Comments on: 5 Unexpected Ways in Which Grad School Loans Are Changing My Lifestyle

By: Rethinking consumerism in middle of the sales season « Targeting (work) life in Barcelona. Sustainably.

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:20:50 +0000

[...] at a lower price (which often entails lower quality)? Check out Colleen’s blog on how to live on a low budget and still having fun and being healthy. But she couldn’t have done it with information. And information is also a part of [...]

By: colleendilen

colleendilen — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:16:02 +0000

Elizabeth, thanks for the comment. Isn’t it incredible how much time you find that you have when you cut back on TV? For me, it was kind of incredible.

Valentina, thanks for posting! Some of these things were changes I didn’t even notice until after I had been in school for a little while and stopped to think about them. Good luck with your resolutions and happy 2010!

By: Valentina

Valentina — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:40:31 +0000

Wow! Thanks for this thoughtful and very resourceful post. It made me think a lot about my own lifestyle now that I am out of university and in my full-time job for almost 2 years. Especially as we are in Christmas-consumer frenzy at the moment. Thanks for reminding me of the basics. My resolution for 2010 just received another chapter

By: Elizabeth Sheppard

Elizabeth Sheppard — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:42:28 +0000

I really think your post gives me food for thought. Like you, I have made some big changes in my lifestyle lately, too. I have begun to select healthier foods. Though I am not vegan, I have cut way down on my meat consumption.

I also have cut down on my TV watching. I find I have loads more time to read now.

Thanks for sharing your experience and lifestyle changes. This would make a terrific article for a magazine.

By: Tess

Tess — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:40:55 +0000

Don’t forget the lowered environmental impact you now have thanks to your vegetarianism! Much less energy used to produce your food, fewer problems of nitrogen fertilizer runoff killing the coastal ocean, and just tighter carbon cycling in general, too name just a few. Congrats!! Can’t wait to seek out veggie-friendly fare with you in LA in a couple weeks

By: colleendilen

colleendilen — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:49:16 +0000

Thanks for the support Trina and Tera!

@Trina- I hope I’ll keep them! I’ll report back.

@Tera- Yes, there is certainly a lot of jerking on the bus so getting car sick would be a difficulty– also, sometimes it’s rather crammed on the bus and hard to focus during rush hour (overall, I’m generally productive there, though). I completely understand how crazy it must be working full-time and doing grad school part time! On the plus side, it sounds like a financially lucrative move. I’m exactly the opposite: school full-time and working in the free moments! Ohh, maximizing time, money, and education….

By: Tera Wozniak Qualls

Tera Wozniak Qualls — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:12:00 +0000

I love this post. These are all things I hope to do in my life. Taking public transport is something I think about a lot. Although I get car sick easily and have trouble reading on the bus. If that could be fixed, like you, I would take the bus to get some reading time in.

I also envy you going to school full time. Right now I am in Grad school part time and working full time. It is definitely tough.

Congrats on the new life style!

By: Trina Isakson

Trina Isakson — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:21:31 +0000

Congratulations on all these changes! Even though they may be accidental or cost-savings, they are positive to make no matter what your financial situation.

Think you’ll keep them when you’re back making the big bucks?