The best financial wisdom I have picked up for over the years is that there is usually a way to have something virtually identical for much cheaper. Or, the good things in life don't have to cost a lot of money.

Just seems to be a constant recurring theme in the discourse of personal finance. A recurring theme in everyday conversation with people around me.

& so today I feel blessed that I know I don't have to spend a lot of money for x, y and z.

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I was just reading an absurd quote about the cost of public college 20 years down the road. something like 25 times what I paid for my education, anyway. I just have to roll my eyes. If my kids have to pay 25 times as much for their education, we will sit down and ask them if it is really worth it. My feeling would be, no.

I know the experts are just trying to get parents to plan and save, but people like us just roll our eyes at the tactics.

Don't get me wrong - I am sure plenty people have and will pay that much for an education. I just don't see the point.

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I got the City Parks/Rec catalog for spring classes. Seems kind of premature, but classes start Feb. 1 I suppose.

Was flipping through. Might sign dh and BM up for a family tennis class. Might be best to wait for summer, but then again, the weather is much nicer now. He doesn't start track until March, so may give it a go for February. Maybe $50 for 4 hours of tennis classes - a steal. (Dh and BM can then fill us in). BM is such a natural, we may sign him up for more classes as well. Later on anyway - when track is over.

We did sign him up for track, too. Starts in March. He could participate for as little as $50. I find these non-profit sports things to be so inexpensive. The funny thing is a number of people have told me that "it is *so* expensive." Since we pretty much just pay per diem (uniforms, supplies) and all the coaches and everything are volunteers, I just have to roll my eyes. We paid $150 to sign him up competitively. Will see how it goes. I personally don't know of a cheaper way to get him so much instruction in sports - the coaches have always been really good. Meanwhile, I have got friends who make twice our income, complaining about the cost. I don't *get* people.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we will probably sign the kids up for private swim lessons in the spring, immediately before our pool opens. BM doesn't really need it, but could practice his form and more advanced swimming. LM could probably use a refresher. I suppose when it comes to swimming, we find private lessons more cost efficient. We were lucky to have a private teacher come to our pool, on the less expensive side, in years past. You can tell when you hang out at our pool - most of the kids in the neighborhood are phenomenal swimmers. I suppose the ones that are there all the time also get ample practice. We were discussing a less expensive route this year, since they have the basics down, mostly. I told dh, "yeah, but they will learn 10 times more in those private classes - they are so exceptional." Was very pleased with this one place. Hopefully this is the last year we feel the need to spend the money.

Of course, if we didn't have the money, something cheaper would certainly do.

I suppose we will keep very busy the next few months!