frugality Archives - Page 4 of 12 - Student Debt Diaries

Attending Community College to Save Money

February 8, 2021 Jordan RothmanChoosing Schools

Community colleges are educational institutions that typically offer two-year degrees to students (although some may offer four-year B.A. and B.S. degrees). Community colleges usually do not have on-campus housing and may not offer the same services to students as more traditional four-year colleges. Community colleges also typically have more trade and vocational courses that are difficult to find at more traditional four-year universities. For a variety of reasons, attending community college to save money is… Continue Reading Attending Community College to Save Money

Money Saved from the Student Loan Freeze

February 1, 2021 Jordan RothmanRepayment Strategies

As many people already know, the federal government has frozen federal student loan payments to deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, qualifying loans will not accrue interest until later this year. Although only certain types of borrowers are entitled to stop making payments, money saved from the student loan freeze can be devoted to a variety of purposes. Pay Down Other Debt Perhaps the most practical thing you can do with money saved… Continue Reading Money Saved from the Student Loan Freeze

Reserving On-Campus Jobs for Needy Students

January 18, 2021January 18, 2021 Jordan RothmanEarning Extra Money

Most colleges have on-campus jobs available for students wishing to make extra money while they are in school. Depending on the university, such jobs may include working in the cafeteria, the mailroom, student events, or a number of other positions. Although some jobs are explicitly designated for students who qualify for the federal work-study program, other jobs are available to all students who may apply. However, reserving on-campus jobs for needy students is an important… Continue Reading Reserving On-Campus Jobs for Needy Students

Earning Extra Money Makes Saving Easier

December 28, 2020 Jordan RothmanEarning Extra Money

Earning extra money is an important part of paying off your student loans early. If you have a main job that pays for all of your living costs and expenses, then any money you make on the side can be completely devoted to student debt. Indeed, earning extra money is one of the reasons why I was able to pay my student loans years ahead of schedule. However, earning extra money makes saving easier, and… Continue Reading Earning Extra Money Makes Saving Easier

Ordering Take-Out While Repaying Student Loans

November 30, 2020 Jordan RothmanSaving Money

As this website has detailed in several prior articles, saving money is critical to repaying student loans early. Indeed, a dollar saved is oftentimes more important than a dollar earned, because you do not need to pay taxes on money you save like you often must on money you make. Individuals hoping to pay off student loans often need to make their own meals to save money, but ordering take-out while repaying student loans is… Continue Reading Ordering Take-Out While Repaying Student Loans

Picking a Repayment Plan

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020 Jordan RothmanRepayment Strategies

Many student debt borrowers have a variety of repayment plans they can choose from when repaying their student debt. Indeed, most student loan borrowers are put on a default repayment plan that usually requires them to pay off their student loans on a ten-year schedule. However, borrowers can sometimes choose to repay their student loans over twenty or even twenty-five years in certain situations. In addition, some repayment plans alter the amount of money owed… Continue Reading Picking a Repayment Plan

A Student Loan Bailout is Unlikely

November 16, 2020 Jordan RothmanRepayment Strategies

Over the years, there have been some discussions of a massive student loan bailout that would wipe out most or all of the student debt burdening millions of borrowers dealing with student loans. Indeed, I wrote an article on this topic a few years ago for another website, and I predicted that a student loan bailout would be fairly unlikely. I also wrote a similar article on this website a few years ago. Now that… Continue Reading A Student Loan Bailout is Unlikely

Juno Can Help with Student Loans

November 9, 2020November 14, 2020 Jordan RothmanRefinancing Student Loans

Student Debt Diaries has promoted a variety of organizations within the student loan community since the website was launched over three years ago. I recently had a discussion with folks at Juno, a company that is part of the student loan refinancing space. For a variety of reasons, Juno can help with student loans, and student debt borrowers should check out this company in order to seek assistance with their student debt. The main way… Continue Reading Juno Can Help with Student Loans

Geography Can Impact Student Debt

October 26, 2020October 26, 2020 Jordan RothmanRepayment Strategies

People understand how living costs can vary dramatically based on where you live in the United States. As I can attest to from firsthand experience, living costs in northeast cities (such as New York City) can be brutal, since rent, food costs, and other expenses are substantial in those areas. However, in more rural parts of the country, the prices for most consumer goods and rent are far lower. Geography can impact student debt, because… Continue Reading Geography Can Impact Student Debt

Getting Advice About Student Loans

October 5, 2020October 5, 2020 Jordan RothmanAdvice for Parents, Repayment Strategies

Paying off student loans can be a lonely process. People often do not discuss student loans with their peers, so it is difficult to get advice and support from friends. In addition, the student loan challenges faced by this generation are different than the struggles faced by people who went to school decades ago. However, getting advice about student loans can be easy if you keep a few things in mind. Siblings Siblings can be… Continue Reading Getting Advice About Student Loans