$\text{'}$L$\text{'}$ will start paying their student loans back in December $2025,$ one month after this scenario, and $\text{'}$L$\text{'}$ did not pay any interest while in college. Approximately, how much more will $\text{'}$L$\text{'}$ pay in interest, if they pay it off over $10$ years?

$$12,000$

$$11,000$

$$9,000$

$$7,000$A first$-$year full$-$time employee, $\text{'}$L$\text{'}$ earns $$45,000$ at their full$-$time job annually and works a hybrid schedule $(4/1)$ with a $45-$minute commute each way, $30$ miles each way$/60$ round trip $(4$ days a week$).$ L lives with their parents and a sibling in Waterbury, CT; sibling commutes to a private college. They contribute $$400$ monthly for rent; they also contribute $$125$ each month for utilities and renter's insurance. L$\text{'}$s parents buy general groceries, toiletries, and household items; L also buys food from the grocery store, as well as additional personal and daily living items if they want something specific.

L pays for their own auto insurance of $$200$ a month to cover their $7-$year$-$old Honda Civic's insurance $($under family plan$)$ and has annual auto$-$property tax of $$300.$ The car, which has $70,000$ miles, will require new brakes and tires by June $2026,$ as well as regular maintenance throughout the year; L has received an anticipated cost for all the repairs and regular maintenance, of about $$2,400.$

Each month L also contributes $$100($pre$-$tax$)$ to their $401(k),$$$100$ to general savings, and $$55$ for their own cell phone plan. Llikes to go to NYC $4-5$ times a year to visit friends and do something at a venue, which on average, costs $$300$ for the weekend.

L$\text{'}$s employer has a health care policy in place where the alum pays $$400$ monthly for health insurance, as well as $$25$ for co$-$pays, and $$15$ for medication for a chronic condition; they need $2$ prescriptions filled each month and have four medical appts each year that require the co$-$pay. $($Note: last year, they visited urgent care twice$-$used their co$-$pay$-$and needed three additional medications.$)$

For debt, they currently have a three$-$month$-$old credit card balance of $$3,500$ which includes interest, at an $18\mathrm{.}99\%$ APR, after using their credit card for a once$-$in$-$a$-$lifetime experience in July, that initially cost $$5,000.$ They want to pay off the credit card balance in a year or less if possible. Additionally, they face a $$25,000$ student loan debt of $7\mathrm{.}5\%,$ with payments starting in December $2025$ and want to pay it off as soon as possible, while also saving to move out and investing some money.

There is not any opportunity to earn overtime at L$\text{'}$s job, so when L wants some extra cash, if needed, they are an Uber driver in the Waterbury area for up to $10$ hours total time any given month