Whew!

Just got off the phone with Sallie Mae. I called to check on my loan consolidation and see if I should get a forebearance on my school loan, since I plan on going back next quarter. Although I was transferred around a few times, they didn't ship me off to India. Last time I dealt with Sallie Mae, it was a hassle.

Instead, this time I got an American girl that I could understand, and knew her shite. What a difference that makes.The call was brief and I got what I needed without having to ask for a rep without a super-heavy accent.

The good news is my loan consolidation, finalizes on October 6th. Thank god. I managed to lock in at 7.5%, and as my loan stands now, it's at about 40k. My new payments for the term of 25 years is $293 a month. While that is still high, it's much better than the $500 I am paying now.

I didn't realize how much I was stressing about it. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and the morose feeling I have had the last two weeks is gone. Crazy, how financial matters cause so much stress.

Another good thing is that once I get back in to school, my loans will go in to deferrment for the remaining amout of time I have until I graduate, then I get the 6 month grace period. So I am looking at 2 years of putting off school loans.

Hopefully over that time, I can put a big enough dent in my mortgage that I can afford all my bills and not be financially strapped. Ideally, I will be comfortable enough that if I do have to take a pay cut when I change fields, I won't be living like a poor college student.