Biden, Refinance, 6 months as a CRNA, Loan Repayment update

Hey all,

Did you guys hear the good news? Biden extended pause on student loan repayment through May 1. This is great news and probably a good Christmas present for every single student with federal loans. Interest accruals are also on pause. For someone with high federal loans, it means in the next few months I will save thousands of dollars. Like some of you may already know, I have been paying my loans aggressively. Matter of fact, I was about one week away from signing my loan refinance papers either with Earnest or Laurel Road refinance companies. My current interest rate with my federal loans is 6.5% and I got approved with both Earnest and Laurel Road with 3.2% and 2.66%, respectively. Obviously, I would have signed up with Laurel road. But first, you may be wondering, how is the new job going?

It’s been 6 months already since I started working as a CRNA, unbelievable. My boyfriend and I work the same place, same company, same shift. We help each other out every day, and it makes a huge difference at work to have a work buddy/boyfriend. I’ve done some pretty intense cases on my own already such as lung, heads and backs. This is the best career, no doubt! I love my job. It’s a plus for a quiet, introverted person like me, behind the blue drape, away from the chatter. I do chime in once in a while, but not a lot. What can I say, I am a quiet girl! The staff nurses are respectful and good, they do their jobs well and that’s what matters to me.

As far as loan repayment, I am not doing as well as I thought I’d be doing with paying it off. The reason is because my sister and I teamed up to buy a single family house for our parents. Between closing costs, down payment and renovation costs, I spent about 25K. I am still on track to pay all my loans off by Jan-Feb 2024. I went from a starting balance of 287,345 to $251,500 in about 5 months, averaging about $7000/month payment. I stare at my loan repayment spreadsheet every day, sometimes multiple times a day. It hurst more than it helps, lol but it keeps me motivated. If I didn’t buy a house for my parents, I’d be down to $225K. However, paying down my loans doesn’t make me half as happy as seeing my parents live in a better place, a place they can call their own home. My parents came here as immigrants from Haiti and worked hard to ensure that myself and my siblings have an opportunity to succeed. What a way to pay them back for their sacrifices!

That’s it for update.

Have a good day everyone!

Study hard if you’re in CRNA school

Never give up if you’re trying to get into CRNA school

Pay those loans off if you’re a CRNA with loans

Enjoy life and live debt free if you’re a CRNA with no loans.