We’re dealing with that problem while you. We’re solidly middle-class.
So to create college affordable, we’ve literally forced and micromanaged our oldest child (a sophomore at our State University) to maintain his GPA high enough to help keep his full-tuition scholarships; and if he wants to survive campus he simply has to be an RA so he is able to have free housing.
No additional options. Non negotiable.
Our next oldest child (a higher school senior) needs to work full-time all summer.
She’s a lifeguard and can get full time seasonal hours easily. She must also accept a work attend the school she’s going to, and she’ll also go ahead and take subsidized student Direct loan, in case we can't afford the payment per month plan while she’s in school. She'll a no-loan school, but she will take one if needed.
Her college expects less than 10k/yr from us after financial aid, but just just in case we don’t get it, she will cover the entire portion with her summer savings + work study + loans. We’re not implementing a chance.
10 Family Sacrifices to assist Purchase College
Then more radically, these are 10 things we’ve done and sacrificed, that we recommend other families to do, in order to pay for college:
1. Reduced the amount of money of coverage on our car insurance plan which saved us 20% from what we previously were paying.
2. I had every licensed driver take a 6-hour defensive driving class in order to save another 10%-15% off our car insurance premiums.
3. I called the phone, internet, cable company and seriously would turn them all off until they gave us an “introductory rate package” saving 35% off.
4. Restaurants and fast food are things of the past. We eat at home nearly every meal.
5. I now grocery shop at Aldi instead of Safeway which accurately slashed our monthly grocery bill in half.
6. And we donate All of our outgrown clothing almost every other month to some clothing consignment store ministry locally. We get the tax-write off, help our neighborhood and consider it part of our tithe.
7. We have deliberately maxed out my husband’s 401k contributions on his job. This is because we don’t have sufficient saved for retirement and in addition it lowers our taxable income.
8. I practice hypermiling in our cars to improve gas mileage.
9. We make everything last. Our newest vehicle has over 100,000 miles. And our living room furniture is officially 20 years old this March.
I learned how you can relax my very own hair, and braid my youngest daughters hair myself. My older girls grew their head of hair into natural styles to save cash on hair salons.
10. I increased the deductibles on our overall health insurance plan and our dental coverage and today I insist the kids eat healthier, visit the gym beside me and floss their teeth to reduce the chance of anyone needing anything expensive medical within the next 4 years.
We have no debt except our mortgage.
Our kids are killing it in college and school because we’ve made it clear you will find really no fall-back options.
No one is going hungry. Our bills are paid.
It’s a little austere, but it’s NOT forever.
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