Counting the Days (with Pennies)

Days are becoming exponentially more expensive. We live in an age where money is power, where any strong man can be taken down by a skinny guy with a lot of money, where dreams are almost impossible if you don't have it or know someone with it, and where you feel exhausted all the time just because you don't have any.

So, my loans aren't coming in for a while, and if I think about it long enough, I realize that I'm paying double to live my life due to these awful loans. I don't know how 10% interest doubles your debt in twelve years, but it does. My dear boyfriend says that if I want to become a doctor, I have to be in debt. So be it. But isn't this America? Why, as I get poorer, does America start to feel like a developing country? So here I sit calculating how much medical school will cost me and maybe there is a little liberty in the numbers, just to be safe, but let's say...

I spend about 40 dollars a week on groceries (160 dollars per month)

My car takes about three quarters of that in gas if I don't do anything but school and work (120 dollars per month)

Take that other crazy stuff and make it miscellaneous let's say about 70 dollars a week. (that's various car repairs, car insurance, gas, electric,cable and internet)

410 dollars a month for rent; I'm a lucky girl-- it includes heat and hot water.

20 dollars a week for health and hygiene (vitamins, shampoo, toilet paper, etc.)

Now, the average cost of medical school is about 139,000 for four years

Health insurance is probably 1500 per year

Books, laptop upkeep, paper, printer, ink probably 1700 per school year.

Let's say hypothetically that my rent doesn't change, and that I stay in this area. That I don't count the debt I have now, that the "other" catagory somehow equals zero, and that everything goes perfectly and I never have to buy clothes or shoes or sheets or any of that other crazy little stuff again. (We all know this won't happen) BUT it will cost me, drum-roll please, (thank goodness I already bought my really expensive calculator that can do all this at once)


$132.54 PER DAY

With interest it will be much more expensive, but I'll get through it. Thank you, Opportunity, for making me want you so badly, that I would spend this much money on you per day. (I would just like to add that this is $5.54 per hour which is 76% of the current minimum wage.)

I'm choosing this lifestyle, and hopefully will someday see how worth it this all was. I am glad I am doing this, but if you aren't going to medical school...

...count your blessings, literally.