Ideas to help with student loan problems

Hi Everybody,,

First off I want to say I am very glad I found this forum. I have been very depressed and discouraged when it comes to my student loans, which are over $120,000. No degree and no job to show what I used the loan money for. I was foolish and took out 8 private loans and used the money basically to live on and just twitter away. I blame NO one but myself. Its time to pay them back and now I have payments of over $1200 a month. A huge bill to pay, trust me, I have had very a many sleepless nights.

Anyway, I have been reading the posts about folks looking for help, and many of you have given some great advice. Unfortunately, these loans need to be paid back and no matter how much we all wish they would go away, they wont. The only way to get rid of them, is to pay them.

I read about folks that are having their wages garnished and can barely pay the bills to make ends meet. I hear ya, I am there and know what your going thru. But, the only way to help yourselves is to make more money. So,, I started trying to figure out ways to do this.

I found out there are lots of ways to do this. If you search online you will find many, many jobs that are independent contractor , 1099 type jobs. Many You can work at home with hours that fit your schedule. Yes, most have to do with selling something, but find something that interest you. Start small, I only made a few dollars at it, at first. But give it time, and it will grow. If you could earn an extra $500-$1000 a month, wouldnt this help with these student loan payments? I currently sell Avon and have started a small Ebay business. Both jobs only paid me about $100 a month, but now after 6 months, I have been able to grow each business to bring in close to $500. Thats an extra $1000 a month. Guess where the money goes? Yup, student loan payments. But I can work at home, and work the hours that fit my schedule. Little by little I am making a dent in that HUGE $120,000 debt. I have a friend that loves garage sales. She goes out, picks up things for cheap, or even for free and then sells them herself at her own garage sale on the weekends. She is making about $100 a weekend doing it. Maybe you have a trade or skill that you can hire out... yard work, car repair, tutoring? Hand out flyers in your neighborhood and tell folks that you can do some work. I have another friend that started a pet sitting business. At first he only made $25 a week or so, but now, he is earning about $300 a week. This took him about a year, but he loves it, and it really doesnt take up much of his time to do it.

I realize some of us are disabled and homebound. But put on a thinking cap, there is a way to make extra money and doesnt have to be getting a regular paying , out of the home job.

I still have a long road to haul and still have sleepless nights, but I try to keep hope alive, its the only way I know how. And it certainly is better than fighting with the student loan people.

Cathy in Oregon.