markus2004 asked: I was dating a girl for 5 months who was really quite wonderful until I came to the realization that she was $100,000 in student and car loan debt (75k student/ 25k car). She obtained her Master’s in Social work at an expensive school and a job which was spiritually beneficial but not financially helpful. Being 30 and having goals to want to live in a house someday I felt like the only way to help things move forward in the relationship was to get a 2nd or 3rd job to help her pay down her debt and/or for her to live with me rent free. In the meantime, she was responsible in paying down the debt with minimum payments but spent her excess cash on coffees, massages and eating out which made me think perhaps we had different philosophies on spending. While debt can’t ruin your life of having some instant gratifications im interested in understanding how couples function with the burden of student debt lingering over them if they aspire to have a family and a buy a condo in California?
Additional Details: I have my Masters in Electrical Engineering and am blessed to have made choices that allowed me to have no student or credit card debt. Is it common for couples to break up over debt or is love the stronger factor? How do couples sacrifice their personal goals (house and family) and stay with each other in the face of student debt they get into to fulfill their occupational dreams?
Carol
