[quote=scaredycat]TG, day care is that expensive, esp. in pricey places, esp. if you want quality. live-in is cheaper, if you’re ok with committing tax fraud and employing illegals, which may not be a good idea.
i’d put 0 in the college fund, make the kids borrow, all the money you save will displace grants. saving for college is a ripoff.
I would eat cheaper food. try generic gin, it’s good. and oatmeal. I can eat and get drunk for pennies a day.[/quote]
Scardey, you may be right, I’m probably a bit out of touch with the day care thing. When I did employ the household help, I used an agency and got a green card and college educated nanny. She still didn’t speak english, but we all learned spanish, luckily the kids school was a short walk as she didn’t drive. The point is, look for alternatives, weigh options, open your mind a little and you might find ways to cut corners to make ends meet. I’ve spent a few years on these boards defending my chosen town, but truth be told, I’m here entirely because of one reason, free child care. The grandmas live in Temecula, Tg lives in temecula, end of discussion. The bonus is that my mortgage is the same price as other people’s child care bill, I have many blessings to count because of that, but mostly I am thankful because looking backwards over my career as a parent, grandmas are the the bomb, I envy my kids relationship with their grandmas that I never had and I’ve done some some smart things in my life but they all pale in comparison to living within walking distance to both my kids grandmas. Nothing feels better than getting stuck at work and knowing that grandma will be spoiling them rotten in my absence.
