I have to control my debts. Here’s what I’m thinking of doing:
1. Keep driving my 10 year old car despite 180K kilometers on it. I was so bloody tempted at the mechanic today (the umpteenth bleeding time) to simply put it out of its misery and lease a new car. If I didn’t need it for work or lived in the shittiest, non-environmentally conscious, sidewalk missing city, I would take public transport.
2. Consider going for an employee position that would relieve me a bit of lags between projects that deplete my savings. As I type this, I know in my heart that I won’t, but my mind is telling me to grow the fuck up and stop daydreaming about picking up one day and moving to an island.
3. I could get a roommate (uggghh!). Living in a university city means college kids are always available. Not sure how the privacy thing will go since I’ve lived alone for more than 5 years.
4. Find a rich, old dude ala Anna Nicole Smith, knock him down a flight of stairs with my tote bag (beautiful chocolate-brown DKNY), rush to the bottom of the steps, hold a mirror to his decrepit face, and if it fogs up, smother him using only a pinky finger. I’ve watched enough CSI to know what they can find from a body. I don’t mind fighting his 60 year old kids in court as long as I get mine.
What do y’all think?
February 19, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Number four should suffice as long as you haven’t missed an episode of CSI; as any episode missed would only serve to increase your your chances of getting caught. That way you get a new car with zero on the odo, keep the job, and preserve your privacy without some college kids giving you hell.
On a lighter note…hope you can control those debts…it took me forever to come out clean.
February 19, 2007 at 2:30 pm
*as any episode missed would mean a missed detail and would…”
February 19, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Deff the last option, but a younger version .. is like investing in the future, in that case u can also share a room with them or even a car … so u get the gist, get a partner, maybe the Kusband version.
February 20, 2007 at 2:52 am
As a concerned friend, I’d advice No. 1, but for my selfish reasons, go w/ option 4…lol.
And your dream of an Island life isn’t so impossible…just dream…dream…dream…Zanzibar….Dominican Republic…Fiji..and your there!
February 20, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Aya, Let me appoint myself as your car guide,a free guide.:)
You don’t need to lease a car,because A. You are not cadaan & B. You are a not a rich cadaan woman.
Go to a dealer, get a mid 2000-ish car for 8K+ & live a happy life. Also, Move the &*&* out of the downtown and cut on the designer bags
February 20, 2007 at 5:30 pm
sam,
Thanks and welcome to my cave. Congrats on cleaning up your debt, takes a lot of work! I haven’t missed an episode of CSI in a long time, lol. I got all my info. catalogued and stored. Just in case. You know.
Dee Nooh,
Don’t you think? I have the feeling a younger guy wouldn’t be so easy to shove off a flight of stairs. oh, oh, you mean be husband and wife? Not a bad idea at all. Except that working stiffs like me don’t meet too many independently wealthy dudes.
Om,,
Thank you, friend, and I will not forget you when I finally get mine, lol.
Like the way you think about the island dream, especially Fiji. Who knows, I might just pick up and go like I’ve always wanted.
Urban-Geeljire,
Much appreciate your guide, friend.
I’ve avoided leasing or financing a car since I graduated for the same reasons you’ve listed not to mention that I’m not a guy.
I might just hit the used car lot like you’ve suggested although I could not blow 8K that could go into my student loan. Maybe an auction lot? I did that in ‘99 to get the one I have.
Oh, I don’t live downtown but it might as well be since this city prides itself on the All-American tradition of no sidewalks, big F-250s and a useless public transport.
Give up my DKNY bag? From my cold, dead hands!
February 20, 2007 at 8:54 pm
No matter how tempting it is to agree with the other lot and tell you to put a rich old arthritic guy with sever memory loss out of his misery. The sensible part of me says to buy a new car. I just got one in an auction the other day, its a ‘98 fiat punto but only did 51k miles. And it was well within my student budget! So I suppose if I, the “shopamaniac” can manage that surely you will able to. And if you REALLY want to, you can still go ahead with option 4, but only if its for fun… no financial rewards ok?
February 20, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Oh God, debt! Student Debts! *In tears*
*Sniff*
# 2 sounds the most safe. Unless freelancing pays more.
# 4 sounds like a jail term.
*Sniff*
February 21, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Oh Aya….
Sorry – debt is the number ‘killer’ in the West. Option 1 sounds best — don’t lease though. Don’t even attempt option 4!
February 21, 2007 at 3:21 pm
*Student loans*: Oh boy,I forgot about them my hands suddenly froze ; Time to plan that wajir flight
F-250s you said? That must be a southern city,redneck infested city yeah? One of those dead college towns? Haah!, Lied there for 1/2 of my American years. Did the sensible choice of moving the &&& out. Sure,I moved to a -40F qaxoti populated city but i am happy here.
Auction lot is a gamble. A huge gamble. You could find the best car ever or the worst car ever! Perhaps 8K is a lil too much,But i am sure you can cough up to 5K right? Get a decent chick car, a Passatt or a Jetta
February 22, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Dahab,
Congrats on the fiat! I would kill for a car now with only 51K. I’m actually a big fan of auctions and sometimes just go out there to see what’s available but I’m a little too focused now on clearing my student debt. For #4, if not for financial rewards, then what’s the point?.
Firefly,
Lol, so sorry about the PTSD reaction, sounds like student debt has you waking up at night in cold sweat. Me too. I’ve been pushing myself for about 1.5 years to clear it off before this summer but things aren’t looking too good. Yes, freelancing does pay much better but the lags in between projects is slowly narrowing this lead.
AMTAF!,
Yes, debt is a complete killer. Just makes any plan to rearrange one’s life so difficult but I’m determined to get out and never get in again. I think I’ll be keeping my car for a little while.
Urban-Geeljire,
Wajir flight???!!! Lool. I suppose if anything would make me brave the bullets in Xamar, it would be to escape my student loan.
Yes, I live in a Southeastern city crawling with rednecks and vapid academic types, cautiously living together in a strange town of Walmarts and bookstores. If I didn’t hate frigid temperatures so much, I would move too. The goal now is to creep closer to tropical conditions. Hurricanes and all. Chick car??!! I don’t drive chick cars but if I find that old, rich dude, I just might.