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So I will be attending LS in the Fall and I expect over the three years to borrow about 105k. Now, I have been going out with my friends and what not and every time I do where they are worried about spending 20 on a meal all I can think about is that 100k.. which make me not really care about spending the money at all cause it seems like a drop in the bucket compared to my future debt chains. anyone else feel the same way or do most ppl feel like clamping down on spending ?

Spending $20 on meals and spending liberally on other things you want quickly adds up... to thousands of dollars a year, and tens of thousands over several years. And then you are talking about sums of money that are on the same scale as your potential law school debt.

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Dude, story of my life.


I just ordered a $23 dollar beer at a bar. My friend was like, WTF ARE YOU DRUNK, and I go--no, I'm in 120k of debt and down it.

In 10 years I'll either be rich as shit and out of debt, or living under an assumed name in a country without extradition laws to the US.

I'm generally a very frugal person and I still feel exactly what you are describing. It hit me more while working (vs spending) during my year off. I kept asking myself why I was working for $X/hour when it wasn't going to make a dent in my after school debt.

To stay motivated I focused on the things that really do make a bigger impact. Right now I'm spending a lot of time looking for a good place to live without spending too much. Think about how an extra $200 a month in rent ends up being $7,200 over 3 years. The other thing I have done is started to track my monthly livings costs more accurately. My goal is to get in the habit of living comfortably off of what I have allotted for living expenses for law school.

I'm kind of where you are too...except I go on shopping trips instead. I'm planning on going cold turkey with the shopping just to make sure my loans cover everything necessary.
I think the best thing to do though with food is make a budget for dinners out etc. and just try to be as cheap as possible. You can try eating/drinking before you go out so you're not starving by the time you go out. Bottom line basically try to be as cheap as possible

gwuorbust wrote:So I will be attending LS in the Fall and I expect over the three years to borrow about 105k. Now, I have been going out with my friends and what not and every time I do where they are worried about spending 20 on a meal all I can think about is that 100k.. which make me not really care about spending the money at all cause it seems like a drop in the bucket compared to my future debt chains. anyone else feel the same way or do most ppl feel like clamping down on spending ?

As the saying goes, you have one of two choices:

1) Live like a lawyer while in law school, and wind up living like a law student when you get out, or

2) Live like a law student while in law school, and live like a lawyer when you actually become one.

Option two looks a lot better.

Cupidity wrote:Dude, story of my life.


I just ordered a $23 dollar beer at a bar. My friend was like, WTF ARE YOU DRUNK, and I go--no, I'm in 120k of debt and down it.

In 10 years I'll either be rich as shit and out of debt, or living under an assumed name in a country without extradition laws to the US.

"I'm already serving a five-year sentence, so what difference is it going to make if I punch the guard in the face?"

blsingindisguise wrote:

Cupidity wrote:Dude, story of my life.


I just ordered a $23 dollar beer at a bar. My friend was like, WTF ARE YOU DRUNK, and I go--no, I'm in 120k of debt and down it.

In 10 years I'll either be rich as shit and out of debt, or living under an assumed name in a country without extradition laws to the US.

"I'm already serving a five-year sentence, so what difference is it going to make if I punch the guard in the face?"

Muthafucka shouldn't a looked at me cross then. He asked for it.

PDaddy wrote:
2) Live like a law student while in law school, and live like a lawyer when you actually become one.

The vast majority of lawyers start out making way south of 50k. Either way, you're fucked.

OP and Cupidity outed as never having supported self.

I can definitely sympathize with that feeling. Try not to give into it, though. More debt is more debt. The people I know who lived it up in law school (taking vacations on their loans, etc) are definitely regretting it, especially ITE.

Scallywaggums wrote:OP and Cupidity outed as never having supported self.

Cupidity has been living on own working for $8 an hour since he was 18. I'm going to law school because I'm tired of making pizza.

^ Scallywaggums outed as being dead wrong.
::Revision::
Cupidity outed as having subpar long-term judgment.

MTal wrote:

PDaddy wrote:
2) Live like a law student while in law school, and live like a lawyer when you actually become one.

The vast majority of lawyers start out making way south of 50k. Either way, you're fucked.

like the vast majority of other law students I plan on making way more then 50k

Cupidity wrote:Dude, story of my life.


I just ordered a $23 dollar beer at a bar. My friend was like, WTF ARE YOU DRUNK, and I go--no, I'm in 120k of debt and down it.

In 10 years I'll either be rich as shit and out of debt, or living under an assumed name in a country without extradition laws to the US.

Where did you find a $23 beer?

romothesavior wrote:

Cupidity wrote:Dude, story of my life.


I just ordered a $23 dollar beer at a bar. My friend was like, WTF ARE YOU DRUNK, and I go--no, I'm in 120k of debt and down it.

In 10 years I'll either be rich as shit and out of debt, or living under an assumed name in a country without extradition laws to the US.

Where did you find a $23 beer?

I think this is the more interesting part of this thread. I assume it has to be somewhere in NY or LA...