So, how’s tuition going?

amother

OP ↓

Mon, Nov 18 2024, 9:53 pm

Americans: We’re a few months into the year so the adjusted tuition has had a chance to settle in. Personally, it’s so tight we can hardly breathe. Every purchase is a whole decision and juggle. It’s really really hard. My neighbors are in similar financial brackets and seem to be better off and it’s so confusing.

amother

SandyBrown ↓

Mon, Nov 18 2024, 10:47 pm

This is not an "American Parents" issue. This is a Lakewood issue.

You have had cheap tuition for years and built lives expecting it to continue forever. Many of the families there have huge homes (remember the thread where people said they needed couches in their kitchens!? And people who say 5000 square feet is tiny?). Teens and preteens expect name brand coats, backpacks, fancy watches for 8th grade graduation (um my watch is walmart!), sweatshirts that cost more than I ever dream of spending for myself, matching clothing... a certain type of lifestyle.
I know not everyone is rich and spends like this. But when a huge number do, it raises expectations and means less money to spare all around.

Now those of us out of style OOTners who have paid double your tuition- even now with your "raised prices" - are tired of hearing you complain about tuition. We live in smaller homes than any I have seen in Lakewood. I live in an apartment much smaller than the size of my friend's apartment in Lakewood who complained of hers being so small... my kids wear target and children's place brand sweatshirts. Graduation gifts for 8th grade arent expensive jewelry or watches.... just to start.

amother

Copper

Mon, Nov 18 2024, 10:54 pm

amother SandyBrown wrote:

I live in the Lakewood area and lots and lots of people don't live the way you are talking at all including myself and are struggling

amother

Zinnia ↓

Mon, Nov 18 2024, 11:00 pm

amother SandyBrown wrote:

There's a lot of people in Lakewood, awful lot of people to hate. This is so sad.

And plenty of all this in every other town.

amother

↑ Offwhite

Mon, Nov 18 2024, 11:02 pm

amother SandyBrown wrote:

Oh I didn't realize there's something going on in lakewood I'm an oot parent with astronomical tuition and that's with breaks. The whole thing feels unsustainable unfortunately.

amother

Oldlace

Mon, Nov 18 2024, 11:02 pm

Sandy brown, it’s not just a Lakewood issue!
I live in Monsey. My house is not huge, mortgage is 3k monthly. But I have multiple kids in school. Tuition is 50k for my kids. I very generously got a tuition break from one school, for $500 total (that’s for kids, so $250/kid) for the year. I don’t buy expensive clothes. We own all our cars (2019 and 2016). Food is expensive. Medical insurance is expensive. We’re struggling. 4 years ago, we had zero cc debt and had money in savings. A medical emergency put us in the red a few years ago, so we lost our cushion going into the tanking economy, and it’s just gotten harder.

amother

Rainbow ↓

Mon, Nov 18 2024, 11:03 pm

Lakewood tuition has been so low for years! I am in Monsey and have been paying A LOT more and tired of hearing every Lakewooder complain. Be happy you had it so low for so many years.
I am in mostly mainstream schools and paying;

School #1: 17k a year (a bit of a small school...this is with a break already)
School #2: 11k a year- full
School #3: 12ka year - full
School #4: 900 month (playgroup 9-3)
Babysitter: 800 month.

How much is your tuition with the increase??

And our salary is probably pretty low/average. No govt programs...

amother

↑ SandyBrown

Mon, Nov 18 2024, 11:24 pm

amother Zinnia wrote:

There's a lot of people in Lakewood, awful lot of people to hate. This is so sad.

And plenty of all this in every other town.

I don't hate Lakewood. I have friends there and have been to visit.

The reason why I pointed out Lakewood is because there has been so much talk on here and elsewhere about the "huge" tuition increase done this year. But also tons of threads about how office workers make the same as professionals do in other cities. And about the materialism rampant.

My tuition for 2 kids is half my pre-tax income when I work almost 40 hours a week with a professional job. Plus dont forget daycare at 1400 a month. (I know the lady who runs the daycare so she gave me a slight discount - I think regular is 1500).

And no, these aren't fancy MO schools with computer labs. Regular yeshiva in my city. Daycare isn't fancy prep or Montessori style either. Normal trucks, crayons and circle time. Neither school or daycare give snacks or lunches.

But all in all my entire post tax salary pretty much goes to the sum of tuition and daycare.

So please don't complain about 9-10k tuition. I wish it was just 10k a year. We are super tight. Like we don't make it through the month.

amother

↑ Taupe ↓

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 12:04 am

amother SandyBrown wrote:

When you live in fairy tale land this is true. In reality 85% of Lakewood and surrounding area does not live in big houses. But hey I really think we should all try to be as judgemental and sure of ourselves as oot people. Really qualities I wish to emulate.

amother

Garnet

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 12:07 am

amother Taupe wrote:

This. Half of Lakewood lives in basement apartments.

But I do get why this person is upset. OOT tuition is so unbelievably expensive. It’s one of the reasons I choose to live in town. Maybe move here if you’re so jealous of our cheap tuition? You’ll also have to put up with the huge chance that your kids won’t be accepted to any schools. Life in Lakewood is not as rosy as you’re making it.

amother

↑ Taupe ↓

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 12:07 am

No one said Lakewood. Yet we have someone who is such a great Baal middos she just went on a rant about a topic she knows nothing about. I think I should start judging based on posts on here. Who cares about reality. So I’ll start with why do all these people with terrible
Middos tell me they are better people than me? And that they live in a way better place living as better Jews. Based on here oot seems like an elitist, angry, judgmental, hateful, jealous place.

amother

Amber ↓

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 12:33 am

amother Feverfew wrote:

I really can't agree more, I'm marrying off my first daughter, the expectations and needs/wants we have put on ourselves is absolutely ridiculous. People complaining they can't pay the bills but buy into every crazy fad that's out there

Agree. We just made. Basic chosson kallah gifts are 5-6k each side! That would cover a whole lot of tuition.

amother

↑ Zinnia ↓

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 12:36 am

amother Amber wrote:

Agree. We just made. Basic chosson kallah gifts are 5-6k each side! That would cover a whole lot of tuition.

It actually would NOT cover a whole lot of tuition. It would cover a fraction of tuition for ONE child!

Can we never live normally because of tuition? Do we really need to give a kallah a cereal box ring?