I have never had a credit card and yet I have $167,190.78 worth of debt. When I got into New York University, my parents said they could never afford to send me there. But it was my dream school, so I took out loans in my name.
I just assumed that, like I've been told since I was little, if I work really hard and do well in school, I'll be rewarded with a great job. But when I graduated in 2009, I tried really hard to find a job in my field [filmmaking], but I wasn't hired anywhere. Ultimately, I took a marketing job in San Diego -- I had to take any job I got since my loans were coming due quickly.
Because there was no way I could pay off my loans on the salary I made, I've been living with my parents. All the money I make from my job goes directly into an account especially for those loans.
If I didn't have this debt, I would have stayed in New York like a lot of the people I went to school with who didn't have student loans. They're now living the dream and doing all the things I want to do, like working in the film field and making a small amount of money that still lets them pay living expenses and have fun.
I'm still optimistic about getting back into the field I chose, but I feel really stuck. Every time I spend money, the decision is very heavily weighed. Because if I continue making the payments I'm making, I still won't pay off all the loans until 2024. And I'll do whatever I have to do until 2024 -- even if it means still living at home. Because I know that after that, I'm finally free.
Last fall, CNNMoney profiled people who found creative ways to tackle their debt -- from selling belongings to going on spending fasts. Here's how they're doing now.
