Can't decide whether I'm supposed to be happy or sad...

[BobV]

Had to make the 1st installment on the youngest daughter's college tuition this morning... :headac Damn...

4 more years of a "2nd house payment"...
With the oldest, I could've bought a new Mustang GT - with this one, I'm paying for a new GT500 or Saleen. :cry

On the other hand:
She's going to college...
We'll be empty nesters in another 2 weeks!!! bj
We're able to provide an opportunity that our parents did not...
Both girls are/will be debt-free - no student loans & no parent loans...

Your kids DO get to pick your nursing home...

You young guys (Jeremy!) - I hope you're putting enough money back in college funds - I can only imagine how much more expensive it will be 10 years from now. :eek

 

[blue65coupe]

Congrats man. We're putting back as much as we can but know it's not gonna be enough. It also helps that we refi'ed the house with these new rates. Oldest is 4 1/2 and with the new refi rate and what we overpay with we should have the house paid off when she goes to college. That should help.

 

[BobV]

Yep, 10 years from now, I could see a state school easily running $100k+ for 4 years. :eek The schools here are really pushing toward 5 years...

We put money back, just not near enough!
At least we're in a position do be able to do this (BTW, Dave Ramsey rocks!)...

I wish we'd had 1 more year between kids - I could have enjoyed a "year off". Also paid for a wedding this summer - no breaks for dad! :dumas

 

[blue65coupe]

Paying for 2 in daycare SUCKS. We're not gonna have a year off either. We'll be double-dipping for a couple years actually. Hopefully the girl will be smart and the boy will be athletic!!!!

 

[Anonymous]

So I guess me saying that I spend all my money on myself would not be appropriate?

 

[blue65coupe]

So I guess me saying that I spend all my money on myself would not be appropriate?

Me with kids = some tax break = more money to be spent on the kids that I get to see enjoy/prosper.

You with no kids = no tax break for kids = more of your money spent on others who get to buy 24" dubs and stand in line for cheap housing.

Have a nice day.

 

[guruatbol]

Had to make the 1st installment on the youngest daughter's college tuition this morning... :headac Damn...

4 more years of a "2nd house payment"...
With the oldest, I could've bought a new Mustang GT - with this one, I'm paying for a new GT500 or Saleen. :cry

On the other hand:
She's going to college...
We'll be empty nesters in another 2 weeks!!! bj
We're able to provide an opportunity that our parents did not...
Both girls are/will be debt-free - no student loans & no parent loans...

Your kids DO get to pick your nursing home...

You young guys (Jeremy!) - I hope you're putting enough money back in college funds - I can only imagine how much more expensive it will be 10 years from now. :eek

Welcome to my world. My oldest got married in April, so I am not paying hers, but I still have two. the bank of Dad gets empty.

And I wonder why my car is not painted and the rack and pinion is not on the 67.

Too bad I learned about Dave Ramsey too late to help. If I knew about him when I was in the department making tons of money in overtime. Now that I am retired and driving for a living, money isn't as easy to come by. I have to work harder for it.

Mel

 

[BobV]

So I guess me saying that I spend all my money on myself would not be appropriate?

Spread the wealth, isn't that the plan??? :nk

 

[RapidRabbit]

I am not looking forward to cost of college in 18 years for our little one. :$$$

The only plus side is our house will be paid off when she turns 12 so that gives us 6 years with no mortgage before we have to take out another one to pay for college.

 

[Midlife]

I remember back when I went to college...

My parents got divorced a couple years before I started college (UC San Diego), so I had to put myself through. Tuition was $212/quarter. Room, board, and books were in addition. Got student loans and did work-study for 4 years, with $7k total in student loans. Then off to grad school for 5 years, living on $450 per month as Teaching/Research Assistant.

Ahhh...the good old days! Party every night!

 

[Mach1ne]

So I guess me saying that I spend all my money on myself would not be appropriate?

You are not alone Mark (except for when nursing home time comes for us).

That is why I married a gal who is six years younger than me. She will be the one changing my diaper and then sending me off to the home. I guess I should be nicer to her.

Congrats on becoming an empty nester Bob (and giving your kids a chance for a college education). I am glad I went when it was cheap and was able to work to pay for it.

 

[Jack1966]

We'll be empty nesters in another 2 weeks!!! PBJ

ah . . remember that event fondly. Mrs Jack and I . . well . . ahem . . second honeymoon mg

congrats on your milestone . . don't worry she'll be back.

 

[Kats66Pny]

If we continue to live where we do... I have a feeling my house will never be empty. My daughter already said if she goes to Texas A&M (only a few miles away), she's going to continue to live with us. I asked her what if she doesn't go to A&M, and she said oh well I'll go to Blinn (which is literally 2 blocks away down the road). :headac

She doesn't want mom and dad to take over her bedroom. She has the bedroom upstairs and her own bathroom which is connected to the game room. She tried to claim all of upstairs as hers. We told her, when she moves out, we're going to remodel upstairs and turn it into a giant master bedroom suite. :vic

 

[AtlantaSteve]

I stayed at home for college...all 4 years.

Probably one of the biggest regrets of my life. My daughter is 14 and I tell her..Go AWAY, get away from us. "We suck, we're lame, and we cramp your style." She never tells us this, but come on, I remember being a kid. You can never really grow up if your mom's still washing your underwear.

 

[BobV]

Yeah, when I went to school, I went at night - my tuition was $14-17 per credit hour. May have been a few years ago. :rofl

Current state rate is a little over $200/hr. Then add $3500-$4000/semester for basic room & board, plus books, computer, $90 to park a car........ and that's at a "CHEAP" state school! It's really sad to see / hear some of the parents & admissions people. They don't even blink when loading a kid up with $50k in student loan debt. Just sign on the dotted line, we'll do the rest...

I'm not sure what the wedding cost, but it was worth every penny. I know I wrote a lot of checks though.

We're trying to decide what to do with all the extra space - 2 more empty bedrooms to go with the already unused guest room. Hell, I think I count 7 TV's for 2 people... :craz

 

[guruatbol]

I am not looking forward to cost of college in 18 years for our little one. :$$$

The only plus side is our house will be paid off when she turns 12 so that gives us 6 years with no mortgage before we have to take out another one to pay for college.

Save now even if it is $25 a month. when the house if paid for put the mortgage in the bank instead of spending it.

Mel

 

[Kats66Pny]

I stayed at home for college...all 4 years.

Probably one of the biggest regrets of my life. My daughter is 14 and I tell her..Go AWAY, get away from us. "We suck, we're lame, and we cramp your style." She never tells us this, but come on, I remember being a kid. You can never really grow up if your mom's still washing your underwear.

I keep telling her when she's 18 we're kicking her out. Guess she doesn't believe us. :lol

 

[guruatbol]

Yeah, when I went to school, I went at night - my tuition was $14-17 per credit hour. May have been a few years ago. :rofl

Current state rate is a little over $200/hr. Then add $3500-$4000/semester for basic room & board, plus books, computer, $90 to park a car........ and that's at a "CHEAP" state school! It's really sad to see / hear some of the parents & admissions people. They don't even blink when loading a kid up with $50k in student loan debt. Just sign on the dotted line, we'll do the rest...

I'm not sure what the wedding cost, but it was worth every penny. I know I wrote a lot of checks though.

We're trying to decide what to do with all the extra space - 2 more empty bedrooms to go with the already unused guest room. Hell, I think I count 7 TV's for 2 people... :craz

Well we paid cash for the wedding in April. It was a bugger though. that is why I worked the olympics. Wedding was cheap only $10k. school, well it hasn't ben all that bad, but the living expenses, cars, car repairs and such are nasty. I guess the worst part is when the car breaks and it is something I would normally just fix and now I have to pay a mechanic and because it is long distance and my daughters don't know crap about cars, they get ripped off for hundreds. No ethics anymore!

Mel

 

[Anonymous]

Me with kids = some tax break = more money to be spent on the kids that I get to see enjoy/prosper.

You with no kids = no tax break for kids = more of your money spent on others who get to buy 24" dubs and stand in line for cheap housing.

Have a nice day.

Thanks, I purposely hadn't looked at that way, but now that you puked out that trash I'm depressed.


Happy?

 

[68EFIvert]

I have been saving for both of my daughters education since we received the SS#'s from the governement. I guess they were a month or two old at that time. I intentionally don't save enough to give them an incentive to work through college or work hard enough in school to help out. Hell if I can work two jobs at over 40 hours a week and still get good grades at a tough school they can do the same. I saw too many kids in school not take it serious enough because they did not have any coin in the game.

The other thing I don't like about the financial aid programs (like I will ever qualify for it) is that they will require the kids to spend down virtually all of their money set aside but if it is in the parent name it is not nearly as much.