We received DH's student loan refund and all that money is going into a CD for the next 18 months. Hopefully by the time the money gets out we will have a better picture of our repayment plan.

The confusion is that the state will forgive $2000-$3000 a year for 5 years in student loans if he teaches in a low income school. We don't need all the money they will be offering for his Master's loans, but currently his parents are paying off his undergrad loans. I'm torn if we should focus the initial forgiveness on his old loans (helping Mom & Dad) or his new loans (helping us). I think we will ask them if any of the loans are unsubsidized and get the specifics on interest rates when things get closer.

So a couple weeks ago I was talking to my Husband about when we buy a home trying to pay it off quickly. He was completely confused. He thought that the entire reason you own a home is so that you can borrow the appreciation...well I was floored. I was in such shock that I ended up spluttering about how that was a bad idea before I could finally point out that paying off a house means no housing payment.

I realized where this idea comes from though, our parents. His parents and mine have used their homes to finance business ventures, their children's college educations, and home repairs. They treat their homes like they already own it entirely as soon as they moved in.

This whole thing has me thinking about inheritance and my goal for my future children. I explained to H yesterday that I treat children as a luxury good. This stance means that I must first plan for my needs, such as retirement and housing, before I have a child. I do not want to burden my children with my debts. My greatest hope is to leave my children a payed off home, a leftover IRA, and maybe something more upon my death, not debt. Sadly I fear our parents have not followed the same philosophy. My parents say that they hope one day to leave us their beach house, but that will be impossible considering they just refinanced at the age of 60 so they could afford the payments.