Heh. I'm goshin' with Connie.

I have a student loan that is beyond insane and just sits there. I actually defaulted on it once, and I've about hit the end of the possible deferments. Even with the minimum payments (where you pay what they think you can afford for 25 years and then forgive the rest) I can't afford it. I'm just hoping we've got the mortgage under control and me able to work more before we have to start paying on it again.

stupid student loans. Leave Deena alone!

Pretty Deena.

Deena, can I go home now?

once you've had one that long, you need to keep it in an annuity.

Piffle. It's better than nothing, but when it's all you've got, it's nice to have more.

Sorry! I'll shut up now.

Yes, Nora, you may go home and lounge! With a good beer!

{{P-C}} don't be sorry that you're not scrounging. It's a very good thing.

If you are young and have excess cash, contributing to an IRA is an excellent thing to do. Thanks to the glories of compounded interest, it will serve you well in retirement.

I am so glad that I was given a large sum of money when I was 23 and it spurred me to educate myself about money. I recommend Jane Bryant Quinn's Making the Most of Your Money, although it's now a little old.

sweet!!

The DH and I have made some progress in coordinating finances, but our situation keeps changing in that when he quit his full time job (hated it) and went to contract work his income has become wildly unpredictable. At this point, I pay the rent and household bills, and he pays his credit cards/student loan and puts the rest in the bank.

Whatever works is awesome. Because- hard.

Absolutely, and we do still occassionally look at each other like we're looking at aliens.

I'm sorry if I have sounded preachy at all. My debt is still out of control fwiw, but it is getting closer to being under control. I have fucked up my finances beyond majorly in the past and was lucky to have family that could and would help me out. I'm trying very hard to not make the same mistakes again.