Off-day post. Only slightly tangentially related to any of the stated topics of this blog.

I am attending a 90 minute lecture on post-grad loan management this afternoon. I'm expecting to graduate with a (quite frankly terrifyingly) large amount of student loans. Going into physical therapy was always about changing my quality of life for the better and being able to do something that I love every day instead of something I found torturous and terrible (sitting at a desk answering emails and attending endless meetings) and never about the money, which is something I definitely need to keep in mind for the next few years as I try to tackle this mountain of debt. I am hoping to get some guidance in this lecture on which of two debt-paying plans I should pursue: 1) pay it all off as quickly as possible by taking whatever PT job pays the most and continuing to live like a student (though let's be real, I live pretty well for a student, so would probably need to make some adjustments in my spending if this is really my plan) or, 2) accept the fact that student loan debt is a part of life and make the minimum payments needed to stay in good standing but with the idea that I'll be paying it off for the next 25-30 years or however long it takes.

Quite frankly, option number 2 makes me slightly nauseous as I hate the feeling of being in debt and being committed to making a steady salary just in order to stay ahead of my loans/debt (I mean, what if I decide I want to take some time and go work on a farm in Costa Rica and make no money and pursue non-material wisdom and happiness, or something like that . . .)

Regardless of the debt-reduction method I decide to pursue, with the upcoming arrival of my first paycheck in over two years (I get PAID for my upcoming year-long clinical - whoo hoo!), I do want to start being a bit better about my spending. So, with that in mind I have made this list of Things I Am Definitely NOT Allowed To Buy Any More Of For The Foreseeable Future:

1. Sneakers (I have 5 pairs of gym-specific sneakers, 3 pairs of non-gym sneakers that are decent-looking and 4 pairs of kick-around/beat-up/commuting on my bike sneakers. Yeah.)
2. Workout clothes (Until I wear some out and have to throw them away because they're falling apart, I really cannot justify continuing to buy gear to get sweaty in.)
3. Headbands (Same as above.)
4. Regular clothes (I went on an appropriate and needed shopping spree this summer but I need to actually wear all the clothes I bought before I continue to add new ones.)
5. Gluten-free carby snacks for post-workout (until I eat through my current stash, which at 50g carb/post-workout snack will take a while.)
6. Compression clothing for recovery (I now own three compression shirts and two pairs of leggings. It is unusual, though not impossible, to wear more than one at a time, so really, I have enough.)

Training: Off. Because I'm at school from 7:45am - 7:30pm.