re: Spinoff to the kids most expensive thread....Parents, do you plan to cover

Eli is due any day now so take what I am saying about what I am going to do 18 years from now with a grain of salt.
I plan to save plenty so he can go to school without worrying about piles of student loan debt, but if he ends up with a little bit of debt so be it. I will encourage him to stay in state for tuition purposes. I also intend to purchase him a house and let him rent it out after his first year of school. The rent differential will be his allowance and he will be expected to work part time and manage his tenants. That should let him learn some skills that can't be taught in the classroom while not having to worry about the debt albatross hanging over his head.

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follow up question: Do you plan to save to leave your kids anything?

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I have term life insurance if I did earlier than expected. If I live a long fruitful life, then they can have whatever assests I have left which will probably be a paid for house and maybe a vacation home (something I would love to have in the future)

I plan on saving to support her as much as possible, but what she will get will be based off what she wants to do and how she performs in school. If she performs solidly in high school and has a desire to learn, then I can see helping her out as much as I can as long as she continues that attitude.

I will not pay for the "college experience." If she is a poor student who doesn't have the drive to succeed in high school, then she can go get a job and go to a community college. If she can prove that she can be successful there and wants more, then I will step back in and support her as much as I can to get her degree.

I won't say just math/science/medical type degrees like some, but if her desires go toward a degree I consider to have little value, then my support might not be as much to her. It really depends on her drive in that subject and her ability in it. There is room for exceptions to the rule.

If we save $100/mo, then we'll have around $40,000 saved for college at 6% earnings. $2000/yr will give us about $60,000 saved at 6% earnings.

I think we'll keep saving at just $100/mo. into the 529 plan. $40,000 may be a something is better than nothing approach. Then another $10,000 per year from our income.

I don't see me harping too much on having a job and weaning them onto their own expenses. If he gets there, I want to promote the best success while there. There are other ways to promote responsibility without making them sacrifice too much in college by working a taxing job. A little job is helpful and useful.