I'm glad I was able to do both. It never occured to me to pick one over the other.
I honestly don't know many people who are not able to do both. If you can't afford to do both, then of course retirement should come first.

Hell, if you can afford both, but don't want to pay your kid's college education, that's fine as well.

I would do both, but I would definitely focus more on my retirement. In fact, I plan on putting 1/4 of what I put into retirement per month away for my child's education. I won't be paying their full way because I'd rather they learn that while I'm there to help, they have to work hard for what they want. That means taking out loans, working in the summers leading up to applying, and working while in school to help pay their bills unless they're at home.

Retirement before college fund.... I fully agree with Gordon Ramsey lol...

I paid for my own college, thus my kid will pay for his, he opted not to go and is working full time. However I did safe for retirement and college, now the college fund is just there...

I'm from Canada, where the average student cost of post-secondary education is roughly half of that in the US. I live in the Netherlands, where the average student cost of post-secondary education is roughly 10% of that in the US.

I don't know what to tell you, but I don't think the absolute cost of delivering education varies much. It's the societal decision about what gets funded.

Like health care. In Canada, the individual is covered via their employer, or by a nominal amount, or, if their income is low, the fee is waived (details depend on the province). In NL, unless your income is crazy low, you pay about $100/month and have a deductible of about $1K, and pretty much everything is covered. Going to the doc, operations, medicine, 3x IVF attempts, etc. But the cost of delivering health care isn't that different, so it's really shocking to me how much is pushed back onto the individual in the US.

It's a philosophy, I guess - why should I pay for someone else's health issues? Why should I fund someone else's education?

There is no free anything let alone decent study loans in my country. I have every intention of providing for my daughters and SS's tertiary education. I have retirement funding in place and even if I didn't I'd still find a way to pay for my children's education.

Hi Paint. Long time no see. Hope all is well.

It would be nice to finance both but most cannot do that. If you have to make a choice then it should certainly be retirement.

I could not do either when my kids were young. I was a single mom, low paying job. But since I worked my butt off climbing the ladder, I would now be more than able to afford it. Sucks for my kids since they now have student loans to pay off. Lol. But they both have excellent jobs now so they can afford it no problem.

Once I start getting some grandbabies, I will start a college fund for them. It will be nice that they don’t have to struggle as much as my kids did.

Hi Paint - retirement first. College second. Do both if you can.

Listen to Dave

Funny my SO and I have had a like the quickest of conversations about this. I went to a state college lived on campus all 4 years and graduated with honors and 51K in debt, I worked while in college on campus and the same department offered me a Graduate Assistant job, so masters was free and I lived at home to save money during this times. I now pay my loans every month on time and in full and have not taken a single assistance program. I do not qualify for them as I make too much money (no I do not make a ton but enough to support myself).

My SO and his sis both had their educations paid for in full by their parents. His was technical school 30k and she did state school like me so I think possibly 50k. He no thinks that since his parents paid for his that he should save to pay for his son, I told him that I disagree and I will not contribute to that once we are married as I am saving for my retirement and he would be smart to do that same. Neither him or I make a fortune but enough that we can pay the bills and have a little left over for like a small vacation or to go out jot eat eat here and there.

When we do get married I am simply going to put it to him like this.... I want a prenup that protects my retirement savings should anything every happen. I will also tell him that if he would rather put away for a kids college and pay less to his retirement do not expect to live off mine in the future. If you want to work until you are like 80 because you wanted to give that to your son that is your choice.

I appreciate my parents for not paying for my school, I actually went to class and worked really hard because I knew I was paying for it in the end.

I love Dave Ramsey and agree that retirement should be first!

I don't intend to pay for my children's college though. I have not saved anything for it. If I can help out some I will, but only if my children are working hard to earn it. I paid for my own college and so can they. I believe kids work harder when it's not just handed to them.

One of my nephews is on a full scholarship at state university because of his high GPA. He also works many hours a week to pay for other things. My other nephew went full time to community college while working, he paid fir it himself, he then transferred his associate degree to university, by then he already had full time job in the field so he finished university part time.

Took him longer but he made it (took some loans). He has excellent career with awesome pay.

My DH came from extreme poverty, he is college educated with professional state licensed career. No one else in his extended family is though. It's their choice to not better themselves.

Sure it's expensive. But there are ways around it. I think some people use cost of things as an excuse for lack of ambition in themselves and perhaps not instilling it in their children.

If there is a will, there is a way.