I don't wanna work!

[maksidaa]

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Hey everybodies, my wife and i are working right now and waiting to move to Augusta, Ga for d-school. we've got some credit card debt from applying to schools, but we should have it paid off in two more months. i REALLY don't want to spend the next six months before d-school swallows me up working and doing boring stuff. what should i do? i guess i have several questions besides that:
1) we basically don't know when or how much financial aid to expect so we don't know if we should move now and buy a house or wait til this summer and buy a house right before school starts.
2) we want to take a fun trip somewhere but won't have the cash to do it. what to do?

i'm thinkint that i'll pay down my credit card, then ask for my credit card company to increase my credit limit, then buy a house, then move in, then take a trip and max out my credit card, come home, get financial aid and start school. any one have other ideas? what kind ot time table should i set between now and then? thanks.

 

[bonaire11]

I will be at mcg in the fall too. I wanted to do something fun with my wife before I went on lockdown, so I am taking her to Europe for 2 1/2 weeks. She works and I have been going to school, so I have a little bit of $, but not enough to take a trip like that. I am paying for what I can and putting the rest on my CC. I went ahead and bought the plane tixs, so I can spread the cost of the trip between now and when we go.
Plus I am doing a lot of fishing right now.

 

[danhook]

First off, your word usage and terminology makes you sound quite intelligent. Second any idea that involves buying a house and plans to max out a credit card all in the same sentence is just plain asinine(foolish, dumb, stupid also come to mind.) I have no suggestions for a person who makes the decision to post such a worthless thought on a dental professional forum. I think you will find I am not the only one with these views. In the future please think before you post.

 

[Veneto]

I might be wrong, but I am pretty sure that I remeber the financial aid people, in more than one interview, stressed the importance of being in no or as little debt as possible just before entering dental school. If I remember right they said it could affect the interest rates or even the amount of financial aid youare able to recieve. Does that sound familar to either of you? I too wanted to do the same sorta thing with my wife this summer, but have a little debt to pay off and then would have to incur a bit more to make the trip happen. ( its going to Bora Bora in the french polynesian islands)

 

[S Files]

Hey everybodies, my wife and i are working right now and waiting to move to Augusta, Ga for d-school. we've got some credit card debt from applying to schools, but we should have it paid off in two more months. i REALLY don't want to spend the next six months before d-school swallows me up working and doing boring stuff. what should i do? i guess i have several questions besides that:
1) we basically don't know when or how much financial aid to expect so we don't know if we should move now and buy a house or wait til this summer and buy a house right before school starts.
2) we want to take a fun trip somewhere but won't have the cash to do it. what to do?

i'm thinkint that i'll pay down my credit card, then ask for my credit card company to increase my credit limit, then buy a house, then move in, then take a trip and max out my credit card, come home, get financial aid and start school. any one have other ideas? what kind ot time table should i set between now and then? thanks.

terrible idea. unless you're planning on declaring bankrupcy sometime in the near future. do some research on your own about how debt grows and grows and grows.....
so again, work, take a road trip, take out as little financial aid as possible when you get to dental school.

 

[diane07]

There is a limit to Federal student aid. Stafford loan has a cap, and Stafford Subsidized has a limit of $8,500 per year. There are other loan sources available, but they come with their own substantial interest rates.

Everyone has a different financial situation. Someone attending a private and/or expensive school may need to max out loans whereas someone else who has in-state tuition and a spouse who works/supports them while they're in school . . . may not need to take out as many loans.

But regardless of what others are doing, it's in your best interest to research options for yourself. You may be surprised at the loan amount you are qualified to receive (ie - I have a friend who says the loan amount is never really enough but then again he is at a very expensive school) Also do some calculations regarding what you'd repay in interest (this can be very enlightening/scary and may make you reconsider maxing out loans)

It's not unreasonable to want to do something fun prior to dental school. But at least make an informed decision before going into credit card debt. If it were me, I'd work in the months prior to school to save for the inevitable expenses that will come up (moving costs, living expenses while you're waiting for your wife to find work/loans to disperse, car repairs, medical emergencies, unexpected bills . . . come to mind)

 

[Daurang]

Buy a national park pass and just drive around visiting all the national parks. That's the cheapest thrill can think of outside the home.

 

[tooth decay]

Hey everybodies, my wife and i are working right now and waiting to move to Augusta, Ga for d-school. we've got some credit card debt from applying to schools, but we should have it paid off in two more months. i REALLY don't want to spend the next six months before d-school swallows me up working and doing boring stuff. what should i do? i guess i have several questions besides that:
1) we basically don't know when or how much financial aid to expect so we don't know if we should move now and buy a house or wait til this summer and buy a house right before school starts.
2) we want to take a fun trip somewhere but won't have the cash to do it. what to do?

i'm thinkint that i'll pay down my credit card, then ask for my credit card company to increase my credit limit, then buy a house, then move in, then take a trip and max out my credit card, come home, get financial aid and start school. any one have other ideas? what kind ot time table should i set between now and then? thanks.

It is guys like you who abuse the very system which is trying to help those who cannot afford to go to professional schools. In the end, if you get more money for your education because of your "spend like there is no tomorrow" plan, that leaves less money for those who really need it and are skimping to save every penny for their education.I bet you will be one of those who will default on your loan anyways since it does not seem to be much of a priority with you.

 

[Veneto]

It is guys like you who abuse the very system which is trying to help those who cannot afford to go to professional schools. In the end, if you get more money for your education because of your "spend like there is no tomorrow" plan, that leaves less money for those who really need it and are skimping to save every penny for their education.I bet you will be one of those who will default on your loan anyways since it does not seem to be much of a priority with you.

Abuse the system? How is that abusing the system? He wont get any more money for his education than you would. While there is a limit to what the government will give it isnt higher or lower for any different person. It wont make a difference to you whether he takes out the max or not. This is not like undergrad where not everyone will get the same amount of free grant money from the government. There is only student loans that are subsidized or not from the government. You dont need money any more or less than he does, and in the end what he does wont affect you in the least. Oh, by the way defaulting on your dental student loans is lower than five percent, so not too likley. My take on the loans is that there is no reason to kill youself trying to save every penny during dental school, but also no reason to be 300k in debt either. In the end dentistry is a very lucrative career, and the cost of the education although high is well worth it.

 

[maksidaa]

It is guys like you who abuse the very system which is trying to help those who cannot afford to go to professional schools. In the end, if you get more money for your education because of your "spend like there is no tomorrow" plan, that leaves less money for those who really need it and are skimping to save every penny for their education.I bet you will be one of those who will default on your loan anyways since it does not seem to be much of a priority with you.

its guys like you who need to learn some manners and give the dental profession a bad name b/c you don't have decent levels of common courtesy. i'm not planning on "spending like there's no tomorrow". i'm just trying to figure out a way to enjoy life a bit more before d school starts and i am doing so at the urging of several dentists i shadowed as well as several dental students (especially dental students on this website). so for all you haters and holier-than-thou types out there, please find someplace else to vent, preferably somewhere else where people care about what you think. thanks.

p.s. my dental education will cost a fraction of what most people will pay for theirs. i don't think going to my state school over several private schools that accepted me will impact you and your "underprivelaged" self.

 

[tooth decay]

i'm thinkint that i'll pay down my credit card, then ask for my credit card company to increase my credit limit, then buy a house, then move in, then take a trip and max out my credit card, come home, get financial aid and start school. any one have other ideas? what kind ot time table should i set between now and then? thanks.[/QUOTE]


Personally, I really do not care how you spend your money and what kind of debt you are in. And I really do not care if you take out high interest loans to pay for your education. That is all your business. It is when you take out SUBSIDIZED federal loans ( or grant money for that matter) that the taxpayers have to pay for, then it becomes an issue. Is there a difference between purposely going into debt to qualify for subsidized loans versus taking a subsidized loan to take a vacation or buy a big screen tv? Subsidized federal (and state) loans and grants are for those students who are in difficult financial circumstances that are beyond their control. If I have misunderstood your intention, then I apologize in advance.

 

[cuneatus2]

Hey everybodies, my wife and i are working right now and waiting to move to Augusta, Ga for d-school. we've got some credit card debt from applying to schools, but we should have it paid off in two more months. i REALLY don't want to spend the next six months before d-school swallows me up working and doing boring stuff. what should i do? i guess i have several questions besides that:
1) we basically don't know when or how much financial aid to expect so we don't know if we should move now and buy a house or wait til this summer and buy a house right before school starts.
2) we want to take a fun trip somewhere but won't have the cash to do it. what to do?

i'm thinkint that i'll pay down my credit card, then ask for my credit card company to increase my credit limit, then buy a house, then move in, then take a trip and max out my credit card, come home, get financial aid and start school. any one have other ideas? what kind ot time table should i set between now and then? thanks.

Why would you want to max out your credit card?

 

[Jaybe]

its guys like you who need to learn some manners and give the dental profession a bad name b/c you don't have decent levels of common courtesy. i'm not planning on "spending like there's no tomorrow". i'm just trying to figure out a way to enjoy life a bit more before d school starts and i am doing so at the urging of several dentists i shadowed as well as several dental students (especially dental students on this website). so for all you haters and holier-than-thou types out there, please find someplace else to vent, preferably somewhere else where people care about what you think. thanks.

p.s. my dental education will cost a fraction of what most people will pay for theirs. i don't think going to my state school over several private schools that accepted me will impact you and your "underprivelaged" self.

It sounds like some dental students and dentists have given you some quite foolish advice. Don't carry credit card debt through dental school. You should be paying it in full at the end of each month, unless some unforeseen catastrophe forces you to overspend your available funds.

Wanting to go on an extremely pricey, European vacation doesn't count as an emergency. You aren't rich yet, so don't spend like it.

By the way, as a dentist you will not be "rich" either. Many dentists will work into their sixties and seventies due to their (and their wives') luxurious spending habits.

See Dick run. See Dick max out his credit card. See Dick be in Debt and work till he's seventy.

DONT be a Dick. 😀

 

[I'mFillingFine]

I can absolutely understand your wanting a trip before you start school. And like some other posters said, there are ways you can do it. The point is spending non-academic, non-responsibility time with your wife, right? What about a Rail Sale from www.amtrak.com? You can even get a sleeper car, and they have amazing deals if you're not picky about your adventure. JetBlue also has great cross-country deals for flights. Road trips are good, too, especially if you make a lot of your own food from grocery stores and the like.

Or you can just be lazy slobs for a few weeks and enjoy it!

Also, you will have some time in dental school...in fact, it's important to take breaks every so often, especially if one of you is NOT in school...just so you're back to reality every so often.

 

[maksidaa]

thanks for the advice. i've been looking at trip ideas like camping in the keys or tampa and around south florida, but i really don't know what i'll be doing. we might get our credit scores up as high as we can and then just move down to Augusta cuz my wife already has a job offer and we could get a $500 monthly payment on a mortgage due to low housing costs and rates. we could probably swing that on our own for the next few months and then see what kind of time and money we'll have to go do stuff. the rail pass sounds like a good idea. we don't want to put a lot of miles on our cars cuz their both over ten years old. i'll also try and keep in mind that it's not the absolute last time to go do something fun.

 

[Shane41]

Here's what Im doing. I have saved dollars and fives for the past year and Im taking my girlfriend and we are going on a ten-day Dave Matthews Band excursion either on the west coast or the east coast (dates havent been released yet). Not only will we be able to see an amazing band that I can get great seats to, but we get to travel and see some great cities and parks at the same time plus im with my girl. The trip wont max out any credit cards and if you sacrifice some things you typically do every month (dinners, shopping, etc) you would be amazed at how fast you can SAVE a some cash to do something fun. Plus, there are some amazing places in America that I cant imagine who have seen. Before spending the cash on flights to Europe, do a cheaper road trip and see what represents us as Americans. That's simply my point of view and thats all.

 

[olafo]

Just a hint if you want a low-cost trip to Europe. Fly to London on a cheap ticket and head onwards on Ryanair/Norwegian(budget airlines). Bring your bikes, a tent and some equipment and you can legally camp wherever you want in Norway(given it is some 50 metres from a house or something like that). Fantastic if you'd like to see the north of the country where the sun never sets at that time. The west coast is also stunning. Hiking in the mountains is another quite cheap option. Around $10 a night at the State Tourist Board cabins.

Something different at least, although maybe not the kind of Europe you were looking for.

 

[Gulch]

Hey everybodies, my wife and i are working right now and waiting to move to Augusta, Ga for d-school. we've got some credit card debt from applying to schools, but we should have it paid off in two more months. i REALLY don't want to spend the next six months before d-school swallows me up working and doing boring stuff. what should i do? i guess i have several questions besides that:
1) we basically don't know when or how much financial aid to expect so we don't know if we should move now and buy a house or wait til this summer and buy a house right before school starts.
2) we want to take a fun trip somewhere but won't have the cash to do it. what to do?

i'm thinkint that i'll pay down my credit card, then ask for my credit card company to increase my credit limit, then buy a house, then move in, then take a trip and max out my credit card, come home, get financial aid and start school. any one have other ideas? what kind ot time table should i set between now and then? thanks.

congratulations on getting into MCG; pretty much the best deal going down in dental/medical education today. wanting to go on a trip to have a little fun before the GRIND is totally reasonable. Just make sure it is within your means.

No extravagant trip to europe will bring more pleasure than overwhelming debt will bring misery. Be careful maxing out your credit card; interest can be a real B!tch when its working against you... Go camping or something and make a game out of how cheaply you can do it. That's how I'm rolling, and its not bad.

 

[maksidaa]

i originally wanted to go to thailand for a month and that would have meant putting about $2k on my credit card for tickets and i could of paid cash for everything else, but i'll have to see how things go the next few months. i looked at the financial aid statement for MCG and they allow $1800 a month for living expenses (includes $500 a month for food!?!?). right now my wife and i both live off $1100 a month so maybe once we get settled down in Augusta we can save up and do something fun for Christmas.
also, i looked at rail passes for amtrak and those would cost about the same as a flight from atlanta to cancun. i could stay in a cabana in the maya riviera for $20 a night and live on the beach for two weeks and spend the same amout of money as i might spend riding a train around the US or taking a road trip out west or flying out west and spending a week or so out there.
what if i found someone with a yacht that would let me work on their boat while they sailed around the caribbean? now i just gotta find that person.

 

[beannaithe]

i originally wanted to go to thailand for a month and that would have meant putting about $2k on my credit card for tickets and i could of paid cash for everything else, but i'll have to see how things go the next few months. i looked at the financial aid statement for MCG and they allow $1800 a month for living expenses (includes $500 a month for food!?!?). right now my wife and i both live off $1100 a month so maybe once we get settled down in Augusta we can save up and do something fun for Christmas.
also, i looked at rail passes for amtrak and those would cost about the same as a flight from atlanta to cancun. i could stay in a cabana in the maya riviera for $20 a night and live on the beach for two weeks and spend the same amout of money as i might spend riding a train around the US or taking a road trip out west or flying out west and spending a week or so out there.
what if i found someone with a yacht that would let me work on their boat while they sailed around the caribbean? now i just gotta find that person.

Just whatever you do, be aware that your wife working will mean that you will be getting less government aid and be stuck paying a higher interest rate from private companies. If I were you, I'd highly recommend going somewhere cheap in Europe or somewhere cheap stateside.

Also maxing out your credit card would be a horrible idea because some loan money takes a long time to come in and it'll be a hardship on you until you get the money in. I lived off of credit cards and borrowing a bit of money from my parents for the 3 month wait until the loan money came in.

so just weigh your options before making a final choice.

 

[DrTacoElf]

.

 

[maksidaa]

hey Dr taco elf, i'm looking at buying a 2 bedroom house in augusta and i've been told to stay away from south augusta. right now the houses i've looked at are all around walton way and mcg, but i don't have a clue about any of those neighborhoods. any advice? do you know anything about wrights ave near 15th st?

 

[jackbauer!]

i'm thinkint that i'll pay down my credit card, then ask for my credit card company to increase my credit limit, then buy a house, then move in, then take a trip and max out my credit card, come home, get financial aid and start school.

this is why people rag on physicians/dentists about their poor personal finance abilities.

 

[Lemming]

i looked at the financial aid statement for MCG and they allow $1800 a month for living expenses (includes $500 a month for food!?!?). right now my wife and i both live off $1100 a month so maybe once we get settled down in Augusta we can save up and do something fun for Christmas.

I don't think taking extra 8.5% interest loans to go on vacation counts as saving up...