A while back we wrote about abundance and contentment. We believe that being content with what we have has brought us even more abundance. With today’s’ material obsession, it’s hard to maintain contentment. Those currently focused on paying off debt have likely given up some of the material things they previously enjoyed. It’s hard to maintain focus on paying off debt when your lifestyle has changed so much. It can feel like you lost your freedoms and ability to be financially carefree.  

We recently read “The Greatest Retirement Crisis in American History” in Forbes by Edward “Ted” Siedle. In it, Sidle argues, as the title eludes, that we are about to experience the greatest retirement calamity in our nation’s history. He suggests we are in wave one of up to four waves caused by retirement planning shortcomings. The first wave, which recently started, forces retirees back to work. “Welcome to Wal-Mart.” The second wave delays retirement for most. The third wave cancels retirement for most and the fourth wave financially ruins most senior citizens. 

CNBC reported yesterday that the 2014 Retirement Confidence Survey, produced by the non-profit Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald & Associates, shows that American workers are more confident in their ability to retire comfortably because of recent stock and housing market gains over the last few of years. 

In the comment section, I said, as I often do, “A home is not a retirement plan.” This garnered comments, which I appreciate. Comments inspire me and make me think. One commenter said that a home can be part of a retirement plan. They included the example of northeasterners who sell their homes and move to a smaller, less expensive home down south. They often pay for their new home with cash and then have money left over. Another commenter said that it is nice to have a free place to live in retirement, rather than a place to rent.

I do not believe this is entirely accurate.

When most future college students and future college-student-parents think about college they think about ways to find additional money to pay for college and college expenses.  As you’ll learn, especially if you go to business school, there are two sides to a balance sheet: assets and liabilities or, in this case, income and expenses.  Here are idea to keep college expenses down.