How did we come to know about Lily's List?
A couple of months ago Nolan and I sat down and looked at our budget....we began to notice that we have almost 3 mortgage like payments. The first one being our "rent" which is exactly a mortgage payment to our landlord who just raised the monthly payment amount. Second is our two daughters day care which monthly for 5 days a week costs us about $1400.00 which I have no problem paying because we absolutely LOVE the school and LOVE the teachers. However in an effort to save money, Nolan has agree to keep them two days a week which has significantly lowered our payment and has brought the girls closer to their daddy! Thirdly, we have our student loan payments which equal the same amount as our rent payment!!!!! What!?!?!!? So, in an act of desperation I went to "Google" and put in the search space "help me pay off my student loan debt." At first I just got ads for new loans, articles on how to pay down loans that were really not helpful at all, and so I put in "pay off my student loans" and Lily's List popped up. I looked at the website and found that it's a way to "FUND RAISE" instead of begging for money which I know NO ONE likes to do. Not only that but it allows family and friends to donate as a "gift registry for say graduation, wedding, anniversary etc. I also found that they just started a program that is called the Student/Business Partnership program. This enables someone like myself to go to a business I frequent and ask them if they would help me fund raise by advertising on the Lily's List website. In exchange for my hard work to get the business to advertise, they get a CHEAP national advertisement on a website that I believe is about to blow up just like Amazon, Google, Yahoo etc; I will get 50-90% of that put back toward my student loans....on the website they have a payout list and for example, if you can get 30 people to advertise in one month, it's approximately 800 something toward your student loans!!! Now who can't get on board with that?
So I signed up, scanned in my statement and got a profile not just for me but for my husband Nolan as well. Together we have over $100,000 in student loan debt! We NEED to get something done, so I am super motivated to do whatever it takes to get rid of this debt....in the meantime I also feel it's highly beneficial to others as well to know that help IS out there! If you are bold enough to do what it takes, you just might be successful in paying down or wiping out your student loan debt completely!
I think what I like the most about Lily's List is that it's not a "hand out" but a "hand up!" They give you all the tools you will need to ask your family, friends, or businesses to donate or advertise to help pay down your student loans. Will it be easy? Is life and finances ever easy....especially in a recession? I love what Joel Osteen says about the recession....it's something like "there may be a recession in America, but God owns everything and he never has to worry about a recession!" So the answer is "NO," it won't be easy...but isn't there another quote out there that goes something like “anything worth having is worth working for”. Elise Crawford
You might be asking yourself....now what? First you have to get a profile page, you have to PROVE that you have the student loans by scanning in your statement and emailing it to the company...you can also fax it if you prefer (which IS secure) This makes darn sure that there is no fraudulence going on and people aren't donating to some guys vacation in Bora Bora or something weird like that. After they have verified your info you get a profile page and you have a neat little thermometer that measures your progress! After that my friend it is up to YOU to make the money and get the word out about about this awesome website that can help you free yourself of debt!
Why now? I think I'm so passionate about this topic not just because I have the debt but because student loan debt now exceeds credit card debt in the United States....whhhhaaatttt?? People NEED an education! My mom didn't give me an option of NOT going to school and I'm so thankful she didn't; however that education wasn't free. It cost me a total of $70,000 to get my Masters of Science degree in Occupational Therapy. It cost my husband and I more than $40,000 for him to get his technical degree that as it happens wasn't worth much when the economy tanked! To boot, there are people graduating now that cannot even find decent jobs! Is that the kind of future I want for my two girls, or my nieces and nephews? Certainly not! I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy!
I know there are people out there that are STRUGGLING to pay off their student loan debt! I understand! The default rate is extremely high but what people who are defaulting don't know, is that it can really effect their future! Employers check your credit report! They check your background! If you are going into any field that deals with money....better believe they won't hire you if you have defaulted....what about even trying to get an apartment! BAM! They also check your credit and background...hope you haven't defaulted...The saddest part is they don't care WHY you defaulted just that you did and on paper that makes you look like a risk that they aren't willing to deal with. It is so sad...I'm not sitting in judgement...believe me! That's why we need to look outside of ourselves at times for help....yes we may need to humble ourselves to do it, but if it makes a difference for our family and others then it is well worth it!
Steps I've taken so far:
1. Found this awesome one and ONLY of it's kind website www.lilyslist.com
2. Made a profile by sending in verification and it was FREE!
3. Set up my profile so that people know a little bit more about me.
4. Start using the "Fundraising Toolbox" on the home page.
5. Downloaded letters to family and request use of Lily's List logo.
To do:
1. Send out letter to family and friends
2. Send out Student/Business Partnership letters to local businesses
3. Give out flyers to local colleges- In DFW alone there are over 65 colleges, universities, and technical colleges....you don't think anyone at those places would like to know about a great tool like this do you? I'm gearing up to go to my first college over Labor Day weekend.
Is that enough????
Why don't more people know about Lily's List? We as a community have to educate people about this website! I for one feel a responsibility to let the public at large know about this awesome website~ I am in Dallas, TX and that's where I am starting....who's in?
P.S. If anyone has any ideas on how to do more education, fundraising, etc I would love your POSITIVE feedback! Thanks
