 LIFE IS RARELY as simple as financial planners and tuition guides make it out to be. While it would be nice to set aside $200 or so a month starting at birth and gradually build a nest egg over the years, we know it doesn't usually work that way. Far more likely is that tuition savings will go in waves. Years in which summer camp and pianoother expenses take priority may render saving for college nonexistent. Other years that bring financial windfalls will translate into a bonus for the college account.
So rather than force you into some stringent saving program that you'll never stick to, our worksheet will help you gauge how much you can afford to save for college right now — and how much you'll need to save, after financial aid. What if it shows that you should save more than you currently have available? Well, you’ve got a couple of options: You can adjust your spending patterns to make more money available for saving, or you can simply do the best you can now, knowing that you'll eventually need to develop a strategy for getting loans or more financial aid.
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