I am able to take public transportation to and from work/school. But on the weekends and at certain times, public transportation can be very unreliable. I am a senior in college and looking for a new job but a lot of the jobs I find are not accessible by public transportation. My mother does not drive and I think she is afraid to. She managed to get her driver’s license somehow but I don’t trust her behind the wheel at all. (And she probably doesn’t trust her self either). She does not mind taking the bus everywhere. On the weekends, she stays home the entire time besides getting a ride to church. I think we really need a car at least for the weekends, grocery shopping, etc. I don’t have the cash but I have 0% APR with my credit card until next year. I am hesitant to use that because I already have credit card debt that I am trying to get rid off in addition to the student loans I’ll have to pay soon. I know my mother has at least some money or at least the means to get financing. She helped another relative with bad credit get a car. I’ve asked her to help me buy a car for the both of us but she either ignores me or gets upset about how she won’t buy me a casket. (The car would be the casket.) I am thinking of buying a car on my own but I’m not sure if it’s worth it. I don’t really know how to choose a decent car. Parking can be expensive at school. But I feel like a car would be very useful. I’m 22 and I have a feeling another reason my mom doesn’t want me to have a car is because she thinks I would have too much freedom to just go out when I want to.

Looking over barack obama’s tax returns I noticed that he had made donations to a non-profit organization in the years of 2004-2006. I can’t figure out what organization it is that he is donating too. Is NAMBLA a church of some kind? A homeless shelter or environmental group? The reason we were studying is because he has no deductions for his college student loan. Michelle had her college paid for because of he skin color and obviously not because of her grades. Also there is a man, name escapes me, who claims to have paid for obama’s college. I guess both obama’s misspoke when they tried to claim that they had "just finished paying off our student loans" but I don’t really care about that. So who or what is NAMBLA and why is barack donating money to them?

I realize its obamas money and he can donate to anyone, or any group that he wants, I am just curious. Any help would be appreciated as I am trying to help my business partners daughter with picking a topic for a college English class’ essay.

My boyfriend and I would really like to get married and don’t want to wait a long time. I’m 24, a college graduate, but make a meager living as a reporter for the local newspaper. I still live with my parents. He’s 26 and is still a sophomore in college due to several injuries and surgeries that kept him out of school for a while. He lives in the college’s apartments and works at the local video store. We live about 100 miles from each other.

If we were to get married soon, I could live in the student housing with him, and it would actually be cheaper with two incomes and other things like government incentives. However, he has almost NO savings right now and can’t seem to save anything with his video store income. I’m able to save a little, but not much. A "friend" totaled his car and he can’t afford to get a new one — and even if he could, he could not afford the insurance, registration, gas, etc. Right now he’s just paying for food, rent, and bills and gives me a little money if I drive down to see him or he takes me out to dinner, etc. Due to all the medical bills from his surgeries, he has bad credit and says he can’t get a loan to help pay for anything. I could get a loan, but would hate to start out our lives in more debt (I already have my own student loans to pay back). It would also make me feel a little wrong to be the one paying for everything.

I don’t need an amazingly fabulous wedding, but I also don’t want to get married at the court house in jeans and a T-shirt. We would both like a church wedding and a normal reception (just a "normal" wedding). But it seems like it will be years before he can even afford an engagement ring.

I know you’re probably thinking, "This guy is a loser, just find somebody else." But he has a wonderful heart and I’m so very in love with him. He would do anything to get out of this situation, but unless we win the lotto, it just seems impossible. Any ideas??? REAL ideas??

Im 21. He Just got back from Iraq a few months ago. He was there a year. I’m trying to get my BA, but it keeps getting delayed, because of courses being offered when they are. I won’t graduate any sooner than december now. I am trying to get myself together financially to move out asap. I’ve paid off a loan, and working on my student loans, to get a head start before graduation.

but the issues at hand:
Two in particular that are very damaging in my opinion
1) Follow G-d – I was raised in church, and we stopped going about 4-7 years ago. i mean 6 yrs ago we stopped going regularly as a family, and for about 6 months or so we went about 3-4 years ago, but i feel like i’m the only one who kept much interest. My mother would go on holidays. I stopped going after an argument with my pastor about 2 years ago. I still remained spiritual, and about 6 months after leaving church i took some classes at a faith-based university that taught some different doctrine. They pointed to the bible to support their beliefs, as did i somewhat. When I told my dad that I was going to their bible study, he said "You know I do not agree with what they teach" but he had no response for what they showed me in the Bible. This was a man who could point to the Bible for anything he did, and he could give me no scriptual reason to not practice as they did. Eventually as i studied more I noticed things that did not match up with this other doctrine either, and it was after a long test of patience that i came across a different belief that regards the bible, ALL of it, as the basis for our lifestyle. Now he won’t even talk to me about it, as he talks about how his life is not right with Gd, andhe hasn’t studied for a such a long time, that he can’t have an objective conversation about it, and ya-di-ya-di-ya. At one point he seems supportive and the other he is telling me that he doesn’t believe in how i live. and i really don’t see spirituality as being a major part of his life, if at all beyond marginal.

2) Family – I cannot even talk about 2 because it is too shameful

3) Drugs – My Dad told me when I was 14 that it would be hi greatest pride to know he raised a child who said ‘no’ to drugs. At the same time he believes that there is a natural cure for just about every disease. I’m very pro-cannabis. I smoke it and I eat it. How often is really irresevant, but after literally years of saying no to my friends, i waited til i was an adult to even consider trying it. I belive it has a medicinal purpose (ty Rick Simpson), and i have smoked it medicinally for my back, since the pain relievers my doctor gave me only made me loopy and i quickly grew a tolerance to them. My back is better, for the most part, and i do not have that reason to smoke. I sometimes do if it’s around, like at a friends house, but typically refrain, because i usually am too busy. I’ve tried talking to him about this, and he acts indiferent, is very neutral in his respanse, or just says something like "i don’t think you should put that stuff in your body." I don’t keep pot at the house (i have before when my back was messed up), but i do not want anything to get my parents in trouble. I went to a Medical Marijuana Bill legislation (i think thats what its called) this past week, and in talking about it he said that i am not to live at his house if this marijuana thing is going keep going on, because of HIS career. He does not even know how involved i am in this legal fight. I started my own legal work last fall, but had to abandon it because of finances. I haven’t had the resources TO BE involved! I’m not doing anything illegal, since like i said i don’t smoke, and it’s rare for it to even be around these days, and i most certainly have done nothing to endanger either of my parents’ employment. I’m not on any marijuana supporters lists, and i have been taking a legal route in my approach since i stopped smoking! we got in a fight over it and basically i have to find a place to live soon.
I don’t understand how this can come from a man who used to get really vocal on his belief that there is a natural cure/treatment for anything out there.

I’m sorry this was so long, but How can I give any credence to these things that i thought were so important when the person who taught me such things now lives in spite of them?
also, i started looking in the hemp debate, and marijuana issues even when i was in high school, so it’s not like he can say he didn’t see it coming.
Pearl. Do you eat pork? shrimp? catfish? G-d actually says that is unclean, so if you believe he dwells in you, and you are not kashrut then you are making Gd dwell in uncleanliness. Nice try, but cannabis is one of, if not the, healthiest plant we could consume, and there are plenty of studies to back up such a claim.

The deal in our family has always been that when you get married you pay for it yourself. We set up a college fund for our daughter and since she got scholarships, she was able to have ,000 left over. We turned this over to her last year when she graduated. She is an elementary teacher and her fiance is the youth director for our church. Neither will ever make a lot of money, but they enjoy their jobs. He owes student loans and a car loan. My daughter is driving a 12 year old car and needs a new one. Her fiance has a large family and LOTS of friends whose weddings he has been in recently, so he is the one who wants the big wedding and to invite everyone in our church. My personal opinion is that large weddings and funerals are both a waste of money that could be better spent on necessary items like a car or paying off loans. Thus, I offered ,000 to my daughter to go ahead and marry this fine young man now without all the hoopla and planning of a spring wedding, plus they would get the tax break of married filing for 2010. I made it clear to my daughter that this offer is strictly from me and was not run by her father or involves him in any way. My husband is appalled that I would even suggest such a thing and calls it highly insulting to our daughter. I thought it was practical and financially responsible. Your thoughts please.
I’m seeing that I need to butt out of my daughter’s life, which is good. I guess I was reacting to my own feelings of having spent too much on my own wedding just to please my husband and his mother, rather than the wedding I wanted. I think I was trying to give my daughter more of a bargaining reason with her fiance to scale down.

I just graduated with my masters degree and started my very first job How exciting! However, I’m slightly overwhelmed with what to do – how to break up my money. I feel like I’m even poorer than when I was in school…

I have 60k in student loan debt (now down to about 58k). I pay 700 dollars from each pay (every 2 weeks). So, on average 1400 a month. I am putting 1400 a month into savings (1.3% interest rate, no fees). I am also putting 5% into retirement. I want to get my higher interest loans (6.8%) paid off quickly (about 50% of my loans are that rate) and I have about 14,000 at 1.25% (which I will take my time paying off). This leaves me with a little more than 200 dollars a week for gas, food and expenses.

I want to buy a house soon, and am thinking at this rate, in 2 years I’ll have a good chunk of my loans paid off and also have about 40k in savings for a down payment. I will be getting a large pay raise in about 5 months, and I plan to put the extra into retirement and an emergency fund, and also increase my bi-weekly loan payments to 00. Right now I’m putting 5% into retirement, I would like to put 10% when I get my raise.

I have no credit card debt and no loans except my student loans. I plan on living with my parents for the next 2 years in order to save more money, pay off my loans, and be in a good position to buy a house.

Is there anything I’m forgetting? Is there anything I should be doing differently? I would just lay it hard and heavy on the student loans and get them paid off but I feel like I should put some into savings too so I have some money at my disposal in case something happens.

I’m also supposed to be giving 10% a week to my church. I don’t know how people can handle all of this. I was so excited to get a really good paying job, but I feel like it’s impossible still to get ahead. I know I have a lot of student loan debt, but I really don’t think 10k per year of school is all that bad… that included all of my living expenses and tuition. I worked part time and had scholarships so that helped too.

I’m 25 and just stupid with money. The whole thing stresses me out. I finally have a job and I’m terrified to spend any money. I don’t know what to do. I read things online, listen to things on the radio, and it all just confuses me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

hey,
I have posted before about my recent girlfriend problems. I have been going out with her for about 2 years now. Click on my user name and try to read my question titiled "is it really over after 2 years?"
Basically, she a couple weeks ago, after 2 years of dating, she wants me to do a bunch of things…. start going to church with her 3 times a week, including Saturdays. She even wants me to quit my job because she won’t let me work on saturdays, as it is the day of rest and supposed to be devoted to GOD. If you remember, she goes to church on Saturdays and NOT Sundays, her religion is Adventista. Anyway, last night we had a long talk. I love her and I pretty much had to do all the compromising. She told me that she want’s to follow the 10 comandments of GOD. I told her that it’s quite o.k. with me. She then said that means no more sex until we are married. I told her "O.K." Then she told me that I can’t work Saturdays anymore because it is the day for GOD. I don’t know what is in her mind? I told her that I can’t just quit my job. I go to college and have 2 years left to graduate. How am I supposed to pay for college? I don’t get any student loans! I have a car payment, and a personal loan. Who will pay all this? I told her that I can do everything, even stop having sex until marriage, but I can’t quit my job, because no one will give money! She said to me, “I need someone who will follow ALL the 10 Commandments with me.” I asked her why she goes to church on Saturdays and not Sundays. Because I know her religion is “seventh-day Adventist” So the “seventh day of the week is SUNDAY NOT SATURDAY. She said, that I’m wrong and it Saturday that should be worshiped. She also said that all the people who go to church on Sunday are wrong and they don’t know what they are doing. Then she said “why don’t you want to follow me?” “Don’t you want to follow the word of GOD, because he will be coming back soon and taking with him to heaven only those who follow what the 10 commandments exactly.”
Then she had her pastor from her church e-mail me a script to show why you must go to church on Saturday and not Sunday.
I want to share it with all of you to see what you think. Here it is:

"Sunday is a Catholic institution…. From beginning to end of
Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly
public worship from the last day of the week to the first." Catholic
Press, August 1900
"For, since we [Catholics] deny that the Bible is the sole truth, we
can fall back upon the constant practice and tradition of the Church."
Francis Lentz, Catholic priest, 1900
"If Protestants would follow the Bible, they should worship God on the
Sabbath day. In keeping Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic
Church." Albert Smith, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, 1920
Even the Protestants themselves admit that Sunday observance is not
biblical:
"There was never any formal or authoritative change from the Jewish
[sic] seventh day Sabbath to the Christian first day observance…. The
[Gentiles] brought over the consciousness of various observances in the
pagan religions, preeminently the worship of the sun – a sort of Sunday
consciousness." W. Carver, professor at Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, 1940.

Section 125 (42 U.S.C. 12575)

SEC. 125. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) Prohibited Activities- A participant in an approved national service position under this subtitle may not engage in the following activities:

(7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization.
__________________________________________

I ask this because my parents are up in arms about how this bill would require volunteer time for student loans, and prevent church attendance. I’m not strong in Legaleze, but i only see this as restricting the volunteers from using the time to force their views onto others or further the causes of a particular denomination. Surely this can’t be the first time this language has been put on a bill that has passed through, i think. Any ideas?

I’ve been planning to go to a christian college in SC for quite some time now and my dad informed me today that i will not be able to take out student loans for a private college because of the whole "separation of church and state" thing is this true? it seems crazy that students who attend the most expensive universities can’t get student loans.
Thanks! and God Bless!
Mariah

I heard somewhere that the Roman Catholic Church will pay your student loans if you join the seminary. Is this true, and if so, what happens if you leave the seminary right before you become a priest?

The constitution, as liberals like to point out, calls for the separation of church and state. So taking student loans from the government and using it to pay for a catholic education is a violation of the separation of church and state rules.

This is very similar to the argument of using vouchers to pay for a child to go to a non-public school.

So will these schools be required to come up with their own loan programs to make college affordable for their potential students?

http://www.accunet.org/files/public/College_University_Website_Complete_List.htm

Has anyone out there with student loans gotten a loan deferment of forebearance while they did some church service? I have taken out about ,800 in student loans from the Fed Department of Education, and am thinking of serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The mission is two years long, when I return I plan on continuing full-time at school. I’m just curious to know what other people’s experice with this is, if they’ve been able to put off repaying their loans while they were on the mission. (if there is anyone else out there who did what I’m doing, haha!) Positive and serious answers only please, thanks!

Does anyone know if any places offer scholarships for people who have already graduated school to help them pay back their student loans? (Outside of Church volunteering stuff since I am very against religion.)

I was invited to a Rotary Club meeting, but most of the folks there were a lot more established that I am (ie, they earn more money). I earn a good living, but am still paying my student loans for another 2 1/2 years.

Community service is something I’ve always done and now I live in a new area, so want to start getting involved here. I have some time and a lot of energy and skill to share but can’t really give a whole lot financially right now.

There’s a Catholic church across the street from me. I haven’t gone there yet–was raised Catholic and have decided to no longer be Catholic, b/c A) I was only going to Mass out of obligation, and B) I don’t agree w/ some of the Church’s views, and C) I’m not a good Catholic.

If you’ve read this far, should I start going to Mass in order to get involved w/ their service work?

I’m a 26yr old christian youth. at least trying. I have been a lot angry and upset lately. I’m angry at being powerless and i get hurt and i respond in anger and explode when I see others exploited. Not exploited by people alone, but by institutions, political bureaucracy, administrative setup and a heartless government. I don’t even know how to pray anymore. I did. God listens. and nothings happens. I did pray for things to change straight for the last 8 ever since the war started. Each day it gets worse after worse. For those who don’t want to be a friend and would rather preach to me now, please DON’T. I had enough.

I’m even more angry at the government. Its makes all the good work I do for my friends and people and church worthless. I’m mean what the heck.
I live in San Diego. Yes. There are illegal immigrants here. So what ? This country’s capitalistic economy screws up hundreds of other countries. These people are poor people, they have nothing to go back to, they would die in the streets or get sick or hurts, they are even scared to dream of tiniest little things which people here take for granted every day, and comes here in hopes and prayers. Get crushed and persecuted everyday.
I need help.

My friend is ‘undocumented’ and needs serious help with his wife who is ill and refuses to take her to see a doctor. She also needs therapy for depression. And coming to think of it, I think my friend should see a head doctor too. He’s scared to death at the thought of it.

I don’t know what to do. Im only a student going to graduate school, and only make thins much money and have tons of student loans.
I put my neck on the line every day to help these poor families.

The new federal law used to provide state incentives for Medicaid coverage for illegal aliens. Buts things have changed so much thanks to Bush and this governments bully attitude including people in the enforcement chain right from the bottom to the top.
People are people, whether they are pink, yellow, green or orange, Mexican, Chinese, Indian or african.
I’m sick and tired of people of this nation being so ignorant and out right stupid. I bet nobody read the patriot laws and addendum’s.
Help.
Im sorry If I was ranting. I did mention in my opening sentence that I am angry and I asked for help. Honestly people, can I not be angry?

And geez, why does atheists answer in R&S? I asked this question to the church present here. Can you believe these people?

The people in her church are the scientific masterminds of this earth and everything beyond? Should people stop paying all that money for ANTH courses and just drop their tithing at her church? I feel so foolish wasting years and getting into debt over student loans….Where would I be if I had only met her sooner? (Boss isn’t in yet, can you tell?)
Not eavesdropping. She yells when she is on the phone. I wouldn’t report her for anything! I get a "bang" out of her! I would be hypocritical playing online like I do!

My income tax refund was intercepted because of outstanding student loans. The following year, I had a back injury and couldn’t work. I lived in low income housing and depended on a church food bank for food. So I didn’t file. The following year, I was able to work, but low income, and again didn’t file, unable to pay to have my taxes done. I still cannot afford a professional preparer to catch me up, and am afraid to talk to IRS. What now?

According to the media, the tea parties are mainly opposed to the Democrat takeover of health care, GM, Chrystler, student loans and a number of other things only because Barney Frank is gay and possibly because John Lewis is black.

Is opposing Obamacare now synonymous to burning a cross on a black church’s lawn?

I can’t think of any other reason to oppose a government takeover of healthcare.

Now that Obama has had the government take over student loans, how long will it take the ACLU to say that Federal Funding of these organizations is a violation of the seperation of church and state clause.

Is that they same argument against using vouchers to pay for private grade and high schools?

I want to give the right amount to my church. Here’s a breakdown of our monthly finances.

Total monthly net income: 00
Our spending:
Total for morgatage , phone, utitlities, water, propane: 0
Child Care: 0
Groceries for two and baby: 0
Fuel: 0 (both of us commute to work)
Health Insurance for three: 0
Student Loans: 6
"Other" (diapers/wipes, car repairs/maintance, home repairs, dog food, clinic copays/hospital, prescriptions, clothes, infrequent eating out, etc): 0

The "other" category is normally high one month and low the next. WHo knows when the car will break down or if we’re having to see the doctor…

Add it up: 800+(350*3)+250+126+600= ,826
Our surplus is less than 0 on a good month. What of that 0 should go to church, especially if we’re trying to save up for a new home (we live in an old farm house that is falling apart on us)?

Thank you Christian brothers and sisters!
I was thinking half of our surplus. If you think about it, the cost of living was probably quite low when "tithing" was a new concept…
My "emergency" funds were "swallowed up" on April 15th (taxes) and after my emergency c-section (hospital bills). We are down to zero.
Yes, we deduct our total annual church offering. I am assuming that our tax situation next April should be better than this year’s situation because of our child tax credit, and we have upped our offering from per week to per week.

Let’s say that I get a bachelors in religion and a masters in divinity and pay for my schooling with student loans. How would I pay off my loans, finance a church, and support myself?

There is a " Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility " whichi is supposed to " get credit flowing more normally again," It is for a trillion in lending for households and businesses, especially commercial real estate which is not doing so well lately

"Under the program, which got off to a slow start in March, the Fed provides loans to investors. They use the money to buy newly issued securities backed by auto and student loans, credit cards, business equipment, commercial real estate and loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration."

Do you think this will get us out of the recession, or do you think it will get us into deeper trouble?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090925/ap_on_bi_ge/us_bernanke

Here’s a clip from the AP story:Commercial real estate developers said Monday they also are petitioning the government for support from the 0 billion rescue fund. The Real Estate Roundtable said an estimated 0 billion of commercial real estate mortgages will come due by the end of 2009 without adequate refinancing options.

Industry officials said thousands of office buildings, hotels, shopping centers and other commercial buildings could be headed into foreclosure or bankruptcy unless the government provides support.

Jeffrey D. DeBoer, president of the Real Estate Roundtable, said the industry has written to federal officials asking to be included in a new 0 billion loan program being run by the Federal Reserve, with support from the financial bailout program, to bolster the market for credit card debt, auto loans and student loans.

DeBoer said the commercial real estate industry would like to see that program expanded to cover their properties or have a similar program begun to help their industry.

So I had to ask Banks car companies and now maybe commercial real estate developers… So where will the government getting around to helping those in real need… American families???
Well said Toopy but I still have to point out these are the very same people who landed us in this mess and they rather then step-up and try to fix the mess they made the go whining about needing more money because we little guys can no longer afford their services.