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Home » Giveaways » Saving for Education, The Gerber College Plan

Saving for Education, The Gerber College Plan

Posted by Marybeth | Read 116 Comments

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“babysavers”

baby dealsOur family’s finances are at the core of many of my thoughts every day. I feel that keeping a good handle on our money situation is big portion of my number one responsibility: to care for our two little ones. Some people may not fully agree with that philosophy, but following that principle keeps us out of debt, keeps our bills paid and motivates me to save money for our family’s future.

My husband and I have an automated system that funnels a certain amount of money into our savings account each week. Just last year, however, it hit me that time slips away quickly, and we needed to start thinking about saving money for Haiden and Piper’s future education. With current estimates showing that a college education will cost at least $36,000 a year (at an in-state, public university that doesn’t include housing costs, books or additional expenses!), I knew we had to start saving if we wanted any hope of being able to help our children with the burden of educational expenses.

After a few conversations but no real action on the topic, I finally decided that starting to save with something, even something small, was better than doing nothing. So new accounts were opened and we’ve added automatic savings into those accounts, too.

I don’t feel great for admitting this, but the truth is that the money is slowly, very slowly, growing in plain old savings accounts with those terrible interest rates that go hand-in-hand with our economy. Again, I know that it’s better than nothing, but I’ll be researching a better plan of action for that money within the next few months to get it in the best possible place for education savings.

The Gerber Life College Plan was designed to help parents like me save for my family’s future. With guaranteed growth, flexibility, and affordable fixed monthly contributions, this program might be the right choice for you and your own children. You can even compare the features and benefits of the Gerber Life College Plan with other savings options, like 529 plans, traditional savings accounts, bonds and more!

baby deals

Gerber Life is also hosting a great sweepstakes! Visit the Gerber Life Insurance Company page on Facebook to upload your baby’s photos to the Project Open Book picture mosaic. For each photo added to their mosaic compilation, Gerber Life will donate $1 to Reading Is Fundamental, a great nonprofit organization that provides books to children in underserved communities across the country.  In addition to helping these deserving children you’ll also be entered to win $1,000 and other great prizes!

I’m also excited to offer a giveaway in conjunction with the Gerber Life College Plan. One lucky reader will win a $100 Target gift card! 

There are some great ways to earn extra entries into this giveaway! All mandatory and extra entries must be submitted within the Rafflecopter Giveaway box below. 

If you’re reading this article in an email newsletter, feed reader or a mobile device, you may not see the above Rafflecopter box. Please visit babygoodbuys.com and enter the giveaway there. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

All entries must be done in the giveaway box above.

As always, if you have any trouble entering this giveaway, or if you have any questions, please contact me! 

I wrote this post while participating in a campaign for Gerber Life. I received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Money

About Marybeth

I'm Marybeth - Mom of 2, wife to 1, pet mom to 3. I love finding fun activities to do with my kids, going on adventures, watching movies and baking delicious treats! I used to climb the corporate ladder, now I spend my days caring for my family and spoiling my handicapped dog.

Comments

  1. LaShae says

    2012-01-26 at 6:41 am

    We’ve been advised to start saving while they are young.

    Reply
  2. Lynn says

    2012-01-26 at 6:41 am

    Start saving as soon as you can.

    Reply
  3. Elizabeth C. says

    2012-01-26 at 6:46 am

    It helps to remember anything is better than nothing. We also put away any monetary gifts that our daughter receives.

    Reply
  4. amy says

    2012-01-26 at 6:46 am

    the most helpful tip i’ve gotten is ‘start early’…especially now that we have 2 little ones! college only gets more expensive & scholarships aren’t a gaurantee. i would like to my kids to have as small (if any) students loans as possible.

    Reply
  5. Katie says

    2012-01-26 at 6:47 am

    start early

    Reply
  6. Rebekah {honeyandcheese} says

    2012-01-26 at 6:53 am

    To start early! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Katy Morgan Campbell says

    2012-01-26 at 6:54 am

    The best advice anyone has given me would be to start saving early with an intentional goal (ie…know what number I would like to reach and use a means reasonable in meeting that goal). We spoke with a financial planner and have both a 529 (the UESP, as it seemed to offer the best package, although we live in another state) and have started investing in a Mutual Fund. We don’t make much money, but my husbands parents saved from the beginning and were able to send all 4 of their children through college debt free. They started early (after paying off all debt!!!!) with an intentional plan – with dedication they succeeded. That is my hope for our family!

    Reply
  8. michael m says

    2012-01-26 at 7:08 am

    start saving on day 1!

    Reply
  9. jeannine s says

    2012-01-26 at 7:09 am

    The best adivce I got was to take out $20 a week automatically when they are born and put into bank account

    Reply
  10. Jennifer says

    2012-01-26 at 7:19 am

    That you can do a 529 in another state, even if you don’t live there. We weren’t happy with the one in our state so we signed up with another program that better meets our savings goals and financial personality.

    Reply
  11. Harmony B says

    2012-01-26 at 7:33 am

    start saving early

    Reply
  12. amanda says

    2012-01-26 at 7:33 am

    we put $150 a month into a savings account for our 2 year old. he can use it for college, or in the case he gets a scholarship, he can use it for a home some day.

    Reply
  13. Kathy says

    2012-01-26 at 7:35 am

    We need to especially start early since we will have 3 in college at the same time 🙂 We are saving $100 per month for each of them right now.

    Reply
  14. shelly says

    2012-01-26 at 7:36 am

    Start early and don’t put accounts in your child’s name.

    Reply
  15. leslie rodriguez says

    2012-01-26 at 7:40 am

    Saving since the kids were born.

    Reply
  16. Heather says

    2012-01-26 at 7:50 am

    Start saving early and have your savings direct deposited, that way it doesn’t get lost or forgotten.

    Reply
  17. Rachael says

    2012-01-26 at 7:56 am

    We started a college fund right before our daughter’s first birthday and asked grandparents to contribute to it instead of buying her birthday gifts. She won’t even notice the “lack” of toys- at least for a few years! 🙂

    Reply
  18. Kathryn C. says

    2012-01-26 at 8:03 am

    We signed up for Upromise and started at 529 account for both children. Any money that they get for birthdays and Christmas is put into this account in addition to us contributing to it on a monthly basis.

    Reply
  19. Rebecca Mockbee says

    2012-01-26 at 8:44 am

    This is something I need to start doing!

    Reply
  20. MARGO says

    2012-01-26 at 9:16 am

    Start before they are born!

    Reply
  21. Mary Happymommy says

    2012-01-26 at 9:54 am

    The best tip is to start saving right away.

    Reply
  22. Janice Cooper says

    2012-01-26 at 9:59 am

    Start saving immediately and put money in a safe account

    Reply
  23. Sherrie says

    2012-01-26 at 10:07 am

    We’ve been told to start early. We are slowly moving too, but did start when the kids were born. Also have a upromise. Every little bit helps!

    Reply
  24. Elena says

    2012-01-26 at 10:09 am

    Start saving early

    Reply
  25. rachel says

    2012-01-26 at 10:18 am

    save for your kids when they’re young…until they can save themselves!

    Reply
  26. Gray says

    2012-01-26 at 10:42 am

    I have a 529 in Utah since they are one of the best.

    Reply
  27. brenda says

    2012-01-26 at 10:44 am

    start saving right away

    Reply
  28. Melissa says

    2012-01-26 at 11:32 am

    Start right away. Or work at a college like I do and get free tuition for your child!

    Reply
  29. Kristen says

    2012-01-26 at 12:05 pm

    Something is better than nothing! Good for you for starting to save to help out your kids.

    Reply
  30. Summer says

    2012-01-26 at 12:33 pm

    The best advice I received was to start a savings account as soon as your child is born and start putting money they receive as gifts in it as well as putting a monthly deposit into the account. Even if it is $10/month it will add up!

    Reply
  31. Sarah says

    2012-01-26 at 1:10 pm

    Start as early as you can!

    Reply
  32. meredith says

    2012-01-26 at 1:48 pm

    the tip i received was start early and hope they choose a state school

    Reply
  33. Christina Skinner says

    2012-01-26 at 2:01 pm

    The best tip was to start setting aside the a set amount every month starting now.

    Reply
  34. Brooke Upchurch says

    2012-01-26 at 3:56 pm

    To start saving now and putting the money into a steady stock that won’t take a dive for my 7 month old son.

    Reply
  35. Amanda Sakovitz says

    2012-01-26 at 5:11 pm

    Save as much as you can as early as possible and look for good interest rates.

    Reply
  36. megan h says

    2012-01-26 at 6:25 pm

    I need to do this thanks for the reminder. Start early

    Reply
  37. sarah m. says

    2012-01-26 at 6:32 pm

    Most helpful tip…start early!

    Reply
  38. Carol W says

    2012-01-26 at 7:33 pm

    Save early and often! The thought of paying for college scares me!

    Reply
  39. Tina M says

    2012-01-26 at 8:09 pm

    start early!!

    Reply
  40. D Schmidt says

    2012-01-26 at 9:37 pm

    To start saving as soon as they are born and to put money in at birthdays and Christmas as opposed to purchasing toys they become bored of within 5 minutes.

    Reply
  41. steph says

    2012-01-26 at 9:44 pm

    dont forget to account for BOOKS! so $$! and make the student work for it too 🙂

    Reply
  42. Monica Steele says

    2012-01-26 at 9:47 pm

    To start saving as soon as they’re born. My step-dad’s grandparents always put money in our college savings account for Christmas each year.

    Reply
  43. angela dupree says

    2012-01-26 at 9:48 pm

    Any money my child get from the holidays goes into the college fund.

    Reply
  44. Mary Beth Elderton says

    2012-01-26 at 9:48 pm

    A savings tip for a widowed single mom: Put all the change and up to 3 single bills from your purse into a safe place every day. Sometimes it’s just very small change. Sometimes it’s $3 plus change. Then hope for every scholarship possible and everybody works. This is how we got my son through his undergrad with no loans.

    For those who can–start saving now.

    Reply
  45. Jen says

    2012-01-26 at 9:55 pm

    When times are lean, put away just a little something (however small) that you won’t miss every week. Then when things are better, set a goal amount to contribute and stick to it. Everything adds up, even the tiny amounts.

    Reply
  46. jennifer lane says

    2012-01-26 at 9:59 pm

    Start saving early and put money in a college fund regularly just like its any other important bill!

    Reply
  47. Jessie C. says

    2012-01-26 at 10:00 pm

    Plan ahead and start early

    Reply
  48. Becky Horn says

    2012-01-26 at 10:07 pm

    The best tip is to start to save early.

    Reply
  49. Katy P says

    2012-01-26 at 10:08 pm

    To start saving as early as you can

    Reply
  50. KAthy S says

    2012-01-26 at 10:09 pm

    Start saving the first year of your child’s life.

    Reply
  51. amy pugmire says

    2012-01-26 at 10:36 pm

    start saving while they are young. even if its 5 dollars a paycheck. everything counts

    Reply
  52. Molly Bussler says

    2012-01-26 at 10:54 pm

    Start when the baby is born, that way, it will be easier.

    Reply
  53. E. G. says

    2012-01-26 at 11:37 pm

    Start Now

    Reply
  54. susan says

    2012-01-27 at 12:05 am

    Most helpful advice was to save at least a little each month (it all adds up).

    Reply
  55. Melissa says

    2012-01-27 at 12:10 am

    Start early and be dedicated to saving.

    Reply
  56. Paula says

    2012-01-27 at 4:24 am

    The earlier the better 🙂

    Reply
  57. Debbie jackson says

    2012-01-27 at 4:48 am

    start early and involve your child in saving

    Reply
  58. katie says

    2012-01-27 at 5:19 am

    start saving while they are young and what you can.

    Reply
  59. Janet Vickers says

    2012-01-27 at 7:52 am

    Start saving now, even if you can only put $10 a month in the account.

    Reply
  60. Jessica says

    2012-01-27 at 8:00 am

    Best advice I’ve received about any sort of investing: Start early and be patient.

    Reply
  61. Anissa says

    2012-01-27 at 8:08 am

    The best advise I got was no matter how late you start make sure you start as every little bit helps. Even a couple hundred when they are in school can still make a difference.

    Reply
  62. jennifer says

    2012-01-27 at 8:17 am

    The best tip? Start saving as early as possible, even if it’s not much!

    Reply
  63. Jennifer says

    2012-01-27 at 8:20 am

    The best tip I got about saving for college for my child was to start as early as possible

    Reply
  64. Ashley Hatten says

    2012-01-27 at 8:30 am

    start saving early, even $10 a week makes a huge difference! college is getting more and more expensive!

    Reply
  65. Jacqui says

    2012-01-27 at 8:43 am

    Start putting money away now (she is only 5 months!

    Reply
  66. Kristen Ruby says

    2012-01-27 at 9:49 am

    Start now, when they are young….it’s too hard when they get older.

    Reply
  67. Katherine D. says

    2012-01-27 at 10:34 am

    RENT TEXTBOOKS!

    Reply
  68. Donna B. says

    2012-01-27 at 11:57 am

    Start early ans save regularly, even if it’s only $10/week to start.

    Reply
  69. Julie Schultz says

    2012-01-27 at 12:47 pm

    It’s never too late/early to start saving!

    Reply
  70. Jennifer M says

    2012-01-27 at 1:18 pm

    I’ve always been told to start saving early.

    Reply
  71. Kris says

    2012-01-27 at 1:33 pm

    start to save early (easier said than done!)

    Reply
  72. Emily E says

    2012-01-27 at 1:47 pm

    The sooner you start saving the better . A dollar saved now is worth a lot more than a dollar saved 5 years from now.

    Reply
  73. Serena Stone says

    2012-01-27 at 2:31 pm

    Most helpful tip – start saving even before you plan to get pregnant.

    Reply
  74. Vickie Couturier says

    2012-01-27 at 3:26 pm

    its never too early to start saving

    Reply
  75. Vickie Couturier says

    2012-01-27 at 3:28 pm

    tweet
    https://twitter.com/#!/vickiecouturier/status/163010376110317569

    would NOT let me enter in the blank

    Reply
  76. Laura says

    2012-01-27 at 3:29 pm

    Start early…setup an account and have money transfer every week, even if it’s $25

    Reply
  77. Andrea says

    2012-01-27 at 5:25 pm

    Most helpful tip…save right away!

    Reply
  78. anna pry says

    2012-01-27 at 6:45 pm

    nobody ever told me to save for college and i’ll be paying for it for the next 40 years!

    Reply
  79. julie says

    2012-01-27 at 8:13 pm

    every little bit helps and when u save, put it in a separate account so you won’t touch it:)

    jmatek AT wi DOT rr DOT com

    Reply
  80. courtney b says

    2012-01-27 at 10:36 pm

    save $5 a week and it will add up!

    Reply
  81. Becky M says

    2012-01-28 at 10:25 am

    Start saving early!

    Reply
  82. clarissa says

    2012-01-28 at 11:49 am

    let them earn their own money…they will appreciate it more some day

    Reply
  83. Will says

    2012-01-28 at 1:48 pm

    save as early as possible

    Reply
  84. LB says

    2012-01-28 at 1:57 pm

    It is never too late to start! Don;t give up because you haven’t started yet!

    Reply
  85. anash says

    2012-01-28 at 2:46 pm

    the best tip is to go to college online, you save more money and take it more serious! Thanks for the chance to win!! What a lovely giveaway

    anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com

    Reply
  86. Chandra A says

    2012-01-28 at 3:18 pm

    Start early and encourage family to give money to put into savings instead of gifts

    Reply
  87. Maureen says

    2012-01-28 at 6:53 pm

    START SAVING EARLY!!!

    Reply
  88. Nicole Larsen says

    2012-01-28 at 7:37 pm

    The most helpful tip for me was to start the college fund as soon as my daughter was born and not to wait!

    Reply
  89. Rebekah S says

    2012-01-28 at 8:24 pm

    I would say to start early and be consistant!

    Reply
  90. Christina says

    2012-01-28 at 10:41 pm

    Start saving when they are born! Every little bit you can add helps.

    Reply
  91. Susan F says

    2012-01-29 at 8:29 pm

    Any money gifts we put away for savings!

    Reply
  92. Trisha Burgess says

    2012-01-29 at 9:26 pm

    To start as soon as possible!

    Reply
  93. Addison Kat says

    2012-01-30 at 11:15 am

    Start saving now!!

    Reply
  94. Denise says

    2012-01-30 at 11:46 am

    Every little bit helps, and don’t do it at the expense of your retirement fund.

    Reply
  95. Laura Tetrault says

    2012-01-30 at 11:58 am

    I think the best advice I’ve heard is to start now with something small. Once you are in the habit you can up the amount as you can afford to.

    Reply
  96. Isis Sample says

    2012-01-30 at 1:57 pm

    I know the feeling!!! it’s a good idea to open several accounts, here’s hoping interest rates go up & we can save more!!!

    Reply
  97. nannypanpan says

    2012-01-30 at 2:49 pm

    the best advice was from my dad was to start early and save as much as you can
    nannypanpan at gmail.com

    Reply
  98. Jessica Frye says

    2012-01-30 at 2:57 pm

    The best tip I have received is to save from day one and you can never plan too much!

    Reply
  99. Tracy Robertson says

    2012-01-30 at 3:40 pm

    to start saving early…even before your child’s birth if possible.

    Reply
  100. Cory says

    2012-01-30 at 4:27 pm

    Start saving early.

    Reply
  101. Lisa Brown says

    2012-01-30 at 6:48 pm

    I was told to start saving early, and to keep your grades up so you could qualify for any scholarships that might be available.
    jslbrown_03 (at) yahoo (dot) com

    Reply
  102. brooke t says

    2012-01-31 at 11:21 am

    That you can switch states!!

    Reply
  103. Sonya Morris says

    2012-01-31 at 11:43 am

    Open a 529!

    Reply
  104. linda brooks says

    2012-01-31 at 7:00 pm

    To put back a little each week

    Reply
  105. Rachel V says

    2012-02-01 at 12:32 am

    Start when they are young

    Reply
  106. Heidi says

    2012-02-01 at 12:26 pm

    Short and simple….start early! 🙂

    Reply
  107. Liz says

    2012-02-02 at 12:02 pm

    Start saving before they are born. Also when they are young and people want to give gifts ask them to get either bonds or money for college. It helps and they dont notice when they are young.

    Reply
  108. Staci A says

    2012-02-03 at 4:08 pm

    To start as soon as possible!

    Reply
  109. Deanna G. says

    2012-02-03 at 11:16 pm

    Start saving as early as possible.

    Reply
  110. Marie says

    2012-02-04 at 3:45 pm

    The earlier you start saving the better.

    Reply
  111. Sara Wood says

    2012-02-04 at 11:10 pm

    Start saving now, it is NEVER too early!!

    Reply
  112. Rachelle says

    2012-02-04 at 11:21 pm

    Have your children save too. But I am going to get busy saving starting tomorrow. Have not done a very good job of it.

    Reply
  113. Claire says

    2012-02-05 at 12:13 am

    Definitely start saving early & put it in a BANK!!

    Reply
  114. Kimberly Bauer says

    2012-02-05 at 5:59 am

    Start early and look into scholarships

    Reply
  115. Kenia says

    2012-02-05 at 4:22 pm

    To start saving early and to open a college savings account at the bank. To use uprosmie so you can save money.

    Reply
  116. Meg says

    2012-02-16 at 9:43 am

    Dear Marybeth,

    On behalf of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), thank you for supporting Project Open Book. All the money raised through our partnership with Gerber Life helps us provide new books to the kids who need them most. In low-income neighborhoods in the U.S., there’s only one book for every 300 children. For many RIF kids, their RIF book is their only book.

    Learn more about RIF and our efforts through our newsletter, Facebook and Twitter.

    http://bit.ly/RIFeNews
    http://www.facebook.com/ReadingIsFundamental
    https://twitter.com/#!/rifweb

    Reply

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