It was more than thirteen years ago that I found myself staring down in to this little face and feeling the full weight of the responsibility that comes with being her mother.
The beauty and challenge of this process is that we are growing together. With each passing day, I am a better mother (I hope).
The heart side of me is excited with her and somehow already aching at the notion of her being gone some day.
The practical side of me is thinking about the process of paying for her to follow those dreams in college. I’ve always said the four years I spent attending the University of San Diego were among the best of my life. I grew, I learned, I developed many of the friendships that still pepper my life with goodness and love. I want the same for her. But we are going to have to pay for it.
I’m grateful that we began the process of saving when Delaney and her brother were young. According to the College Board, the average price of a year of college during the 2016-2017 year was $33,480 at private colleges (like the one I attended), $9,650 for state residents at public colleges, and $24,930 for out-of-state residents deciding to attend public universities.
If those numbers make your stomach hurt, I get you. That private college average is nearly $15K more than what I paid when I was in school in the mid-90’s. And the numbers keep climbing.
But let’s tackle this the smart way. It is about taking the steps to start saving. Country Financial offers a list of simple steps to get you going. While we started a number of years ago, you can start at any time. I don’t believe this process is about making huge sacrifices at the last minute (the year before your 18 year old head off in to the world). It is about making adjustments and setting money aside along the way.
Where are you in the College Savings Process? Are you already setting money aside, or looking to find a way? The key…start today.
Disclosure: I’m happy to have partnered with Country Financial to have what I consider to be a very important conversation with you – saving for college.Â
Gah! It’s so crazy to think about how TIME FLIES and soon enough your little baby is…. OFF! Gah! My sister has a 2.5/3 year old and I always think… Wow, in 15 years, she’s going to be off to college, NUTS!
I KNOW – I came across a picture today of my daughter’s first Christmas on Santa’s lap – it feels like yesterday.
These are great tips. College is expensive, and it’s not getting any cheaper! We have to do everything we can to make sure we can afford to send out kids to college.
I am trying very hard to save for college. It is not an easy task to do when you are on a limited budget but we are definitely getting there. Thank you for this information I think it will definitely help me.
It isn’t easy. I know. Because it feels so ‘far off’ it is easy to keep thinking we will have time and allocate our funds to the most pressing needs…but I think every little bit we dedicate is a good thing.
I feel like college is so far off, yet in reality…it’s right around the corner! My son is 13 and about to go into high school next year. It’s all downhill from there!
What a sweet post. Yes saving for college is hard! My husband wants to go back but we don’t want to take out tons of loans! College should NOT be so expensive. This has good information for those with kids getting near college age
I forget how expensive college is in the United States! It’s not nearly as much here in Canada. A good reminder to start saving for them as soon as possible!
Ugh! I am sad to say, we’ve had so much going on since our kids have been born, we haven’t even begun to think about saving for our kid’s college yet. We need to because I know it will only get more and more expensive as the years tick by.
We haven’t done much to start planning, and I know time really flies. I am scared to think of how much college costs, and it is really important to start the ball rolling. Thanks for the tips.
So much to think about when you prepare to save for college. I’ve already started a fund for my grand-niece who just turned one. I’m not even sure college will look anything like what we know now 20 years from now. But at least she’ll have some money to do what she need to.
That is so smart of you – I wonder the same thing….
I’ll have 3 in college at the same time. Yep… twins one year and another the following year. My husband and I have made sure our kids understand the importance of higher education and earning scholarships to help offset some college costs. We want them to have college degrees without causing us to drown in debt.
I absolutely agree with you. We have the same conversations with our kids. Three at the same time is A LOT!
The cost of college these days is RIDICULOUS! I feel like I need to start saving now and I haven’t even had kids yet…LOL!
Ha! It does feel that way, doesn’t it?
I think it’s great to save up for college as early as possible. Both of my daughters have money saved up already. They have money in the bank, and are always saving money up in their piggy banks too.
We are doing the very same. 🙂
College is so expensive. I tried explaining the cost of college to my daughter and I recommended that she go to a community or two year college first because it is cheaper. She didn’t listen to me at all. But she quickly changed her mind after figuring out how expensive college is.
It really does just fly by. Mine has graduated with two degrees, gotten married, and has a baby now. It’s almost surreal!
My son is only four. However, I know i need to think about this now. Not everyone wants to do college but having the option is amazing!
College is really expensive! That’s why it is really important to save for the future. I love your tips here.