by Hope
If the last couple of weeks have taught me anything, it’s that preparation is key.
- Having the frozen meals on hand has been a life saver as I have been busy with my mom and grandmother.
- Having a shared schedule kept us all aware of who was where and needed to be where and when.
- Notifying people (ie clients) of life events going on, gave me a little breathing space as far as response times.
All in all, we made it through the last couple of weeks without any emotional meltdowns, financial crashes or disasters (other than me forgetting to pay the utility bill.)
We are not done yet. My grandmother’s recovery has been much slower then expected and with my mother back in Texas now, I have picked up where she left off. I am spending most days with my grandmother to make sure she takes her medicine, eats a well balanced meal and changes clothes.
It is definitely a labor of love, and makes me all that much more grateful for a job that I can literally do from anywhere and anytime. But we are back to preparing and adjusting what we need to in order to make this work for me and the kids and my grandmother.
I foresee more frozen meals on the horizon! (But I know it’s just temporary, and I’m okay with that.)
Princess Senior Year Tuition
On the financial front, I received notice of Princess’ tuition for next year…well, at least the maximum I will have to pay. They will award merit scholarships at the end of the school year so we may get another $1000 off. But as of now, the tuition for Princess’ senior year will be $4,000.
It’s nice to have this number for planning purposes, and I’m hopeful her grades will earn a merit scholarship as well. For now, I’m going to stick to the $6,000 budget for her senior year…tuition and senior year expenses. That will give $2,000-3,000 toward extra expenses.
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
I think your number for school is a good one.
For the last few weeks I’ve not been able to access older posts by clicking on Page 2,3 or the next arrow, it just brings me back to the first page. Anyone else having this problem?
I have the same problem.
Hi Joe,
Yes i am experiencing the Same Problem.
I am having the same problem.
I have the same issue 🙁 – tried with a different browser but same issue.
You mention having $2-$3k extra for expenses. I assume the range is based on rather or not she receives the scholarship? I highly suggest if your daughter gets the scholarship you use that extra $1k and put it towards your debt (or EF or retirement) and not give your daughter even more free money. Quite frankly, $2k is even excessive, even for senior year.
It’s not about giving her “free money’ but frankly, I am not sure what additional costs come with senior year. I know we will have to pay some costs for graduation supplies, college applications and so forth. So want to make sure I’m prepared for those and not scrambling.
Did you put your kids through private school, maybe you can point out some of the costs and show Hope if this is an excessive amount? Otherwise, better she at least tries to keep a number around saved up for Princess’ expenses.
If she gets the scholarship, that still doesn’t guarantee her extra costs will be significantly lowered. and the scholarship will take $$ away from tuition. this extra amt is outside of tuition!