Trying to become established in this kind of job market and economy has really proven to me to be a vicious circle. I feel so stuck sometimes. Here I am, working full time for no benefits - but with a chance to move up in the company. I don't really have any idea where this is going to take me and for how long I will have to work before I get advanced. I know two women in the company have been waiting to retire, but they have been so short-staffed and overworked, that the possibility to retire is not available to them.... That is until I arrived. So I am being trained for their jobs. But with my previous work experience and with my degree, I have no idea where I am going since other opportunities are arriving every day. I'd hate to say it because I love everyone I work with, but all of my coworkers have told me this regularly: I'm over-qualified for all the jobs in this company. I have to agree. However, I'll do whatever I need to in this economy to build my experience for a better future for my family.
Travis is working hard in school. He finished his math class 2 weeks early, which is no surprise to me. He loves math. It's his Art History class that he can't seem to grasp. I guess that is the engineer in him. Luckily, his fall semester is mostly math and science. Travis also got a manager position part-time to work around his school schedule at a place that specializes in kayaking, boating, hiking, and extreme sports (mostly water sports). Throughout the summer, they have a variety of sporting events. I know Travis will love this.
I cannot lie and say that I'm extremely happy with where we are. My student loans are going to get more expensive and I am not sure we can afford it. Paying off the credit cards has become an endless feat. We still have one more medical bill to pay off, granted it is only $500. Some people may think we are careless with money because my credit isn't that great. My credit has been hit multiple times for multiple reasons. First, when I was sick, the medical debt almost destroyed my 680 credit score. I have only had 1 credit card my entire life, and the max amount on it was $500. I had to use it to pay rent one month, so it maxed out. I tried to get another credit card to use only for gas so that I could increase my credit... but I was denied. Travis only has one credit card, and it's debt is only $200. When Travis and I were seeing opportunities with his company and he was promised a promotion, we began house hunting because Travis's credit score was great. Due to my student loans and our limited income, we qualified for $70,000. Not long after that, Travis was laid off. So, needless to say, we didn't buy a house. When I graduated, we moved in with family in Fort Wayne. As I job searched, majority of companies were hitting my credit score even more. It seemed like every time I applied for a job, I had to agree to a credit check. When asked if I could print off a copy as to not hit my credit score, I was told no. We wanted to get an apartment or a house or some place to live, but out of fear for being denied based on our credit scores, we don't want to risk more hits to our credit. I've heard many people say that bad credit is better than no credit. While that may be true, having bad or no credit still feels impossible to get established. It looks like our goals of buying a home this year are not going to happen. Next year, when my student loan payments rise, I'm afraid that we still are not going to be able to buy a house, especially with the income we both produce. And to look for a new job, I'm afraid my credit will only get beaten up more just for applying.
But on a brighter note, Travis was able to sell his old car! It only sold for $350, but it sure helped. We hadn't gone on a date, so we used the money for a nice dinner, movie, and because I absolutely love fairs and festivals, we spent about $20 towards a day at the Three Rivers Festival. At the festival, Travis gave me a brilliant idea! I should start a blog about sweet stuff. I love sweets! I have a horrible sweet tooth. So I am going to give it a try. When I put the blog together, I will definitely post a link when it is ready for its debut. So keep a look out for the Sweetest Blog on the Block!
