Plan for Major Life Events
By Paula Pant, About.com Guide
Pay for College
College is usually the first major expense in a person's adult life, and many parents find themselves caught off-guard by the high prices. Learn how to assess how much you should reasonably borrow for college. Discover what additional costs, beyond tuition, you can expect to pay.
- How Much Should My Child Borrow for College?
- Beyond Tuition: Other Costs That Crop Up During College
- True Story: How One Reader Graduated (Mostly) Debt-Free
- 10 Ways College Students Can Trim Expenses
- Case Study: How a College Student Budgets
Buy a Home / Pay Off Your Home
Housing and taxes are the two biggest expenses that most people pay. Housing consumes 25 to 33 percent of the average person's budget. Find out whether you should buy or rent, learn what costs (beyond a mortgage) are attached with home ownership, and discover unusual ways to reduce your mortgage payment.
- Should You Buy or Rent Your Home?
- Beyond a Mortgage: Other Costs of Owning a Home
- Should I Refinance? Or Should I Keep My Current Mortgage?
- How to Reduce Your Monthly Mortgage Payment
- How Much Should You Budget for Maintenance and Repairs?
- 5 Ways to Pay off Your Home Early
Budget for a Baby
Having a baby will create a massive impact on your finances. Learn how to evaluate whether or not it makes financial sense for one parent to stay-at-home, discover what baby-related costs you can expect, and read true stories about how readers budgeted for their new baby.
- Shoud I Stay-at-Home or Work?
- 4 Tips to Help You Switch From Two Incomes to One
- True Story: How We Budgeted for a Baby
- Baby Expenses That Catch New Parents by Surprise
- Teach Your Children How to Budget
Plan for Emergencies
Emergencies happen. You might lose your job in the same week that your car breaks down, your son throws a baseball though a window, your dog needs surgery and a storm destroys your fence. While we want to hope for the best, it's prudent to plan for the worst. Learn how to build an emergency fund and plan for one-time expenses.