Sunday, September 13, 2009

What financial shape am I in to do these HUGE favors for my sisters' friends? (Personal Entry)

To co-sign a beauty-school loan


Natasha (who is no longer using FB for a year) called and asked me to co-sign a loan for her friend's beauty school. I told her to ask my parents if they'd think that's okay. Even though my credit score is over 700, I have less than $500 altogether in my bank accounts. I only receive my income at the beginning of each month, and even though it helps me get by, it's not something to be too proud of, and certainly wouldn't help pay off a loan.

Then I sent a question to the Newsfeed asking how they thought of this situation. The majority told me not to, and to ask her to ask someone else.

Minutes later, I heard that she asked her grandfather and he'll "probably" co-sign it. I truly hope he does.

Then to borrow my car


Then another big favor came. Her same friend wanted me to loan her my car. I wanted the insurance to be adequate first before I did. (Some friends may have a party with a friend's sibling's car and ruin it, even though they've never crashed their own cars before!) The friend couldn't drive her own car because its tags expired in July.

My insurance was liability-only, which meant it only pays out to the other party in a collision. For me to add collision coverage (with the $50 deductible option) would've cost an extra $30.##/month, and had I added it tonight, the coverage would've started at Midnight.

Then I asked my sister's friend what kind of coverage she has. She said that under Progressive, she was "fully" covered, but under her uncle's plan.

As I've taken chances before and regretted it, I decided not to take chances here, so I called Progressive to verify that what she told me was not out-of-date. (Sometimes, people can say one thing without realizing that what they said no longer applies. What if her coverage expired two weeks ago and she hasn't yet found out because only her uncle gets mail from Progressive?)

When I put her on the phone with a representative, she said that her uncle hasn't yet set her under his policy, until they get a new car. There, I knew it. I had a gut feeling here.

Then the last option was where I made a mistake: Since Natasha talked me into this, I would agree to add collision coverage just for one month, and for her friend, only if Natasha agreed to pay me back. That's when Natasha got fed up and made her friend decide to just drive her car with expired tags, as she hasn't been pulled over often.

Better way to propose the last option


Later, I realized I could've proposed the last option better: Wait for the friend's student loan refunds to arrive, before she paid me back for the extra insurance coverage. I don't know how she would've reacted but I'm sure Natasha would've appreciated it, and it may have sounded fine to her friend.

I heard that the fine for being caught with expired tags is $300, so I wish I could reach Natasha and revise the option. Her phone is out of minutes, and I don't know her friend's phone #.

Update: I just texted Natasha's other friend of this new proposition, so let's hope that turns things around tonight.

I seem like a monster today, at least to the pets!


In her second friend's PT Cruiser, I looked for Natasha to tell her one last thing before she left. A couple of the 2nd friend's pets barked at me hostilely. I know dogs have a great sense of hearing, so maybe they heard and understood me in the apartment, all the way from the car.

Or they have an uncanny sensing of people who hate to keep pets. (If there are any pets in my house, they are to be in cages, in aquariums, or onscreen (like Pokémon or Neopets.) I can't have any free-roamers messing up and going to the bathroom on my furniture.)

Their response seemed kinda fitting to people with those pet preferences like mine. I'll let it slide.

Conclusion


I've known that making big decisions is what leadership is all about. This is the first time I've had some decisions weigh so heavily on me! I also hate to later realize that I could've made a particular decision better.

I know that due to a "personality secret" I revealed over the summer, I may socially still be in high school, but few more years of college will hopefully make me a sounder decision-maker one day!

At least my decision to decline the co-signing was the sound one! Imagine the potential consequences!

2 comments:

  1. "Or they have an uncanny sensing of people who hate to keep pets" for some reason the way this is worded made it funny, and the thing about pets needing to be in cages or onscreen, also humorous and enjoyable. The whole pet section was entertaining actually.

    The first section are obviously very concerned with making the write decision, the large number of facts and numbers offer insight into the way you approach decisions, and the analytical way you view them. Also we get a good sense of your personality in this piece,

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  2. Someone just jumping into your blog might have a hard time keeping all these siblings, friends, friends-of-friends straight. It might be helpful if you allowed yourself to add a few sentences of "Let me tell you about Natasha. She's the girl who..." character description. This way we readers know as much background as you.

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