Congrats
 

Congrats Freightpup !

He's got a great birthday, as long as I keep my first wife ... ;)

Enjoy them while you can !


Later, Brown CC

Very cure baby Freightmama (that's your official new name, correct? ;))

Here's something he might enjoy. (hope the link works)

Btw, I agree with Archie – I didn't get 1 penny from my parents and paid for my entire education with the help of part time jobs and student loans when it wasn't enough. I think it motivated me early on because I could see the loan statements and knew that one day I'd have to pay it off. My fiancé paid for her pediatric physician assistant degree with student loans and part time jobs as well, so it’s definitely possible.

Some here probably think we'll turn out to be bad parents but if my fiancé and I ever get blessed with kids they'll get lots of love and tutoring from us but no money to education - we'll help when needed but getting jobs and saving their own money will be a priority for sure.

Of course, based on what puppy is saying here - as soon as a little pup arrives all the plans a parent had before becoming a parent simply go out the window... :D

Awww, that little plane is so cute! He's getting one! Thanks!

Well, the plan is to get a custodial account that he doesn't know about.....save the money and if he is a good little boy (ie. not a professional student, good grades, has a goal and finishes a useful degree), then we will help him pay it off or pay some of it. If he is not all of the above, we can just use the money for ourselves (ie. unlike a 529.....I ain't doing that).


Yup, as soon as the pup plops out, it seems like certain plans change. I think God made babies purposely so friggin cute that you just start doing things for them you didn't think you would (like saying you will pay for a big
ten school like me LOL!)

LOL, I knew you'd like it - I bring those every now and then for small kids who we're transporting through Angel Flight of America flights whenever I help out and I'm yet to see a kid who didn't like the 'plane-bear' as one kid called it... :D

Heads up on custodial accounts--the way my parents ran the house, they set custodial accounts up for my siblings and I. When it came time to apply for a financial aid package for college, the custodial account was considered an asset in the student's name and according to federal financial aid guidelines (at the time) it was expected that 33% of it each year would go towards education. If you build up 100k in that custodial account and they figure financial need based on 33% from the custodial account, it could be years before the student meets the financial need component of many scholarship applications and financial aid packages. Of course, 529's didn't exist back then. I'm sure the financial aid office of your alma mater would be happy to speak to an alumni for a few minutes about how the financial aid system works so you can add that information to how you plan.

Have faith in your parenting skills. If you are involved, your hard work ethic will transfer to your kids. Getting help with my education was like getting a baton in a relay race--the pressure is really on to get farther ahead than when you were given the baton. It certainly motivated my siblings and I.

Most states will let you pass unspent 529 money on to another siblings account.
So if #1 is spending too much time at the keggars just move the money to #2. If you don't have a #2 - get working now :D


PS: Congrats Freightpuppy

My son went to UCONN as an undergrad, and then on to law school. He graduated with low honors from UCONN, and then with high honors from Quinnipiac Law. After the graduation ceremony from law school, he and I were chatting and I asked him why he didn't work as hard at UCONN as he did at Quinnipiac. His answer: "You paid for my undergrad studies, and I paid for law school, so I thought it really important to work as hard as I could. After all, I way paying the whole thing." I told him that if I had figured that out while he was in college, he would have been paying for the everything from that day forward. All I got out of him was a wry smile.