Friday, November 14, 2008

Send Your Kids to College

By Basdeo Paul

If you have young kids you may not be thinking about their college education just yet. Even though it is hard to focus on college when you are still struggling to get them out of diapers now is the perfect time to start saving. Money may be tight but with an adjustment to your budget and a firm commitment to your children's education you can build up a college fund on your current income.

If you want to send your kids to college with ease, you really must first pay off your current debt. You will be able to save more efficiently if you are not juggling savings and debt at the same time. You may feel like it will take too long to pay off your debt but you will be surprised how quickly it will disappear once you have a plan in place.

First stop over spending. Make a list of the necessities that you buy each month and what they cost you. Make sure it includes food, gas and bills. Now create a budget that will allow you to get by without wasting any money. You won't have to live this frugally forever, just until the debt is gone.

Now write down a list of all of your debt. You need to know all of your balances, interest rates and minimum monthly payments. Now start with the highest interest rate and put all of your extra money into paying off that card. Once it is paid off move on to the next one.

Once your credit cards are paid off you can start putting the money you were spending on payments into a savings account for your kid's education. You will find that after a few years you are debt free and have more in savings than you thought possible.

You want to be sure that you are saving enough money for each of your children so you must set a goal. In order to know where to set your goals, call your local college and get an estimated cost for a four year degree for the year your children will be ready. Once you know approximately how much an education will cost you can calculate how much you need to save each month.

You don't have to be rich to save for your children's education. You just have to be smart with your money and be strict with your budget. If you are having trouble with all of the calculations you can find help on the internet. There are websites like www.personalfinanceissues.com that have financial calculators that can help you with every step. You can do it and your kids will thank you for it. - 15224

About the Author: