Debt

[Richard]

Many people live well beyond their means today.  I do not have any debt.  My co-op jobs pays for my school.  I also rarely go walking in a mall and end up buying something I never knew I needed.  I pay my credit card off clean, each month.  I merely use it as a way to buy things online.

I voted number 2.  I've yet to pay any interest on my credit cards.

[Richard]

Why exclude cars and mortgages?
I'm willing to live extremely lean if that means evading debt.

Cars and mortages are required.  That 60" TV you just bought on your 28% interest credit card is not.  I'm separating the two.

[Richard]

For people not from rich families who go to college, debt is unavoidable.

That is a lazy man's excuse.

[Richard]

[That is a lazy man's excuse.

Not all people get free college (co-op program) like you. 

Then perhaps they should consider joining a co-op program.  It is the future.

[Richard]

I co-op(it isn't necessarilly $13k a year, some years I work two semesters and learn one) - the co-op program at Tech is ranked as one of the best in the nation. I don't pay anything for the semesters I work, but I still pay full price for school semesters.

That's good. But you have to realize that both you and Richius are in a small minority of students who co-op, so you're in special situations that are not typical of the average college student.

The HOPE program in Georgia is great. I wish New Hampshire had had that, it would've made my life a lot easier.

My university doesn't offer math and engineering degrees non-co-op anymore.  Science non-co-op will be gone soon.  Your argument that only a few students go co-op is faulty.  Perhaps if you're in the arts or something.  In that case, your tuition will be cheaper and you can work part time during school and full time during the summer.  Throw in a scholarship or two and you're doing just fine.