$179.17 a month. That is the exact amount of my monthly payment to pay off my student loan for law school. My husband took the payment in stride. I remember one small (slightly uncomfortable) discussion about how he did not have student loan debt. His loans had been from his parents, and they forgave them. Mine had been from the government. They were not that fond of me. So we paid it all off – $179.17 a month – until it was done.
My student loan became just another one of the bills we paid after we got married. We took the “what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine” approach to money. In other words, we combined our accounts and went from there.
Today, there are financial planning considerations as you approach paying off student loans. Combined incomes may raise the amount you need to pay. But, filing as a married couple allows you to deduct the interest on the loan.
