What Luxuries Are You Willing to Sacrifice?

I don't know about you, but I love pedicures! I know that may seem silly, (especially to the male readers) but getting a pedicure once every few weeks was just part of my routine. I would spend nearly $40 to have my FEET "prettied" up. Every six weeks I would have my hair done. Color, cut, wash....spent nearly $70-$100 having this done. At the time, these items of vanity felt like necessities. I actually budgeted for these items, like food or the mortgage.

Regardless, these types of luxuries are just not an option in my life anymore. I do occasionally have a pedicure or get my hair "refreshed," but not nearly as much as I used to. Pedicures are only for summer or when I know I have to wear opened toe shoes for an event. The highlights get touched up when I absolutely cannot go "zebra" any longer.

Sometimes I have to ask my children to sacrifice, as well. Asking them to give up extra curricular activities and/or fun is not an easy task. I HAD been able to give my children 10x the childhood I had, up until this point. They are used to receiving whatever they desire, but now they (against their will) have to sacrifice for the greater outcome of my decision to be a full-time student. Is it fair to them? Probably not, but I can always hope they gain a lesson or two from current events. I want them to understand that sacrifice and hard work is the only way to achieve great success. Plus, I try to remind them that there are children that have it far worse than they do. They don't completely understand this concept, but it's worth a try to diffuse the situation. Lol!

The point is that as a full time parent and student, most of us are sacrificing income and work hours to attend class in an already difficult economy. We are asking ourselves, as well as our children, to sacrifice enjoyments from our lives to benefit the greater outcome. Is it worth it? Only YOU can determine the answer.

For me (who has always been frugal anyway), it hasn't been that difficult. Although it can suck at times (because I do love a day at the salon), I know it won't always be like this. I think the kids know this too.


Other Items We Sacrifice:
1. Camel Lights for Pall Malls (Ha!)
--I could totally save my family $160 a month, if I didn't smoke. (working on this)

2. Hamburger for Steak
--We definitely eat at home a lot more. Eating out is not really an option (we used to eat out at least 4 times a week), but we don't really miss it all that much. You can't even imagine how much weight I've lost!

3. Weekends @ Home
--No more weekends going to movies, shopping, and having dinner at a restaurant. We are all content w/ watching movies on TV, playing video games, or just lounging. It's amazing how much money you save when you don't leave the house! Ha!

4. Medical and Dental
--Due to our financial situation and a job that's convenient (not loaded w/ benefits), we go without medical and dental. There are state programs (at least for the kids), but we're still waiting. Until then...we are uninsured.

5. Travel
--We don't do EXTREME family vacations, but over the summer we usually accomplish a theme park or something. Not this past summer. Mommy had classes.

6. Other
--I wax my own eyebrows now.
--Kalen has to use a store brand lotion and hydra-cortisone for her eczema instead of the really good stuff that actually stops the itching.
--Kai actually has to take better care of his stuff because it doesn't just get replaced by the "it's broken" fairy.
--Instead of buying new clothes for myself, I just wear the clothes Kalen doesn't like anymore and vice versa.

My Student Loans are Killing Me!!

Recently, I made the decision to purchase a new vehicle. Although my current car is quite usable, I feel that it is getting old and not meeting my needs anymore. I made the decision (based on where I live now) to purchase a vehicle that would benefit me more in ice and snow. The weather in Indiana is definitely a little more extreme than Tennessee. Unfortunately, the only SUV’s I seem to like (even used) are in the $30,000 range, which is far beyond anything I can afford at this point.

The more I started looking into the purchase of a new car, the more I realized I just wanted to buy a car that I love and would continue to love for the next 6 or 7 years. This car is the 2009 Pontiac G8! I currently have a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, which was very nice in its early years. It still is a nice car, but I’m so afraid something expensive is going to break and then what?

My first visit to a car dealership came with some confidence. I walked in and test drove this beautiful car. I had a 50/50 chance of leaving with the car that day. If you are like me, buying a car is one of the most irritating situations EVER! You have to deal with high pressure salespeople, credit checks, and a drawn out process that takes hours.

I was kind of nervous about my credit score for a couple different reasons. Since my separation and divorce from my ex-husband, money has been an issue. When his income left the scenario, I was forced to default on a couple of credit cards (which I faithfully make payments to now). However, the 30, 60, 90 days past due does stick to your credit report for 7 years and brings your score down considerably. In some cases, having 30, 60, 90 days past due is worse than filing bankruptcy. Also, during the time of my separation from my ex-husband, I quit attending school. When this happens, your student loans become automatically due. What does this mean to your credit? This means that $54, 000 in student loans was reported to my credit report. My debt ratio was hit hard. My credit score, hit even harder. Between past due accounts and $54,000 worth of debt on my credit report, my credit score dropped almost 200 points! Wow, right?

The purchase of the G8 was the first time I had my credit evaluated in 3 years. Although I was somewhat confident that my score had gone up enough to purchase a car, I was still nervous. The salesman came back out and informed me that my credit score was a -1. A negative ONE!! That is not even a possibility (which is what I told him). I told him to run it again, thinking maybe they were having a problem with their software. Nope! Still came back -1. He discussed the fact I had $54,000 worth of student loan debt and this was probably causing the score. So, humiliated (because this guy was looking at me like I was a piece of crap), I almost gave up. I questioned whether or not my student loans mixed with some past due accounts was really bringing back a -1 credit score. I went to another car dealership.

The new dealership came back with a 0 credit score. The lady I worked with at the new dealership was awesome! She took a full week to research the problem (realizing that a 33 year old could not have a 0 credit score). Finally, she discovered that I had been reported DECEASED on my credit report! I was stunned! When you are reported as being dead to the credit bureaus, they wipe your credit score so others cannot falsely use a dead person’s credit. I contacted the Social Security Administration (who had me alive and well) and then I contacted all 3 credit bureaus to remedy the problem. The scary part (from my inquiries with the credit bureaus) was that anyone can report anything they want to your credit report and the bureaus do not have to verify it! If something is incorrect or false, it is up to you to realize the problem and dispute it. That is what I did. I disputed the fact I was still alive and within a couple weeks I was brought back to life (my credit score came back too). Getting a good look at my credit score after this ordeal made me realize that although I work hard to correct my delinquent accounts from my divorce, the $54,000 of student loans is killing me. As of right now, my monthly payment will be close to $600 a month when they come due. This is almost my rent payment for my house!

This whole situation got me thinking about several things. First, I’m over the new car thing for a bit. Second, my student loans ARE going to be a problem for me in the future. Finally, I’ve got to watch my credit report thoroughly, so this will not happen again.

My advice for those of you who borrow money to attend college is as follows:

1. Only borrow what you need! If I had realized that this debt was going to haunt me before I even graduated, I wouldn’t have got so excited about those refund checks from the school.
2. Sign up for a credit monitoring service. Most times they are only about $15 a month, but knowing what’s going on with your credit report and score will eventually be essential to using the college degree you worked so hard for. My problem with my student loans is that they are being reported to my credit report now, instead of later. Although they are all in good standing (because of their deference), it still puts a damper on my debt ratio.
3. If you can pay on your student loans or their interest now, do it!! Remember any unsubsidized loans are accruing interest daily at around 6%. By sending them money now for the interest, you can save you so much money in the end.

As of 2 weeks ago, the financial aid office at Purdue North Central has informed me that my loans have reached their aggregate levels. This means that I have capped out on student loans. The problem with this is that even though I get a lot of grant money, I was using the loans to supplement for out of state tuition and books. I will not be able to find out for sure what’s going on until November, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I will still be able to attend in the Spring.

Thanks for reading!

Fall Semester is Here...

Hope everyone had a great summer break! Considering I took a couple summer classes, my break was short lived. But that's ok!

I'm actually really excited about classes starting again this week. Ready to get this over with as soon as possible. The kids are excited that I will be in class when they are at school, so poor Kalen doesn't have to cook dinner twice a week (unless she wants to). I am also excited that now that I am divorced and do not use my ex-husbands income on my FAFSA, half of my tuition was FREE thanks to government grants. Always a light at the end of a dark tunnel...Yay!

If you haven't discovered www.half.ebay.com for textbooks, you are really missing out! I saved over $500 on my books and every penny counts these days. The book stores are a racket! I cannot believe I wasted my money all these years.

This is a short update. Keep an eye out for my upcoming blog post concerning education loans and your credit in the next week or two. I'm going through an interesting situation with my credit, but I'd like to see how it plays out before I report anything.

Relationships and Your Goals....

So the first time I went "back to college," in 2003, I was married. How wonderful he was....supporting my plan to finish my degree. However, although the support was there, I still had to work 50 hours a week, take 6 classes, and come home and attempt to study with two small children and a husband in the military who was always gone. (The second income was nice, however.) Suffice to say, I was not on the Dean's List!

I'm not complaining though. He was supportive and tried to make things easy for me (doing some laundry, cooking dinner, picking up the kids from daycare). Totally different than my situation currently. Now...no husband, no second income, laundry waits on me, dinner is always my responsibility and no one supports my goals , but ME! (Except a few friends who can't believe I actually got into Purdue...Ha!)

There is someone special in my life, however. We've been on and off for over 3 years. The unfortunate part is that he lives in Tennessee and I live in Indiana. I had actually moved to Indiana, based in part on starting over (without him), but now we are attempting to generate a new relationship. My problem through this situation is the fact that I could easily move back to Tennessee and finish my degree (in less time, at that). We wouldn't have to endure this long distant "whatever this is" and I could get done is less time. So why don't I just drop it all and do it?

Well I'm a Alumni-snob and always looking at the long term. What's wrong with that? Looking at the folks I'll be graduating with and thinking...hmmmm, this will be beneficial some day. Obviously, I'll be able to do more with my Purdue education than Austin Peay education (in Tennessee and where I started my degree). The semi-boyfriend (it's complicated) seems rather proud when announcing why I live here and not there. "She's at Purdue University finishing her degree in Business." Oh, how he smiles. Feels good....right?

I'm a strong believer in finishing what I start, which has not been the case for the last few years. A lot in part because of him. I'm not saying it's completely his fault that I've accomplished nothing the past few years. I am to be held completely responsible for my lack of accomplishment. I just wanted to be there for him....24/7. However, I could be finished by now and I could have accomplished it while we were living in the same state.

Well why doesn't he move here? He's got a good job and should stay with it.

So the point I'm trying to make is that at this point in my life, no matter how difficult it is, I have to put my education before a relationship with a man. I'm ok with being alone for awhile. I will not change any part of my life, unless it benefits the kids and I. Does that sound selfish? Well good! I am selfish. Selfish in the sense that I have put all of my goals to the side for every relationship I've been in since I was 17. Time for some ME time.

I am geared to finish Purdue as quickly as possible...then probably University of Indiana for Law school. Probably not moving back to TN anytime soon....

So what if he proposes? Yeah, well I'll cross that bridge when it comes. The fact is, getting married would ruin my wonderful FINANCIAL AID status, but hey, that's me being selfish again. Oh, the little things....

Thanks for Reading.

End of Semester Burn Out....

Ok, so we've got 2 more weeks left in the Summer Session and all momentum is lost.

All these major final projects are about to hit me really hard which will take my study time from "monstrous" to "horrific." The kids are definitely sick of having to deal with themselves while I'm locked away in my office, although I try really hard to fit something fun in on the weekend. They're poor summer is a joke because I just had to get a jump start on my classes at Purdue. They don't seem mad at me though, although their little sad faces are crying "come spend time with me, please." They are very understanding most times and try to make this transition in our lives as easy as possible for me.

My brain is spent! I am seriously looking forward to a little vacation time and my children are as well. Next semester I have 4 classes but these will be spread out over 16 weeks, so I think the pressure will cease a bit. Let's hope so, for fun sake. (and everyone's sanity)

Thanks for reading.

SIDE NOTE: My new blog will be starting in a couple weeks which will deal with politics and politicians. This venture will give me an opportunity to educate myself on current events, politicians, and the country as a whole. Hope you'll take a look because I'm sure my sarcastic demeanor will echo in this one. Yay for discussions that rile people up!

"Project Working Mom"...Got to Love Free Money

Check out Project Working Mom if you are wanting to attend college online and need financial assistance. From my research, the scholarships are only good for a select number of online schools.

An online degree is becoming more and more popular; however, the cost can be outrageous (you have to pay for convenience). Make sure you check online schools for accreditation. You also want to make sure you have the self discipline to study online.

Also if you are not familiar with the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program, this is a need based grant for low-income students wanting to finish college. I actually got this grant for 2010-2011 (cha-ching). It is basically paying for all my books. This grant goes through the US Department of Education and over 4000 colleges are participants. You have to fill out a FAFSA for this one, which I am a pro at doing (if anyone ever needs help).

Thank you Mr. President.

Job (Cover) Letters....Ugh!

Ok, so writing a specific job letter to every company you apply for can be tedious. I used to have a standard cover letter that I just changed up when applying to various jobs, but Dr. Bethany Lee (my Business Writing professor) says that is very, very wrong. You are susceptible to accidentally not changing something from before and oops...ATT just got a cover letter for Verizon.

Plus, devising a job letter can be sometimes difficult and I was really unsure of any particular format before. I always sound like I'm sucking up, instead of trying to get the company's attention. Not good, either.

Dr. Lee gave us some useful hints and structure to writing a job letter:

Structure of a Job Letter:

Should be 4 paragraphs:

Paragraph 1 -- Introduction: This should have all the information about the job you are applying for including the position title and how you heard about it.

Example:

"Perhaps I am the experienced Store Manager you seek per your ad on Career Builder for Moorehead Communications’ new Mishawaka store location. Your newly acquired partnership with HHGregg is an exciting new venture and I believe I would be an asset to this business endeavor."

Paragraph 2 -- Qualifications: This is where you WOW them with your skills, education, and experience. Start with your strongest attribute for the specific position and close with the 2nd strongest.

Example:

"Per my resume, I have worked in customer service for over 15 years with 6 of those years playing the management role. I have spent 3 years in the wireless industry where I have played major roles in customer satisfaction, sales, technical support and generating new business. Although I’ve held few sales positions, I believe every aspect of quality customer service also deals in sales on a daily basis. I have excellent written and oral communications skills, a fantastic personality, a positive attitude, and a respectful work ethic."

Paragraph 3 -- Company Info: Always do some research on the company you are applying to. Even if you just add one fact about the company, they see you are actually interested because you took the time to find out more. This is also a good place to state how you would fit into the company.

Example:

"Your reputation, honesty and stability in indirect wireless sales over the past 19 years are a welcome quality to the wireless business. I have dealt with indirect sales companies in previous positions and the lack of customer care was often apparent. Your strong and dedicated value towards the customer is a clear-cut reason for your success. I would be honored to take part in your mission and growth."

Paragraph 4 -- Contact Info: Here you should review your contact information as well as availability. (Try to be available as much as possible.) I would say anytime because a voice mail is better than them not calling because they were not available between 9am and noon.

Example:

"I appreciate your time and consideration in speaking with you further. I am available anytime at (931) xxx-xxxx or by email at jxxxx@yahoo.com. I would appreciate the opportunity to interview with you and discuss what I can bring to Moorehead Communications and The Cellular Connection."

Simple enough, right!

Well I've written two this morning, so honestly I'm all done with Job Letters for the day. However, good luck to you and let me know if I can help in any way.

Thanks for Reading.

Resumes Are For Getting The Interview...Not the Job!

Hey All! So, as promised, I thought we would talk about resumes, cover letters and interview techniques this week. Mainly due to the fact that is what I am studying in my Business Writing class and because (if you are like me) some of us are looking for a job, new job or just something more flexible.

My favorite "new" ideas about writing resumes are below:

Quadrant Test
There are so many different ways to write a resume. Has anyone ever heard of the "Quadrant Test" of a resume? Basically you take your resume and draw a + through it. With this, you have 4 quadrants. Most of your important info should be in quadrant 1 (top left). I had actually never heard this before, but hey I study business, not the human psychology of "resume readers." Hiring managers are more likely to just scan the info in the top left corner of your resume and may never look at anything else (unless something catches their eye.)

If you want to learn more about the Quadrant Test, check out the Purdue OWL site to learn more.

Simple is Good
Don't make your resume too spiffy! No colored paper, no special crazy fonts, and keep it simple (but detailed).

Remember the movie "Legally Blonde" where she hands the professor a pink resume that smells good. Yeah, that doesn't work in the real world. So keep your resume white paper and fragrance free, please.

I'm sure we've all heard about keeping it 1 page. (Impossible for me!) But there may be areas of unnecessary congestion, where perhaps you are repeating yourself. Combine duties and use bullet points. Reader friendly is good.

I was able to take my 3 page resume and turn it into 2 pages just by cutting out gibberish I didn't realize was there. (By the way, read your resume every once in a while. I just add to mine, never looking at what has been there for 10+ years. MISTAKE!)

Love Some Stats!
This is from the Purdue Owl website on Resume Design.

• Employers will usually take, at most, only 35 seconds (if you're lucky) to look at this one-page representation of yourself before deciding whether to keep or discard it.

35 SECONDS! It took me an hour to fill out their application (especially online), write a special cover letter just for that company and put together a resume to impress. They are only going to look at it for 35 seconds!? Crazy, but unfortunately, that is the card we are dealt by employers today.

Especially with the poor economy and more competitive job market (due to lack of jobs), you must allow your resume to hopefully stand out enough to make the cut. You can do this, by having awesome job letters (cover letters).

We'll talk about those on the next blog.

If you need help with your resume, feel free to email it to me @ jardan_143@yahoo.com. I would be happy to proof read it and make suggestions.

Thanks for reading!

I Almost Smacked A 20 Year Old

Did someone really ask me today, "Why go to school at your age? Aren't you kind of old? Why not save your money for your child's college education?"

Really, dude?! First and foremost, this guy was probably 20 years old. As if anything he says to me, I will take to heart or into consideration. Basically he was telling me that I had my chance to go to college and at this point in my life, I'm wasting my money by attending college at 32. I should be saving for my kids' education instead of creating debt for my own and that I will be too "old" to use my education to it's full degree.

Yes, by the time I finish Law school and begin my career, my daughter will be getting ready to graduate high school. My loan repayment process will kick in at that point. So how will my daughter be able to go to college? First of all, I'll be a lawyer....I think I can afford it. Second, if she needs financial assistance, there (hopefully) will be Federal aid available to her, as there is for me. It will be cool!

My parents did not have some secret savings account set aside for my college tuition. They made college part of my life plan, but never planned out how they were going to pay for it. It just kind of happened the first time around. Now as an adult, I take advantage of every resource possible to pay my tuition.

Sure, going to college now is killing me...financially and family wise. I sacrifice tons of quality time with my kids to study and go to class. Do I think it's worth it? Hell Yeah!! My children will definitely be proud of my accomplishments in the end. They will realize and appreciate the sacrifices we all have to make for Mommy to do this. Plus, our lives will ultimately improve because of my college degree....financially and family wise.

So, "guy with an opinion about my decision to return to school," .... Bite Me! You have no idea what is really going on in the world today. You are barely out of high school and still riding the coat tales of your parents. With outlandish and bold statements such as the one you provided me today...I pray for you (and your future wife).

Thanks for reading.

Preview: This Week, Resumes/Interview Tips (Purdue University Style)

I am taking a Business Writing class over the Summer Semester and I am learning tons of useful stuff.

This week, I will be concentrating on giving you tons of information concerning resumes, job letters, and interviews. I used to write resumes as a side business, so you are welcome to e-mail your resume to me @ jardan_143@yahoo.com for proofreading and suggestions. I'd love to help!

The job letters (cover letters), especially with the online attribute of submitting your resume, is very important and critical. I'll be sharing some samples and even show you my assignments from class for feedback.

Thanks for reading.

Happy 4th of July!

Well as we celebrate our Independence from Britain....(yes, I've been taking a General Business class with a historical agenda)...we should all take a moment and thank the men and women of this wonderful nation for keeping our freedom safe.

The weekend was good for my kids and I. I am currently enrolled in two summer classes (which are accelerated and kicking my butt). The holiday gave me a day off today, Monday July 5th, which has not actually been a day off at all. Although I did my best to get ahead before the holiday weekend, I find myself feeling a little tight on time with my assignments and reading. Perhaps I was not as ahead as I thought. I've had to read two chapters and take a Quiz. I'm also in the process of studying for midterms which are next week. So much for a day off!

However, I did get to spend some quality time with my kids this weekend. We purchased over priced fireworks and grilled out, all in the name of good fun. They are hating the fact I have been locked in my office all day studying. They want Mom to come back to the fun scene....immediately! Sorry Kids!

Hi! My name is Dana Helton and I am 32 years old. I am a divorced Mom of 32 with two wonderful children 12 and 6. I am attending Purdue University North Central in Indiana and plan to acquire a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. Ultimately, my calling is Law school and I will probably never use my Accounting degree; however, it is always good to have a back up plan. Law school is pricey and with the accumulation of loans I acquired during my first attempt at going back to school, I may have to either skip it or pray I hit the lottery.

I did attempt college at 18 after high school. I lasted one semester before I realized I wanted to party, work, and drive a nicer car. College played no part in any of that. I dropped out, had my daughter a couple years later, and with the "single mom" syndrome did not have time or money to go back to school.

I met my ex-husband and decided that with two incomes, it would be easier to start college. Plus, I was older and ready for the responsibility. However, this time I had two kids and a full time job with an hour commute. It was hard, but I managed to complete 3 years at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee before the burn out snuck up on me. Burn out, meaning: I skipped class to sleep. I felt guilty about not spending time with my kids. I lost my drive completely!

If you are reading this, you are most likely a Mom, going back to school or thinking about it, and perhaps working too. Combining all three of these attributes can be stressful and time consuming. If you are like me, when I excel in one area, I lack in another. I've noticed when my grades are at their best, my kids are giving me the sad face saying, "Mom, are we ever going to do anything fun?"

Doing what we do is full of hard choices. We have to sacrifice not only our time, but the time of our children as well. My daughter is 12 years old and can be trusted to latch-key after school and on the weekends. She is very good with her younger brother and I trust them more on their own than with a babysitter. I was left at home starting at age 8 because both my parents worked, constantly. Unfortunately, I don't remember any fun. Only house work and taking care of my little brother. I'm not complaining, though. I turned out rather self sufficient and independent.

Attending and finishing college is very important to me for 3 main reasons: (1) I will be the first in my entire blood line to have a college degree. (2) My children are more likely to go to college if I complete my education. (3) Sick and tired of my extensive experience not being enough.

I have worked in taxes and other financial services for the past 3 1/2 years but I am currently unemployed. I was able to make it for awhile with my unemployment benefits while I looked for another job. Unfortunately, I am having a hard time finding a position that will work around my school schedule. Always one heartache for another, right?

Well, I used the first post to give a little background on myself. I will use this blog to help others in my situation as the learning process progresses. We all need someone to lean on. Someone who understands what we are going through. We all need tools to ensure our success. So let's all work together to provide the above. Thanks for reading.