Schnooder needs some advice peoples.

I have to decide between things I want to do with my money this year.

• I could really use a new car. I have had my 93 dodge shadow since I was 15 and it is possibly going to kick the bucket soon.
• I should probably go to college.

• I would really like to move out of my boyfriends parents house and get our own place.

I don't want to be so broke from rent,school, and car payments so I have to find some kind of way to do one thing at a time.

I don't know what to do first.

I want to go to school but I don't know if it is worth it but I don't want to deliver prescriptions my whole life.

If I go to school I can only work part time therefore I will not be able to make car and rent payments.

I just don't want to be so broke that I will have no money for anything fun.

I'm becoming overwhelmed with the thoughts and I have no idea what to do.

If we move out we need at least a 2 car garage because my boyfriend is big into cars and is always doing projects. I don't want him to have to give up his hobby to afford a house but we want our own privacy. We want to live together, not separately.

What do I do first?

Our incomes combines are about $2,200 per month.

Helpful information for the totally confused?

Thhhhhhhhhhhanks-schnood

go to school, schnood.  it's the only one of the options that's going to get you ahead.  do that, and you'll be able to afford the new car and the two-car garage.

School.  I worked and could afford rent and standard bills, nothin' else.  It all went to hell when I needed extra money (like that time when our brakes went out), and even more so when I lost my job.

After going to school, even though it sucked for a few months, I can afford rent, a car, and a whole ton of fun stuff.

geez Pg you just answered my whole freaking post.

I'm just afraid that is going to take foooooooorevvvvvvvvverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, and in the end I won't end up with a better paying job

:(

well, foooooorevvvverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr is a long time ;)

if you choose something you're passionate about, you will rock at it, and you will get the right job.  you might not get rich, but it will be fulfilling.  and you'll be SAFE. 

but don't start looking at those job-projection reports and try to anticipate what might be the best direction.  you have to find something you really care about.

School. Choose wisely though...

You sound like me, except I have a 94 dodge spirit. I think you can do it all - one step at a time. I know this because I'm doing it now. 

I'm a big fan of budgets. I separate half of my income to necessities (food, house, heat, gas) and the other half gets divided mostly equally into money for fun, long term savings, education (to put back into yourself) and investing/charity. You can simplify it to as many categories as you want, but if your necessities is more than half of your income then you are living beyond your means. This way I know that I have 40 bucks to splurge on a movie or a couple of drinks at the tavern. With long term savings I know I can buy a car this year and go to disneyworld.

Before this gets too long winded - finding the right school is important. I also decided to go part time because I NEEDED to work full time. Now I got to a very small art school in the countryside. I decided to go for fine arts because thats what I love. I was going back to school for me. My job and my education are completely different, but most of the people I work with have educations and they all ended up at the job I already have. So don't sweat the post-college job yet. It doesn't matter how long it takes to get your degree as long as your enjoying it while you are there. 

 

Absolutely choose college. You can still work while going to school. I worked two part-time jobs (for hour flexibility) while taking full time classes and it worked out wonderfully. I still had time to play, though didn't sleep much and money was very tight for a while. It was a great experience though, and I've never regretted it. I mean really, have you ever heard anyone say they wished they hadn't gone to college?

Like previously mentioned, college first then everything else will start falling into place. If you take college seriously (you have to be assertive about learning more than what they teach you in class...befriend your adviser) you won't have to choose between those three things any longer because, really, you will be able to afford them all. 

You wrotethat you deliver prescriptions, does you employer offer tuition reimbursement? Many mid to large healthcare organizations do, and even though it may not be enough to pay for school entirely, that could take a big chunk out of the costs. Also, check into Federal and state aid,  that can make a huge difference, and you can get low interest deferred loans for the rest. Check out state schools, or tech schools, they can be a real bargain depending on your area of study. 

 Part time studies may also be an option. Alot of schools are catering more to adults who are going back to school, people who have families, mortgages, and other obligations that make working less than full time impossible. More and more evening and accelerated classes are available that might not interfere with your work schedule as much.

I know how hard it can be, I put myself through school while working full time, and ended up with some loans to repay, but it was totally worth it. I was able to get some aid, and my employer kicked in a little over $1000 per semester, so it was do-able.

School. Many schools hold classes a couple times a day. Like a day class and a night class so it can be more flexible than you think. I went to school full time and worked full time. Also, consider that some of those classes you might be able to take online, making it even more flexible.

Also, I would talk to someone in the financial aid department. My cousin works in that department and interviews the kids and she said that so many of them are jerks and they need to treat it like it's a job interview. So, just a note on how important it really is. I would also look into scholarships. Sometimes, you just read a book and write an essay. Other times, you write it on some life experience you had or you draw. It kind of depends where the scholarship comes from. Sometimes it depends on your GPA from high school.

A couple of times a year, my community college hosts an education fair. All sorts of schools from small art schools to universities are invited and you can get a lot of information there. With the money situation, I would consider community college and then transferring to a larger school after you get your associates.

Good luck

School. End of story. It will take you everywhere you want to go in life.

School should be the priority. It may feel like it's taking a long time, but it's only a drop in the bucket of your life. Any type of degree will land you a better paying job down the road.

School.

I went to school full-time carrying the maximum credit hours, worked 50-60 hours a week at an adult psychiatric hospital, paid rent and had a brand new car.

It can be done. haha I got all my classes on Tuesday/Thursdays and worked 4 or 5 of the other days (12 hr shifts)

School.  I managed school and part time jobs (with full time job hours) for 4 years to get a math degree - I love math - and 1 month out of school got a job making more than you and your boyfriend are combined...in the middle of an economice crisis.  Go to school, do something you love, work your ass off to be one of the best, and start looking for jobs 8 months before you need one.  It's a lot of work, but in the end, you'll be able to do the other 2 on the list NO problem.

School. End of story....or actually the beginning of the story if you do it right. :)

School! Plus, try to save as much money at the same time. Then you'll have some spare cash for if you need to repair or replace your car. Also, I'd suggest not getting a brand new car, just something newer and more reliable than what you have. Don't go for what's flashy and cool, go for what will last the longest, get the best mileage, and will be safest in case of an accident. You can get an aweome new car once you're out of college and stable and are sure you can afford it with your new awesome post-college job. :]

School. I don't know what it's like in your boyfriend's parents' house, but if you have a stable living situation, it's one less thing to worry about while you're getting a degree. Then you can plan for a career and set up your life as you like it (whether this involves buying a house, travelling, whatever.)

As for the car, I don't know where you live, but a dying car can be problematic, especially if you rely on one to get around, deliver prescriptions etc. If public transportation where you are can't fullfill your needs, maybe look for a decently priced (and decently working) used car? I mean, if you get a degree and get a career going, there's always time later to buy the kind of car you REALLY want!

wow.  i don't think i've ever seen such unanimity on CC!

schnood - are you still conflicted, or do you believe us?

Heh. I know. I'm starting to get that warm fuzzy kumbai-a feeling.

i'm going to go with the crowd and agree on the school thing! just make sure you know what you want to do, and are going for a degree that will leave you in a good position to get a job when you are done.

and make sure it's something you enjoy!

Perhaps you could go to school part-time and continue your present job.  It'll take a bit longer that way, but you'll still be bringing in some income.  If you do that you could perhaps afford a new to you car that's a little newer than your present car and would require a lower payment.  As for you living condidtion, I suggest you stay with the parents as long as possible to get a good start for you and your boyfriend.  Maybe you could start a "house fund" and put a little away each week for when you're ready for you two-car garage house.  I think that school should be your top priority though because the others will be a lot easier if you have an education behind you.