[baltodog]

"Her husband had help from his parents to pay for college, but it came at a great sacrifice to his father, a welder."

I find phrases like this in just about every article about "self-made" wealth.
More power to him for being frugal and I certainly wish them the best of luck.
But how much did his father "greatly sacrifice"? Would it make any difference in their current lifestyle if he had to pay it himself?

[plain talk]

Would it make any difference in their current lifestyle if he had to pay it himself?

probably not.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Years back in Worcester MA a guy from Providence came and built a nice big highrise.

The town fawned all over him. In the paper there was an article on his life. A self made man, he had goofed off til he was in his thirties then decided to try Real Estate.

In the paper he told the secret of his success.

He found a million dollar property in Providence that he wanted. No bank would lend on it because it was in rough shape and he had no track record.

He says, "Right then I knew I had to get going, if I wanted to be a success. When I couldn't get financing, I just paid cash."

[walden]

"Would it make any difference in their current lifestyle if he had to pay it himself?"

I doubt it-- this couple is 55 and 58 years old, so college was a LONG time ago.

[sawyer]

Everyone has some help along the way.My father paid off his home in 5 years but I recall he always gave credit to my grandmother for giving him the $1000 down, a very large amount in '37 and in '37 a $6000 home was a big amount but the paying off made his life better as he had all the money that would go to bank for his family.I recall my mother was in 60's before she had 2 credit cards and she was mad but she could not rent a car when she travel with out them.