So. Much. Debt.

Also, “getting ahead” is overrated.

I feel for you. I carried the burden of debt for 2 decades. I became a slave to it, working jobs I didn’t like. There is no magic solution. Maybe try wiping the slate clean and starting from nothing.

Alex, have you ever considered making things to sell? Or developing talents to profit off of?

You could get into fire spinning and get hired to do gigs. I’m not sure how lucrative it is but I know that people do that.

For a while I sold stenciled tshirts, and it’s actually a really good business model if you’re willing to stay small. I targeted local bands and school groups who didn’t have the money for screenprinting. You buy blank white t’s at about 2.70 each, make the stencil of the image they want, spray paint it, and then charge around 8 or 10 per shirt. It’s still cheaper for them, especially if they have a small order, and the cost of time for making the stencil and gathering supplies is more than paid for.

That was the most lucrative small business thing I’ve done… hope it helps.

Hey Alex, I am sorry to hear that you are faced with this problem. I too have a significant amount of debt in student loans and medical bills so I feel your pain! Anyways, I wanted to point out first that the most important thing is that you left the military because you wanted to. At this point the best thing that you can do is learn from this experience by thinking over your decisions in depth before executing them. As for the debt itself, I have a few ideas. First off, I think that I should say that I somewhat regret going to college. Its not all that they say that it is. I feel that I am being pushed to learn so much in so little time that I am actually not learning much at all. I am mostly memorizing things to pass a test and after that the information is lost. I currently owe at least 40,000 due to college and I am not even near graduation. I should have thought that one out a little bit more. What I wish I had done was gotten a trade. Some are worth it and some are not. Its some research that you would have to do but some trades pay exceptional amounts. The highest paying job out of college currently is air traffic control. You would have to get some training but it may free you from your certain circumstances. This may not be a first choice but you could do it until your debt was paid off which would likely only be a year after training or you could look into other trades that you are more interested in. I don’t recommend doing anything illegal to pay off your debts as those sort of things never seem to really pay off unless you know what your doing (LOL) and usually the end result is a felony plus the original debt. I hope that this helps you out! Let us know if you find a solution! : )

I’m running $2000 dollars of credit card debt plus $28000 in tuition. I have not been working full time for the last 7 months as I have been planning to launch my business. I think alot of people are in the boat as you. Student outstanding tuition debt is around 1 trillion right now. College students will make up a large majority of consumer spending….at least that is what is assumed. But little do people realize that college students are in so much debt, they will not be spending on items such as cars, food, and…new houses. The housing market is doomed.

Just keep you head held high…set some goals so you will always know where you are in life and how you will get out. It will be tough no doubt, but its possible. Find some hobbies that won’t cost much…etc. You can do it.

Go bankrupt? Start afresh. Then live simply & save. Start your own business.

Fuck it. Shit doesnt matter, just do what you gotta do to survive and grow. If you can come up with a great Idea to make some money, I got a few dollars to throw around.

I did some research on bankruptcy in the US. Under a chapter 7 bankruptcy claim it involves the:

“appointment of a trustee who collects the non-exempt property of the debtor, sells it and distributes the proceeds to the creditors. Because each state allows for debtors to keep essential property, most Chapter 7 cases are “no asset” cases, meaning that there are not sufficient non-exempt assets to fund a distribution to creditors.”

Essentially, all your assets are liquidated, your debts are paid off to the extent that is capable or covered under your assets and you start anew. If you have large assets such as a house or car (yes, they will liquidate those) DONT DO IT. But if not, speak to an attorney to see what is your best course of action.

I currently have ~ $ 9000 of debt, no job, little money, not much personal spending at all. My mobile company keeps sending me notices of unpaid bills. But im sure they can wait ;)

But I feel amazing and very at peace.

Alex, pick up a copy of Your Money or Your Life. It completely changed my relationship with money. It speaks to “what is enough”, and analyzing the value from each purchace or payment decision. There are lots of real life scenarios of people who re-evaluated their relationship with money and changed their lives for the better. I think everyone should read it really.
“http://www.amazon.com/Your-Money-Life-Transforming-Relationship/dp/0140286780″