@Mom2aphysicsgeek , yes, I understand. But your reply illustrates a point that I, and others too, have been trying to make in this thread: the general conversation it isn’t all about, and in this case, at all about, you. Several people in this thread can’t get out of their own way to understand that point. For purposes of the discussion,geting into everyone’s particulars isn’t really relevant. Does anyone want to read me write that I can afford it 3x? No.
And it may be “of course” for you and your husband, but there are those among us who might think those things (cars, vacations) reasonable to prioritize, while many among us might think it absurd to go discount on your kid’s education for those reasons. People are all over the map.
Also, wow, you left out a big detail. Eight kids? On even a typical engineer’s salary, I’d doubt you will be able to handle in-state tuition without making some cuts. That is, unless you make a whole lot of money.
Good luck!