The more you use your pool membership, the more value you receive.  We have also found that we can reduce the number of expensive outings (movies, Chuck E. Cheese, etc.) but utilizing our pool instead.  We found that from 6 pm – 9 pm very few people are at our pool.  By the end of Summer, pool attendance drops and this gives you even more exclusive use of your community pool.  Many evenings our family enjoys a dip and we have so much fun having “our own pool.”  Try tracking your pool outings (even make a goal to go X times) and see if you do not discover great family times. 

With the price of gas high and many with the goal to reduce debt, make this Summer your special pool Summer!

AAA—If you are a AAA member, don’t forget to inquire about discounts at local and vacation sites.  You’ll be surprised that you can save a couple of dollars with entrance fees, hotel stays, etc. with your membership. 

LOCAL SITES—If money is tight for you this Summer, plan a vacation in your hometown.  Select a few sites and enjoy visiting places local to your home.  You’ll save on gas, lodging, and food.  Those who live near DC have zero excuse on this idea!  And if you are seeking a spot to vacation (and you don’t live near DC), then consider this get-away.  Most tours, including the National Zoo, are free.  You’d only have to pay for gas, lodging (unless you stay with a friend) and food.

College Savings
Continuing last month’s topic….

When I was a college student, I worked 1-2 jobs every quarter I attended Auburn.  This forced me to focus during the available time I had to study.  Better grades resulted during the quarters where I worked more hours.  So, bear in mind that in addition to scholarships, your child can earn money for books or for food by working.  Working prepares a student for “the real world” while teaching valuable time management skills.

Here’s one interesting point I’ve learned in researching this topic.  I’ve read in US News & World Report’s website that you can negotiate (yes, negotiate!) with your child’s financial aid office.  Thanks to my sister for providing me w/ this news!  Summarized, when you receive notice from the university’s financial aid office, you can contact them (in person, phone or letter) and review how they calculated the financial aid.  At that time, use your most polite and kind manners (because you are asking them to re-consider what they’ve already calculated) and ask them to reconsider.  State your reasons (identify any points not previously considered – ex: another child decided to return to college, family member’s loss of employment, or unreimbursed medical costs).  Ensure you have documentation to substantiate your claim.  The fed government’s guidelines for financial aid administrators indicate an aid package may be adjusted for elementary and secondary school expenses, medical and dental expenses not covered by insurance, high child-care costs, the unemployment of a family member, and a change in income or assets.  This does not mean colleges are required to adjust financial aid packages.  Thus, employ your charm and negotiate!What is Michele doing?  Because the last five years have held so many changes in our family, we have not saved much to this point.  We have needed surplus funds for home repairs, new vehicles, etc.  However, going forward, we are making college savings one of our top two savings priorities.  We have 529 plans for each child (through Upromise).  Also, I have a Roth IRA (funds can be used for college education in addition to retirement).  In 2006, we intend to set-up a Coverdell ESA plan (because ESAs offer some flexibility–our kids are presently in private school and ESAs can be used for education expenses prior to college, too).  To date, we have less than $5K total saved.  Our aim this year and forward is to contribute aggressively yto our retirement accounts and make college savings funds priority two.  My goal is to save at least $2,000/child annually.