<p>This won’t work for everyone but it has worked extremely well for us. Both parents work full time but one works for the University where DD graduated and DS currently attends. It’s one of the best fringe benefits out there and you don’t have to be a high level employee to qualify.</p>
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Nor have we - and now that it’s just the two of us, we don’t need to upgrade. In fact, I would happily downgrade - in a state with better weather! :D</p>
<p>TrixieAnn, agree that tuition remission is a phenomenal benefit. A friend of ours has found it makes a huge difference.</p>
<p>frazzled,
Come on down!! We have lots of empty rooms :(</p>
<p>We had two in college overlapping for 3 years. We are still paying some loans off for one.
Years ago our planned “college fund” was stupidly comprised of a portfolio of stock options I was supposed to get—until they unexpectedly tanked. Lost it all. I couldn’t even talk about it for years, I was that upset. </p>
<p>Luckily, D had a full tuition scholarship but still cost us over $10k per year to support her. She’s in grad school but we’re helping some, although she’ll be heavily in loan-debt. And S had some financial aid, but not enough. We pulled thousands out of savings. Did more damage to our financial health by pulling out some 401k money after I was laid off, twice.</p>
<p>S still doesn’t have a job after graduating and is living back with us.</p>
<p>So although the undergrad bills aren’t coming in, we’re paying off about $15k in loans we took for S, and are spending all available income to help D pay for double living expenses while she does clinical rotations out of state. I don’t know when the financial bleeding will be over, but I can’t wait. I’m hoping by the time our mortgage is paid off (2.5 years), both will be self-sufficient. I pray that’s the case. </p>
<p>I know I’m whining and others have it worse. I’m having my little pity party and I thank you for inviting me :)</p>
<p>PS No fancy living here either. Both cars are over 11 years old and boy, do we need a new one!</p>
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If you’ll open some of that wine up, I just might have to do it! :)</p>
<p>If the repair guy doesn’t fix the condenser in the wine cooler tomorrow, there will be a lot that needs to be consumed… and soon!!</p>
<p>And I should say <em>I</em> have lots of empty rooms-- since DH is on the road most of the time.</p>
<p>curiouser-
So sorry to hear of all those financial challenges. I totally understand about stock options “blowing bubbles” (as my H used to say about all of ours that were “under water” and worthless) and layoffs (my H went through that last year, and right in the middle of our house remodel no less!). At that time we only had one in college, but had just finished paying almost full fare for older s’s college. Fortunately younger s has a substantial scholarship (we pay less for his private U than we did for his private HS). Oh, did I mention we lost a large chunk of DH’s inheritance that his dad left him… in Lehman Bros stock? 
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<p>Many here (including you, curiouser) have a legitimate right to whine and/or have a pity party-- but they don’t. They just deal with it and accept it as life’s options and experiences. </p>
<p>BTW, things do get better… I still work full time and my DH got a very nice job (though he is always travelling) but with his new job came good benefits, so we could stop paying the retiree healthcare benefits from his old company that were obscenely expensive (cost more than our mortgage). Oh, and those health insurance premium costs stopped right when we paid off our mortgage. Jackpot!! Significant improvement is cashflow and savings. So, like many people are doing as they prepare to face Hurricane Earl, you just hunker down and weather out the tough time/storm. The sun will shine afterward, and hopefully without much damage caused by the storm.</p>
<p>The food bill is SOOOOO much less with the two of them gone, that nearly accounts for at least one of their meal plans at school. No more eating out as a family dropping $50 also saves quite a bit.</p>
<p>The laundry is running constantly – not any longer…hard to make one load with just two of us (we don’t drop two towels on the bathroom floor twice a day like our forever showering youth).</p>
<p>There is no more auto insurance on either child (the away at school price is really small by comparison) and the gas in the tanks is close to half what I used to fill up from running them all over town or their use of the car. Where was I going all the time…</p>
<p>Just look ahead 30 maybe 40-50 years (if we are lucky)…we are all indirectly paying for our nursing home bills now anyways. It’s an investment…</p>
<p>Last tuition payment for second in December. Six years of two payments; four years of one, but now the second has started law school and we are helping. All I can say is:</p>
<p>What is a vacation?</p>
<p>What is home decorating?</p>
<p>What is a Broadway show?</p>
<p>What is gardening help?</p>
<p>What is a cleaning lady?</p>
<p>What is free time and one job?</p>
<p>None of these things exist in our universe. Kids will be debt free for undergraduate. DD is in public law school so reasonable. Thank goodness.</p>
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<p>I’m pretty sure I’m about 15 miles from you, give or take a few. Somebody might have to help you…just saying. :)</p>
<p>C’mon down! Bring your jammies b/c no drinkin’ and drivin’ around here.</p>