Though student loan debt has now surpassed credit card debt, many Americans have the challenge of dealing with both.

The average college graduate now has more than $37,000 in outstanding student loan debt, and many people of those same people hold thousands of dollars in credit card debt as well.

When I was repaying my student loan debt, I made a lot of mistakes. Between making late payments and avoiding calling the loan provider when I was struggling, some of them seriously impacted my ability to get ahead on my loans and pay them down faster. It felt like a vicious cycle.

Most of these big mistakes are easy to avoid, and they can go a long way to making repayment easier and saving money in the process.

When I was a college student on a limited income, I learned quickly how to live on a tight budget. It involved finding free activities on the weekends, lots of ramen, and a strict policy on not buying new clothes more than a few times a year.

Little did I know that would be great practice for the post-graduate hustle, when student loans would take up a significant chunk of my monthly budget.

Did you take out a Parent PLUS Loan to help fund your child’s education?

If so, you can certainly be forgiven for wanting to transfer the loan from your name to your child’s. On average, parents who take out PLUS loans owe about $120 a month for every $10,000 borrowed for their child’s education

The holiday season has commonly been referred to as “engagement season,” marking the most popular time of year for proposals. Now that January has hit and the glow of the holidays have worn off, a lot of couples are doing the hard work of answering the question "How are we going to pay for our wedding?"

While thinking of ways to cut down on costs can go a long way, you may also just need a boost in income. In honor of engagement season, here are five surprising ways to earn extra money for your wedding.

Does it feel like you'll never pay off your student loans? I have so been there.

By the time I got serious about paying off my student loan debt, the money I owed had swelled into thousands more than the original $16,000 loan I took out. With the interest that had accrued, on top of the late fees I had amassed because of my carelessness, I was now looking at another barrier to becoming debt-free.