Paid Tuition for Son’s School
August 6th, 2008 by Ana
Yeee-OUCH! I just got back from paying son’s private school tuition, and I honestly cannot remember writing a check that large before in my life. No joke, I just wrote a check for $5900. Wow.
I have not only been expecting this, but have planned for it all summer long. Next week I will probably be authorizing an online payment for my own tuition, so August is the dreaded “tuition month” for us. I’m expecting my tuition to run $2300-2500, and that will seem easy after this one.
The good news is son’s tuition is for the entire school year, and frees up almost $500 per month since last year I didn’t have enough saved to do the one payment and instead dragged it out over the year.
This year, being debt-free-but-the-mortgage gave us the opportunity to do this all at once. I thought I would feel good walking in and just writing the check, but now that it’s done all I can think is “Holy cow! That’s a lot of money!”
Five thousand nine hundred and no/100s dollars. Wow. It actually feels weird “moving up” in the world like this. Maybe it will feel better in a few hours.
Then again, a few years ago writing any four-figure check seemed huge. Now I can write out $1xxx checks without really blinking an eye (as opposed to nearly having a hairy cat fit in January of 2007 when writing the $1140 check to fix the heat). Checks for $2xxx (like MY tuition) still make me blink, but don’t quite provoke the “ouch” response like this one did.
Five thousand nine hundred and no/100 dollars. It’s there. It will clear. It will be rebuilt before the first frost. Wow. I love not having consumer debt anymore.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I wish I wrote checks more often for large purchases/payments. Its a little more thought provoking then hitting a send payment button online or swiping a credit card.
Before paying for large bills i usually print out my bank balance the day before as a reminder of what it feels like to have money. Did that the day before I sent a $13,000 payment towards my student loan last year. Still makes me shocked everytime I look at that payment.
August 7th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Funny you posted this right as I was thinking about how we will start saving next year so we can pay our oldest’s kindergarten tuition in full in 2010. I’m glad I’m not the only one
August 9th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Just found your blog, it is fabulous! Really looking forward to reading more! Congrats on getting out of debt!
August 9th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
It’s a nice feeling to be able to write out a check to make a large payment. Even though it might hurt to write out the large check, it feels good not having to take on debt.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:29 am
Actually, it is my first time here in your blog, i didn’t expect it is good as this. Having debt is really a headache for me, good thing you share your experience with us. Keep it up!
August 11th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Both my parents paid their own way through college and business school, accruing large student loans that they were still paying off when I was born. They wrote out tuition checks for my college education because they knew how difficult it was for them to crawl out from under all of that debt. As much as it hurts, believe me: your son will be deeply thankful someday if he isn’t already.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
debt can be a blessing OR a curse. if used correctly, there is nothing wrong with debt. however bad debt can definitely weigh you down.
interesting read, i look forward to more
August 13th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Love this blog! It’s so accessible, and I’m dumb about money and feel like I can actually learn something here. My parents paid for my tuition and I was SO grateful. On the other hand… I skipped class all the time because I didn’t feel it was MY education really, since it was being paid for.
August 14th, 2008 at 3:35 am
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August 14th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Yeh large checks are def painful. I cringe at my rent payments each month…
August 17th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Don’t take this as an insult, but is it worth sending your child to a paid-school?
August 17th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Ross, no insult taken and YES it is. The boy is off the scale in math, and at the top of the scale in science. He’s been working high school math independent study since the 2nd half of 7th grade (that’s my little geekling!). Unlike public school, this private college prep academy understands that they are to push him to his academic limits.
I planned to pull the boy out of public school once I understood that hideous No Child Left Behind Act (but no bright child allowed to truly excel).
August 23rd, 2008 at 5:12 am
Paying for education is an investment just like buying stock mutual funds. I sent off a check for $5k yesterday to fund my Roth IRA for the year, and that’s a fun check to write. But getting a great education for yourself and your bunchkin creates a more lucrative future and it will pay dividends too.
Stock markets can crash but no one can ever pry the larnin’ out of yer head.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:09 pm
If it makes you feel any better, I just wrote a check for $17,250. That’s the tab for 3 teenagers in private school.
And to answer another comment - it’s absolutely worth it to send them to private school. The Public Schools in my city are a mess.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:20 am
i second that… ouch! that is big money, but it its money worth spending since it means getting your son the quality of education he deserves! kudos…
October 4th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
With people not getting education loans anymore it’s going to be hard for many to get into schools with the current state of the economy.
October 6th, 2008 at 7:25 am
I love what you are doing here. Congratulations on not having debt! I am lucky in that my dad taught me not to go into debt, unless it is for something like property. So, I never stepped into that trap. When I watch my friends and their monthly struggles with credit cards, I feel so grateful. I am sure your kid will thank you some day for writing these large checks and for saving up for his schooling!
October 17th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Yeah.. large sums are painful.
November 1st, 2008 at 8:20 am
Although tuition fee nowadays is very high, I think it pays off in the long run. I congratulate you for your success, in both paying yours ad your son’s fees. But I believe education should be completely government funded as they have it i Sweden or Germany.
November 1st, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Congratulations. I respect your hardships to fund your ad your son’s tuition. To me, education is the most vital part in ones life.
November 5th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
$5900! that’s crazy money but hey what can you do you have to pay it and i’m sure that you son will appreciate the great start your giving him.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:11 am
you have nice blog. For education $5900 was very expensive.
November 17th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
And meanwhile in France ALL education is free including college. That bit on French University being free in the movie “sicko” is for real.
We need to start taking a good look at the Canadian and European systems. And don’t tell me that is socialist. It’s common sense.
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November 20th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
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