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Oh good one! Hm... Jamaica, Peru, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Mexico, Canada... I think that's it.
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I majored in communications with a business minor.
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Aw I wish I could give you a virtual hug because I know exactly that sinking, dreadful feeling you are having right now trying to make ends meet. While I hate all kinds of debt, please be comforted by the fact that student loan debt is probably the best kind of debt to have (if there is a "good debt"). There are SO many people who go to school, so there are many others out there paying their loans off as well. Also, the interest rates on student loans are usually lower and more manageable than other kinds of debt.
The first step in the right direction is to avoid getting into any more debt. Make a budget and try not to use any credit cards for emergencies. I use credit cards today, but when I first started I hid my cards away so I wasn't tempted to use it and really had to use the money in my account.
Second, I would save at least $1000-2000 in the bank for emergencies before starting paying your debt. It may be a few months before you save that much, but after you have a cushion of savings, you'll feel so much better about paying off your debt knowing you have some cash in case of emergencies.
After you have the emergency fund, create a plan for how you are going to tackle your debt. This "plan" really depends on your budget and those are really not easy to make. It takes a lot of practice before you have the swing of money flow and you'll have good days and you'll have bad, but eventually you'll get to the point where it becomes more natural. I would create for yourself tiny goals, such as making extra money to help pay off things or limit yourself to 4 nights eating at home instead of eating out. I do these little tricks to keep myself motivated all the time.
Feel free to ask anything else specific... I also would encourage you to talk with someone in confidence that you trust about this so that you have accountability. If you need to, create a personal finance blog! I started mine solely for myself and accountability, before anyone even knew about it, and it's amazing the ways that it has helped me stay on track.
WOW I just wrote a lot! Check out Dave Ramsey's website as well for more tips: http://www.daveramsey.com/ -
J and I met in college and were good friends before we figured out that maybe there could be something more than friendship. We have been dating since May 2008 and 100% of that has been long distance, even though we knew each other before. We are both 24 though he's older than me by 3 months. :)
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