Reply to Once daycare stopped - how much were you really able to contribute to college savings?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Before/after plus winter, spring and summer vacation costs $$.  And Camps get more expensive. Then when they end there are braces and music lessons, laptops, international trips.....  Then there is driving classes and a huge increase in insurance and the camps get more expensive.  Your eating budget triples, increased energy costs and increased water usage.[/quote]

What?  I mean god as a kid I had no laptop, no international trips and no music lessons.  As for camp only when I was pretty young.  (also no braces).  I just think people in this area are freaking nuts.  Much more important to save for college then spend insane $$ on sports or music lessons. [/quote]

First of all, times have changed since you were a chld- as it has for all of us.  I also have a child with LDs and a laptop is essential for him to access the curiculum.  Plus, starting in 2nd grade we spent about $5k-10k annually on additional services as public school ervices were not adequate.  Secondly, starting at least 5th grade most homework will on a computer for all children.  It is difficult for children to share a computer if they do homework at the same time, which my chldren do.  If you want your child to access the best and second best HS band or orchestra having music lessons greatly increases that possibility.  I am not okay with skipping braces for my son who needs them.  I care about his ego and self esteem and teeth.

Even without the above, you need to be prepared to pay for before/after and school break camps during the summer if both parents work, you need to be prepared for food budgets to increase substantially, same for the ater and utility bills.  If you want yor chld to learn how todrive and insure them, that costs additional $$$.    School covers approximately 50% of the normal working time + commute (13-14 weeks off, halfday Mondays in FCPS, plus before and after times).   So, do not count on your daycare cost decreasing more than 50% and count on the children costing more as they age.  You need to be realistic about saving fro college once they are out of daycare.  I would try to save as much from the beginning and not count on a step up when fulltime daycare ends..[/quote]

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