripping open fancy prom dresses and figuring out how to change them and put them back together so they look like nothing ever happened. It's challenging but fascinating. The only downside (and this is a small one) is that I have to stop and work with real people occasionally; I guess that's just my secret introverted nature coming through, though.

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Picture from here.

Besides gushing about my new job, though, I had another topic to bring up. Do any of you guys have student loans taken out, or have you had to pay off student loans in the past? How long did it take you to pay them off? Any feelings/tips/tricks about making financial ends meet in college? It hadn't occurred to me until fairly recently how serious loans really are. I guess I  never really thought too much about finances, or how to earn more money, because until going to college I didn't have a reason to. I've been reading up on a ton of financial blogs lately to try and get inspiration about saving, budgeting, and paying off loans, and I guess at the end of the day it just comes down to discipline. College is expensive.

2 comments:

  1. I'm so pleased you like your job! Sounds like loads of fun too!

    As for finances and student loans - I have just over $25,000 on my back. But in NZ the system is different, as it's an interest free loan from the government. It's getting paid off at 10% of my current wage, so it'll take a while to get rid of. As for savings - I love the Australian website simplesavings.com.au - they promote something called the $21 dollar week, and it's a great way to save on cash once a month! Good luck!

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  2. I graduated 6 years ago with no college debt, but i was living off ramen noodles and the $1 menu at fast food places for awhile. I really cut back on my spending. Scholarships and grants helped a ton, so look everywhere for those. I was also working part time while taking classes. I finally got serious about saving. If you have any debt, pay off the ones with the highest interest rates first and read all of the fine print to make sure the rates don't skyrocket at some point in the future. I also found it helpful to get a notebook and jot down all of my monthly expense: rent, power/water, car insurance, cable, internet, cell phone, etc. and compare it to your monthly income. You want to be bringing in more than you're paying out, ideally. Then see where you can cut back. I went without cable tv for the longest time and had the cheapest cell phone plan available. Every little bit saved counts. And just stay positive, because college is expensive, but you can do it!

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