Money is tight right now. My SO is in school right now full time and works part time 2-3 days a week. However he brings in very little money and we did not take out a student loan so most of our living expenses come out of my income. I know that I'll be happy with this choice when he's done school and we have a smaller student loan to pay back. But I do get discouraged. Does anyone have any suggestions for what to do when you get discouraged? Some good books or activities?

What upsets me most is that we have very little savings, and we can save very little given that most of our money covers living expenses. Given the economic turmoil right now i'd love to save, save, save, but i have to eat, eat, eat.

I don't have any particular advice off the top of my head, but I just wanted to throw in my support.

In the end, you know what you're doing is the right thing, but I can understand if it's also a bit unnerving right now.

Hang in there! It may not be easy right now, but your decisions today will greatly enhance your days tomorrow!

Sure that is frustrating, but education is important, the debt is cheap, and he'll graduate soon enough. Hang in there.

You certainly know this, but do take extra care not to let your frustration flow into your relationship. It sounds like both of you are working to do the right thing financially. Besides, tension in a relationship often eliminates every couple's favorite frugal activity.

Also, were you saying that a lack of frugal things to do is part of what's frustrating? There's sure a lot of lists on the PF blogs that could help you out on that front. Free/borrowed movies (or the 99 cent rentals at the local grocery store), outdoor activities (might require snowshoes where you're at, but you can find those cheap), cooking (with enough for tomorrow's lunch), playing guitar/whatever instrument are all things I've enjoyed with friends/past gf's.

Ryan

have a budget, set things auto and focus on something else other than money. get a hobby, do a sport, or something. there is lots of tension, stress, and pressure about money, and expression and exertion are two great ways to relieve those.

First read 'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich' by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, then read 'Night' by Eli Weisel. You'll be hard pressed to look at your life as anything but a blessing afterwards.

In that thread, I really liked "A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah, as well. Quite impressive and inspirational.

Ryan

This is probably bad advice. But I'm working full time while going to school half or full time (full time this semester and last spring and summer, half time otherwise), and I decided that I couldn't cope if I were going to be stressed about money and school at the same time. So I took out my student loans (federal only; some subsidized, some not, but no private loans). I know I'll be able to pay them back easily when I'm done; my income has increased more than the loans have.

Thanks to everyone for their support.

I started crocheting again and once I'm done i'll take a look at those books [at the library ]

We would want to minimize our spending and even though it might be difficult, we should attempt to save money for the possibility of even tighter times ahead. Now is not the time to buy anything other than necessities such as food and gas. According to an popular opinion research ‘Personal development is a life-long process’ My sincere hope for you is that you go ahead and make any necessary adjustments in your life to ensure your success during and following this economic recession. Success can be yours.

hello all,
Yes, times are tight now, but we must not focus on it too much. I heard a saying that money only has value because we all say so. You know if we think that a house is worth such and such, then next week it is only worth what the next person says it is. The same with saying we have no time, time stays the same only our perception of it changes in reality.

I know it all sounds a bit strange----but in a way it is not either. Society decides how much things are worth and sets a price in accordance with where we live.

So hang in there, go for walks by the water somewhere if possible and remember this too shall pass. One your SO is done school things will be so much better and you will have proved how strong you are.

Fill out a FAFSA.

my friend has a part time job in dropshipping business, you might want to take a look at how the system works
http://dropshipdirectory.com