Help: Time And Vacation Vs. Debt + Guilt ?

[Reveens]

Okay so I don't know who to talk to about this...

 

I'm currently in my second year of medschool and I have 3 years left until graduation.

Now my parents dont really have much money so I'm paying for everything on my own using student loans from the government and the credit line offered to medstudents.

The fact that Im accumulating debt makes me feel really uneasy, but I was always able to deal with it by telling myself that I have no choice, its all essential expenses and its okay. I have to live somewhere! I need food to live!

 

But its summer now and there's also the question of time... This is one of my last summers before residency and all that follows. I realize I only have 2 summers left including this one. And I want to travel, I want to travel more than anything... It makes me so incredibly happy. But that means adding more money to the debt and it makes me sososo anxious. Travelling isnt cheap! It actually costs almost as much as a semester here (Quebec).

 

Im so conflicted, What is the right thing to do here??

I know how precious this time is, but Im still so afraid to spend money I dont have right now.

 

Any helpful advice? What do you guys think?

 

 

[Let'sGo1990]

When people talk about traveling, I think of my Line of Credit.

 

And if you feel bad about spending money you don't have, that's a good thing. But remember that if you forbid leisure spending now, you won't be enjoying yourself until you actually have disposable income in your late 20s and 30s. By then, you might have a wife with a job, kids, and who knows what other responsibilities. The opportunity cost of traveling at that point in your life will be much higher too (you could make a lot more money in one month as a doctor than you could as a medical student). It's also easier to take time off now. Extended periods of travel are more difficult when you're a practicing physician.

 

At least, that's how I justify it to myself anyways. 

[NotASerialKiller]

Quebec tuition is by a vast gulf of a margin the cheapest in North America, you do not have to feel guilty about spending money beyond food and shelter. Unless you've blown through your line of credit on a sports car, or have had to support a family throughout med school, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to go on a trip.

[Bambi]

I'm your twin from Quebec, poor circumstances, I existed through cegep, undergrad and medical school strictly on student loans. The only breaks we have in med school are summer and I did travel and vacation. It really was not a luxury, rather a necessity to rejuvenate myself, give me some R & R, really deserved. There is absolutely no reason to feel  guilt, go for it I say!

 

And paying back the LOC in the years ahead will be affordable.

[ralk]

As the others have said, travel should be affordable given your future income. Being at school in Quebec is an advantage in this case, given your low tuition; you could go on an amazing vacation for the difference in your tuition and mine.

 

It's also entirely possible to travel and to stay fiscally responsible. Both summers I took a short 1-1.5 week vacation and then did a paid research project the rest of the summer. Got a nice break with my SO, then paid it off with the money I earned in the summer. My LOC would have still been doing quite well if I hadn't gotten that extra money, but it has kept the debt to a minimum while still letting me get some of a break.

[sallysens]

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