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Parenthood Lesson- This Is How You Save For College

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Special thank you to Private College 529 Plan, a pre-paid college tuition plan operated by nearly 300 private schools nationwide, for sponsoring this important post.

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We are in a really interesting phase as parents.

We have one foot in having an almost adult child and another foot in what I would consider the early parenting years. Basically, we have a 17-year-old and a 7-year-old… oh and a 14-year-old for good measure. As soon as people find this out about us we are almost always asked if we were thinking straight when we decided to “start all over again.”  They also ask what we learned with our older daughters that benefited our youngest. Pretty much, what are we doing differently this time around?

These are surprisingly easy questions to answer.

We are savoring every single moment more these days knowing they grow up so quickly. We are planning for our youngest’s future sooner and more seriously, especially when it comes to saving for college.

I remember everyone telling us that kids are only little for a short amount of time, but it doesn’t feel that way when you are in the thick of things, surviving off coffee, a couple of hours of sleep a night, and more hugs and kisses than you thought was possible. It is hard to imagine how quickly it really does go by, and then you blink and they are going to college and you are shocked at the price.

The thing is, it doesn’t have to be this way. There is a better way to prepare for the future, especially when you can already tell that you have a mover and shaker on your hands that is totally going to end up at a school like Stanford, Pomona, Caltech, Pepperdine, etc. and money shouldn’t be the reason they don’t go there. The answer is Private College 529 Plan where the pre-payment is transferrable across nearly 300 private schools nationwide and 20 schools in California.

Private College 529 Plan is a way for families to save on the cost of college by pre-paying college tuition when your children are young to lock in today’s rates and avoid rising tuition costs. It is pretty brilliant when you think about it. Not only are you putting the money aside in a structured manner, but you are securing the cost today so that there are no surprises later. You can always know how much tuition you own at any participating school. There is so much peace of mind knowing that you can beat inflation and that this is all taken care of ahead of time. Plus, you don’t have to save all on your own and be the only one investing in your children’s future. You can easily ask grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives to make gifts to your children’s college accounts.  Grandparents might benefit from estate-planning advantages. The increased value of the account is federal tax-free if used to pay for qualified college expenses.

We love that it is a safe and smart investment with no fees and no market risk. These are really important when it comes to saving for our children’s education. Private College 529 makes private college much more achievable than you think, especially since private colleges generally offer financial aid so few students pay full price.  

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What I end up telling people when they ask about having older children and a younger one is that they too will blink their eyes and be looking at a college kid much quicker than they can imagine so cherish every single moment, and the earlier you invest in your child’s future education the more you will save.

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Right now is the best time to start saving with www.privatecollege529.com. Head over to its website to learn more about the Private College 529 Plan and how easy it is to set up for your children.

Have you started saving for college for your child?

Heather Reese
the authorHeather Reese
Heather Delaney Reese is the storyteller and photographer behind the lifestyle and family travel blog, It's a Lovely Life®! For the past decade, she has vacationed over 150 days a year with her family. She is a vegan, and loves being by the water, spending time with her children, husband, 2 Shih Tzus and Cat.

28 Comments

  • Even though there really are days where it feels like my kids will be young forever, I do realistically know that the time will fly by in the blink of an eye. The 529 plan is such a wonderful way to save for college and we have already started saving for our littles. It’s a wonderful feeling to know we are taking care of this and that when the time is here, they will be able to go where they choose.

  • We have a 529 plan for our boys. The rest? They’ll have to take out student loans for just like I did.

    • Th!is plan is good anywhere …. doesn’t depend on living or going to school in any particular state

  • This sounds like a great savings plan. They sure do grow up quick. Seems like one day they are babies and the next day they are asking for the car keys.

  • We have 529 plans for both of our kids. It’s so important to be prepared for college expenses.

  • My dad says he timed me and my brother for college tuition – one kid in, then the next kid in 4 years later so he could pay one tuition at a time. I think he’s half kidding but that’s not how everyone works or how it goes, so this is a great way to save and have a plan!

  • Yep, college is way more expensive than it was when I went to college. I just can’t believe how much the price has doubled. It’s funny I’ll spend more in my kid’s preschool tuition, than I did for my college degree 13 years ago.

  • It’s really important to be able to save for college. With the student loans not helping our kids save easily for their future it would be nice to ease the tuition and make sure they don’t get stuck in paying their loans for years. I think this is a lovely solution to that!

  • I would love to share this with friends especially the younger parents who are just starting out with the kids and saving for their future. It’s a great way to prepare for your child’s college education!

  • It is true! It goes so fast! One minute you can’t believe how expensive diapers are then you are trying to figure out how to pay tuition. It is so important to start saving early. Plans like this are so helpful and really keep you on track so you can give your kids the best.

  • That’s actually a great plan. I know! My two girls grew so fast and you always think you have time to start saving. We were blown away when we found out our daughters school was $52,000 tuition for ONE YEAR!

  • This is such a helpful post. My daughter is 7 months old and I want to start her college fund now!

  • I do think you guys are incredibly brave to work the lifestyle you do, knowing you will be putting 3 daughters through college and one of them being so close to that age now.
    This plan sounds great though – I like the fact that you can lock-in today’s rates while saving for the future.
    I plan on sending this information to my sister-in-law; she has four little boys!

  • I don’t want them to grow up! If I don’t save money for college, they’ll stay little right? Sadly, I don’t think that’ll work. Instead I’ll check out this plan with my husband.

  • I think this is a very good idea to ensure a college education for your children. Let me look into the rates and if we can afford it, we’ll definitely sign up!

  • I have one more child in college and that’s it. I am done with college expenses. I will let my daughter know about this so she can start saving for her son’s college expenses now, while he is still a toddler.

  • This is something we have to seriously think about. I think it’s a great plan, and am looking forward to doing something for our kids!

  • College and University Education is really expensive in most countries. It is always good to apply for scholarships; but these tips are great and very helpful. Thank you for sharing them (love seeing the family photos too!)

  • Me and my husband have some money in the blank for our son. It is better to be prepared for college expenses. I will check on 529 too,

  • We have a 529 Plan for my kids. We love it, it makes it super easy for other family members to contribute! I also love that fact that because I have two kids, they are transferrable to siblings. Such a great way to save for college!

Comments are closed.