Perhaps your child's college fund was eaten up in bad investments. Maybe your savings plan didn't pan out as you hoped it would. Or perhaps you never had any money to save in the first place. Regardless, if you want your child to go to college -- and your child wants to go to -- it can be done. Here are 8 great options when you can't afford college... … [Read more...]
As parents, we often put our children’s needs and desires ahead of our own -- even if it means putting ourselves at risk. Our children's education is no exception. We will sacrifice and put aside money for our kids' college education, even if it means that we are not saving for our own retirement. Many experts advise against this. What The Experts Are Saying According to Miraim Caldwell at the About.com money blog: … [Read more...]
Did you know there are student loan options that have nothing to do with your credit rating? While you would have had to be very busy to ruin your credit before even starting college, it can still happen. This is especially true if you take a few years off before going to college. Regardless, there are student loan options that will get you through college in spite of your previous credit blunders. No reputable lender willingly advertises loans to borrowers with bad credit. However, … [Read more...]
After you've determined how you're going to pay for college and then you actually start your college education, it's time to turn your attention to getting the biggest bang for your buck from the time that you spend there. Unfortunately, too many college students allow a lot of their college money to go to waste. Here's how to get your money's worth from the time you spend in college... How To Get Your Money's Worth From College It's important to keep these 4 things in mind at … [Read more...]
I learned a lot from my parents about money. Or rather, I should say I learned about how not to handle money. I learned that if you need to hide purchases, you probably should not have bought them. I learned that you can't hope more money will show up when needed without taking specific steps. I learned that eventually bad money habits will catch up to you. My plan is to not pass these financial disorders on to my own kids. … [Read more...]
College funds have been hit hard by the financial crisis, and many are wondering how they're going to get through 4 years of college with less money and fewer student loans. Here are 8 things you can do to lower your college expenses... #1 Apply to free colleges. (They're free in exchange for labor.) There are dozens of tuition-free colleges. While they are challenging to get into, they are definitely worth a try. In addition to studying, you will also … [Read more...]
Generation Y (those born between the years 1982 and 1995) are young and carefree. They have an apartment (or a room in mom and dad's house). They have a car. They may even have a dog. What most do not have is savings. Are you surprised? If you're a member of Gen Y, and you don't have a savings account, then you probably don't even care! More than 80% of Generation Y workers said they plan to support themselves in retirement with savings they'll put away later … [Read more...]
Raising kids can be expensive! When you factor in clothing, food, bedroom furniture, toys, doctor's and dentist's visits, and the myriad of other costs -- both expected and unexpected -- you see how important it is to plan for these things ahead of time. This 5-Minute Finance Guide To Raising Kids provides some of the best advice for parents who are trying to save money by summarizing a number of things you can do to offset the cost of raising a family. … [Read more...]
If you're leaving home for the first time and going off to college, you're probably pretty excited and really looking forward to being on your own. While it's true that college can be one of the best times of your life, unfortunately, it can also be one of the easiest times in your life to accumulate a lot of debt. Here are some of the best college students money saving tips... Say no to credit cards. While it's true that credit cards can be great to have in the event of … [Read more...]
In another article, I addressed the cost of having a baby and raising your child from birth to age 2. I focused on absolute necessities that parents would have to buy including food, clothing, diapers, and hospital costs. Not included were things like a crib, the cost of a bigger home with an extra bedroom, and toys, because a savvy parent can probably do without those items or figure out how to get them for free. As your child reaches age 2, your family will find … [Read more...]
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