Whether you went to college or not you probably will have big plans for your children. You may want to make it easy for them by providing them with the funds it will take to get their education. If you are just making ends meet you might think you will not be able to start a college fund right now. The truth is you probably just need a little help adjusting your budget.
If you want to send your kids to college with ease, you really must first pay off your current debt. You will be able to save more efficiently if you are not juggling savings and debt at the same time. You may feel like it will take too long to pay off your debt but you will be surprised how quickly it will disappear once you have a plan in place.
The first step is to stop over spending. You need to make a list of all of your bills and monthly expenses. Decide what you can eliminate in order to put a little extra money towards paying off your debt. You can give up little things like trips to Starbucks or fast food. You will be surprised how quickly these little expenses add up.
Now write a list of all of your debt. Include the balance, interest rate and monthly payment. Now go down the list. Choose the one with the highest interest and pay as much extra on it as you can until it is paid off. Then move on to the next one. Remember to continue making the minimum monthly payments on all of your cards while you pay them off one by one.
Once your credit cards are paid off you can start putting the money you were spending on payments into a savings account for your kid’s education. You will find that after a few years you are debt free and have more in savings than you thought possible.
In order to save up to the amount your children will need for college it is a good idea to find out what the average cost of a four year college degree will cost when they are ready. Many schools will be able to give you a rough idea if you call the administration office and ask. Once you have a goal calculate how much you need to put into each savings account every month so that each of your children will have enough money when the time comes.
In this day and age you have to have a college education to make it in the world. You can easily create a savings account that will get them through college with a strict budget. If you need help with the calculations necessary to pay off your debt and budget your spending use an online financial calculator at www.personalfinanceissues.com. Remember if you make the sacrifices now and they will be obliged to care for you in your old age.
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Great advice on how to prepare to save for your child’s college years. However, when you are ready to start saving that money, make sure to check out your options. I find that many parents just assume that a 529 plan is the best savings vehicle for them. Like any investment vehicle, they have their pluses and minuses and there many alternatives that you might want to consider as well. Make sure you consult with an experienced financial planner to understand what your options are and which one is the best fit for your specific situation.