What do people do with their old laptops? I have 3 I need to get rid of. But how do I even do that? I know with a cell phone you can reset the phone to it’s factory settings and remove the sim card which will remove all your personal information {or at least I think/hope it does}. But how does one “wipe” a laptop clean? Anyone know?
Target. It never disappoints. If it’s not the 2 aisles devoted solely to granola/single serve bars it’s the fact that they want $2.49 cents for 5… count them {5} 6×9 inch manila envelopes these days. That’s the same price Office Depot is selling them for {which is INSANE}.
News flash… You can get {8} 6×9 inch manila envelopes at the Dollar Store for… You guessed it, $1.00. Little things like this, make me crazy. The overpricing of items in big box stores that claim to SAVE YOU MONEY. I suppose if I really wanted to I could order 100 envelopes off Amazon for $10.99…. But do I need 100 envelopes? No. I just need a few. It’s the principal I guess.
When my kids were little, I’d find a reason to pop into Target a few times a week…. But these days, I see it {and stores like it} for what they really are…. Just big boxes that lure you in for one thing, but try and get you to stay as long as possible so you will wander around and buy things you didn’t need in the first place. And really just affirms the fact that if OVE was a real person, we’d totally be best friends.
My bulbs are up…. Are yours breaking through the soil yet?
I have 3 pieces of furniture {all desks oddly enough} that I want to strip, sand and have ready to paint or stain before we move, and I have fallen MADLY in love with a new product I tried out for the first time yesterday.
Citri-Strip. Have you heard of it? Where has this product been hiding all my life? I’ll do a proper post when I get the pieces properly stripped {I’m hoping I’ll be able to show you by this time next week } but HOLY COW MAN…. I am impressed.
When do you stop paying for your kids dental work? Or rather, let’s say your 22 year old daughter {who is a full time college student but works part time} needs to have her wisdom teeth pulled out? One tooth is pushing through the gum lines and stuff is getting stuck in the little pockets of gum, two wisdom teeth are bothering her, but the fourth wisdom tooth isn’t a problem {yet}.
When do “kids” truly become financially independent? For me, it was when I got married. For Monkey Boy it was when he moved out of the house. But what do you do with a college student who still lives at home?
$3,342 The cost to have 4 wisdom teeth removed under Anesthesia {via our favorite Oral Surgeon}
-$1,400 The amount insurance will kick in {she just had her teeth cleaned}
-$92.00 Discount for paying cash {and not using a credit card} ALWAYS ASK about this option
$1942 Total cost after deductions to have 4 wisdom teeth removed
HOW MUCH if any, do you ask your adult child to pay who still lives at home {but does work part time}? Do you say hey, I’ll pay for the 3 teeth that need to come out, but if you want the fourth tooth removed you’ll have to pay for it? Does that seem far?
This parenting gig, it never really ends does it? 😉
~Mavis
M Feser says
My 17 year old son is my tech guy, he is A+, CCENT and soon to be Security + certified. His recommendation is that if your computers have ever had personal information the best thing to do is remove the hard drive and kill it by taking a sledge hammer to it, using it for target practice or any other fun stress relieving way of destruction. Then you can take the rest of the device and sell it as is for parts on ebay. Don’t want to sell it? Then give it to a curious youngster or even a local high school that has a computer tech program.
Kelly Fitzgerald says
that’s a bit overkill using a sledge, if you want to destroy the disk using a drill and drilling through off center will destroy the platters and the continuity of info, also bulk erasers can wipe most of the data (really strong electromagnet), or you can drop it off to be shredded by a company that specializes in data destruction like Iron Mountain http://solutions.ironmountain.com/shredding_google/ewaste-services , there is a fee associated with of course.
if you just want to wipe the disk and not destroy it use bleachbit https://www.bleachbit.org/download, but you will have to slave it to another system. keep in mind these are all workable solutions but data can always be retrieved (sans incineration) if they have enough time and money. most computer stores (think fry’s and not best buy) shoudl be able to set you up for $20-$40
Lace Faerie says
My BIL is an independent programmer. He always removes the hard drives and soaks them overnight in heavily salted bucket of water. He says the salt water corrodes the hardware making any info retrieval impossible. Then, he takes great pleasure in throwing them, as hard as he can into the waste transfer station bins! A little stress release therapy for all the frustrations caused by slowing, dying computers! Hahahaha
Terri says
Wow, I’m glad I clicked on this post when it came in my inbox, that Citristrip stuff is magical! I’ve avoided stripping furniture because I thought it was an onerous task, but that stuff looks like a game changer!
Dental care is so expensive that it would be very difficult for a college student to afford without outside help. When I was in college, I didn’t have any parental help and ended up having a tooth pulled because I couldn’t afford a root canal. I am a huge believer that dental care should be rolled into medical insurance.
Mel says
You can donate old laptops to charities like the Tololamos Project (www.tololamos.org). Donated laptops are given to children in Nicaragua for school.
Shari says
If my kids were under 25 and working or going to school? I’d pay any medical expenses they had. It’s a lot of money for a kid (and yes they are usually still kids lol) and it’s not money for something frivolous. If they wanted a fancy phone or similar it’s on them.
Angela D. says
Agreed!!!! The time my husband and I really needed financial help was when we were in our 20’s. And just to be clear, we chose not to start our family young, as we felt we were not financially stable. We didn’t drink, smoke, party; we weren’t taking vacations or purchasing bells and whistles. We just struggled with rent, utilities and college loan payments. Anything extra, be it medical or car repair, wasn’t something we could afford. We had no savings account because we couldn’t even afford the bills we had, couldn’t afford groceries some months. Thank goodness our parents could afford to help us!
Kari says
Computers for kids re-builds them for school-age kids. They are a non-profit, so you would also get a tax deduction. As for wiping, I would think they do that, but you would want to verify.
Amy says
I agree with Shari. I would pay medical expenses until the child is out of school.
Paula says
I paid for all the medical and dental for my two children until they gradulated from college. It included the removal of wisdom teeth for both. We went ahead and did all four for both. In the long run, it’s more cost effective and only having to deal with the pain once.
Emily B. says
Medical care for your college age kids. Oy. I have spent more since she’s been in college than her K-12 years (minus braces).
My thought is this…. she IS working, and staying at home. So, income is there, and I’m assuming she doesn’t pay for anything like rent or utilities. I would have her pay a percentage of it. IMHO, you are not preparing your children for real life if they have no sticker shock for anything, and then BOOM, all if it all at once.
I would also imagine she is like you and thrifty. This would equate to saving money. My guess is she would have enough saved to pay for her portion.
This goes to the bigger issue that any type of health care in the US is CRAZY STOOPID EXPENSIVE!!
*hops off soap box*
Mavis Butterfield says
No, she doesn’t pay for anything like rent or utilities.
Susan says
Why is she having it done under Anesthesia?
I had all four wisdom teeth pulled out with no pain.
Dentists now days numb you up really well.
Anesthesia is expensive and not really safe to be done in a dentist’s office.
If you do decide to go ahead with it, have you asked a million questions
about what are their procedures if something goes wrong?
I’ve heard too many horror stories about brain damage and/or death
to ever have anesthesia at a Dentist’s office.
Sharon says
I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed in my thirties by an oral surgeon, and you can bet I had Anesthesia! In fact, he told my Mother (who had accompanied me to his office) that it was a good thing that I did, because there were significant complications due to infection, etc). It just depends on the circumstances and who is doing the work, IMO ….
Julie says
I would ask your daughter to pay half of the patient portion. If it’s a struggle for her then have her make monthly payments to you. I would then invest the money and give it to her after her wedding or use it to pay for part of her wedding or honeymoon. I would also start asking her to pay something toward the running of the household. Again, I would add that money to the wedding/adult life account. I just read Full House by Maeve Binchy. It put a new perspective on how I am going to prepare my children for adulthood.
Lena says
I’m not a parent, but I’m a 24 year old. My parents aren’t into handouts (all of us kids were required to come up with our own tuition, buy our own cars, etc) but with Obamacare letting adult children stay on their parents’ insurance til we’re 26, my parents decided to keep paying the deductibles/copays on their insured kids as a gift to us. I’m thankful for that, because with the state of healthcare in this country, private insurance would literally make me go bankrupt (premiums were 40% of my income and annual deductible was more than I make in 8 months) . When it comes to things other than healthcare, end of college was where my parents fully booted us off the parental-provision train (phone bills, insuring our own cars, etc.) I think today’s parents of newly adult children have a lot more to think about than a few generations ago- with the cost of education, minimum wage not really rising with inflation over the last 35 years, etc… younger millennials and Gen Zers truly do have a rougher start in life. 3 decades ago you could put yourself through college on a summer job and working part time through school, and graduate with a degree that put you in a higher salary job. Now, it’s impossible unless you do community college in high school, and undergrad is the new high school (need grad school to really be in the next salary level). So from the perspective of a hardworking, frugal 24 year old whose parents pay my medical in full… we are grateful for everything we get from you, and you’re not babying us if you help with the single worst aspect of being a financially independent adult.
Melanie says
As a 50-year-old mom of two young adults, I completely agree with you! The world I lived in 30 years ago as a college student doesn’t exist any longer (sadly). 🙂
Marcia says
“3 decades ago you could put yourself through college on a summer job and working part time through school, and graduate with a degree that put you in a higher salary job. ”
I graduated HS 30 years ago, this was not true for me back then! Working part time and summer jobs (& scholarships) helped keep my loans down to a reasonable amount (approximately my first year’s take-home pay, which was not much!)
Maybe 40 years ago.
CathyB says
I started college almost exactly 30 years ago and went to a private university. I got a half-tuition scholarship for grades and then had a couple of other very small scholarships. My parents were not in a position to help me, we had no credit cards, and my parents were adamantly against taking out loans. Between working over the summer and working part-time in school i was able to pay the other half of tuition and room and board myself and graduated loan free. There is no way that a student could do that today at the same school that I went to with the same type of scholarship and the same level of job. I think an in-state public school is a little more realistic to do it today, but still not easy (not that it was easy then! :))
Cecile Hoare says
I agree, the young adults of this generation have more difficulty financially. We have two, one 27 and one 24.5. Both have university degrees, one has a double major the other has a major and a minor. One has worked since the age of 15, the other, when they felt the need! One of them got a real estate license in the last year of university because it was an opportunity that couldn’t be turned down-paid for by that child. One child will have all of their $85K debt paid back to the provincial loan’s office this year. The other, well this is still a work in process only thing is, this is the child with two degrees and a debt load of $90K +!!! We didn’t have the funds to pay for their education but gave them a choice, we could pay for their tuition and books or their rent. Both chose for us to pay their rent for 4 years (or one degree!). Like I said, one will have the full debt load paid back and that child has only been working full time for 3 years! The other one had a rough start after graduation and had other things going on that made it difficult to be employed…that is over with and well, we are still waiting. This Adult-child pays their own way while living at home. We cover the roof over their head and food, everything else is up to them! Millennia children are really getting a bad wrap all the way around. Yes just like the old saying, one bad apple spoils the barrel! Both our children were raised exactly alike with the same expectations but they both have totally different personalities. My daughter and I were talking the other day, wedding talk-no she isn’t getting married or even engaged but we were discussing the future. She was determined to have all her debt paid back before her and her boyfriend got married, (will be paid in full this year!) but as she said, do we want to pay over $20,000 for a wedding when that can be a down payment on a house? The mom in me said, ‘it’s a piece of paper, how it gets signed doesn’t matter!’ Went on to discuss cocktail style weddings, destination weddings (which we would not be in the position to afford to go on-hubs loses his job this year due to plant closure!) etc. Back in my day 30 years ago we managed to throw a traditional wedding on $5,000 but that would barely cover a full sit down meal anymore! I digress, I don’t think helping your young adult children with things is bad, I think providing them with it too easily is bad! We have a running IOU with our other child with the date in which money is borrowed, when it will be paid back etc. So they know we haven’t forgot about it and so they can see how much we have helped. Do we expect it to be paid back? With this one, not likely! We would be happy if this one could find a job in his field or any job at this point and we pray daily that one day they notice what has been done for them…two apples in the same barrel!!!
Samantha B says
Remove the hard drive before you do anything with the computer. If it’s a Mac, they’ll take the old laptop and recycle it for you (for free!), plus take the hard drive out and give it to you.
Tina says
We are paying for our 19 year old college student’s wisdom teeth removal. He also works part time and is going to college in another part of the state, and cannot afford any more expenses than he is already paying. We are still claiming him as a dependent on our income taxes and he is covered on our health and dental insurance until age 25. Therefore, we feel like it is our responsibility to cover medical and dental until he is out of school or has his own coverage from a full-time job. If he lived at home while schooling, he would definitely be able to contribute to a portion of the out of pocket dental costs. Knowing how eager he is to take the burden from us, I am sure he would offer to do so. I would still probably cover the expense because I just want to offer him that support until he is out of school.
Jennifer says
Personally we help out our married adult children with things like buying meat, little gifts they wouldn’t buy themselves due to the fact they have children of their own, etc. We are in the financial position to do so & I think that counts a lot towards what you choose to do for your adult kids. If you can afford the dental bill, pay it and allow your child to accumulate savings toward the time they will be living on their own. Our daughters don’t ask for extra things, but really appreciate it. Who knows, the time may come when, due to retirement, we can’t afford certain items and they are willing to chip in – it all depends on your personnel family dynamics.
Tisha says
I would go halvsies on the wisdom teeth. For dental care, if my 19 year old has a cavity, he has to pay the co-pay. The hope is that this will encourage him to take better care of his teeth. Toothpaste is cheap. If he wants nitrous for the procedure, he has to pay for that himself as well. As wisdom teeth are not a question of proper care, I would help with the expense according to my available funds but not fund the whole thing. On the other hand, my daughter is a T1 diabetic, I will likely be paying for her insulin and other medical costs for some time into adulthood. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.
Tami Mitchell says
I had to have all four of mine removed while I was away in college. I paid for it myself. Did it under Novocaine because it was cheaper. Wasn’t bad at all. One was impacted. I considered myself an adult. It never would have occurred to me to ask my parents to pay. Not that they could have helped anyhow, but still.
RebekahU says
You’re a hooked and a stripper now!!! Hahahahaha!!! Couldn’t resist!!
RebekahU says
Hooker!! (Not sure if I can’t type or if auto correct got me!!)
Helen in Meridian says
Stripper by Day, Hooker by Night.
Lace Faerie says
Bwaahaahaaa
Deborah says
Pay for it and just get it all done and over with! You do your best for your kids.
As for getting it done with out being knocked out, forget that! I had for deliveries with no pains meds at all, most don’t touch my mouth without some anesthetic. What some people can bear others can’t. Pain isnt the same for everyone.
Melissa Foster says
As far as the laptops, I just read about a program run by Tacoma Public Schools called laptops2kids, wherein seniors from Foss IB High School are learning tech skills be refurbishing (and wiping) donated computers, and providing them to students in poverty who don’t have computer access at home – local and I think they take care of cleaning it for you if you want to check it out!
Your daughter sounds a lot like me in terms of living at home for part of college to save money, working part-time while being a full-time (responsible not lazy) student, and I will tell you I am thankful for how my parents handled things. They taught me money management from a young age with allowance and opening a savings and checking accounts at a young age with me. Then when I started making my own money babysitting at 12, from then on my incidentals/entertainment was all on my own (movies, youth group activities, eating out for lunch, buying tickets to school dances and the flowers, photos, activities that went along with that – I was responsible for) and bought my own first car in college, etc. – I never would have thought of heading out the door with friends and asking my parents for money. They did pay for school activity fees and gave me a small clothing allowance for the year, but I learned to use my own money to pay my way just fine. YET, they never charged me rent during college and they paid for all my medical expenses, although it wasn’t easy for them – they were always working hard to make ends meet – they paid for my braces and for wisdom teeth removal in college, and I do not take their support for granted. Because of it I was able to use my work income for tuition and graduate debt free, and keep saving so a year later when I got married we were able to buy instead of rent (although we were very house poor). I think if you are able (which you are) then take this burden off her plate – she has learned the lessons of frugality and saving from you and paying for this will not send her into the world unprepared, it will show her that you’re still her mom and are willing to give her mercy and help that we all need in this world at times. It will model to her that now that you have more means available, and because of being frugal in many areas, that you are able to be generous with your resources to help her (and many others) have a better life. Based on my personal experience, I don’t think you would somehow be spoiling her to pay 🙂 – of course she should be fully aware of and understanding the cost and the insurance/patient responsibility process – I handled my own medical care as an adult student, but my parents would gladly cover big expenses (mostly I was so thankful to be on their coverage during a time I definitely could not have afforded my own).
Jillbert says
I’d pay for the teeth. All of them. Why not? I plan to pay all my children’s medical/dental expenses until they are done with college. They are responsible young people and I have no doubt our paying extraordinary expenses will not hinder them becoming responsible, independent adults.
Tracey says
My oldest is still in high school but as long as she is going to school, we are claiming her on our taxes, and she is on our insurance we will pay her medical bills. She is going to be responsible for paying for her college tuition and board. (Loan) we are going to pay for her books and help her in any other way we can.
Diana says
I agree that Citri-strip is great. Looking forward to seeing your finished furniture pieces.
True about dollar store (and Dollar General and Family Dollar) office supplies prices. I buy from there too, for my actual office. DG and the dollar stores are hitting it out of the park lately. (Amazon is usually still great for in bulk pricing.)
Lena says
As for the wisdom teeth, holy crap yes do them all at once!! Everyone is different, you don’t know how her body will react. I had mine out 6 months ago (no anesthesia) and missed almost 2 weeks of work- my body reacted like I had a traumatic head injury (incessant vomiting, migraines, ear pain) and had to go back in and get IV, etc.. it was a total nightmare. Still dealing with recurring headaches from it. If I had only had some of them out, I wouldn’t opt to get the fourth out no matter what the dental consequences. So to reduce the chance of it impacting her life twice, and prevent future complications, yes get them all out at once!!
Alison says
I’m a sucker for my kids – I’d just pay for the teeth, Mavis. Assuming you can afford it.
I was thinking about this recently. I put myself through college without any monetary help from my parents (they really couldn’t afford to help), BUT I was on their health/dental insurance and they continued to cover the (rare) medical/dental things I needed during that time. I also worked part time, but that paid living expenses and some school expenses.
Nicole says
If I were in your situation, I would pay for for the wisdom teeth procedure. All of them. It will be easier on her to do them all at once and likely less expense in the long run…anesthesia only one time, time off work. Just because the one tooth isn’t an issue at the moment, it likely will be in the future.
A medical/dental need is likely easier for you to afford than her. That time between high school and college graduation/marriage/full-time job is a period of transition into adulthood. A full-time student with a part time job shouldn’t have to have the burden of necessary medical/dental expenses. Clearly she is doing her best to keep her spending during this time as minimal as possible and take ownership the best she can for her expenses.
Andrea says
Here in Maine, Goodwill will take used computers free of charge. Maybe they will out by you too. I’m not really sure how to wipe it clean though. Maybe restore to factory settings?
I had my wisdom teeth out when I was in college. All 4 at once, but I was knocked out for it. My parents paid for it. They took care of all my medical expenses until I graduated.
Mrs. C. says
Have all four pulled at once. If you wait until the fourth is a problem, you will be billed for a lot of this stuff all over again.
Question: I have to agree with a previous poster, anesthesia for wisdom tooth removal is unusual these days.
Cost sharing: whatever you think is fair. She’s in school, she works, she lives at home. Doest she help you a lot? This could also be an opportune moment to have a life discussion with her about what your financial expectations of her are going forward.
Rita says
I would help pay since it looks like she is still on your plan. So many parents rely on the state to provide for their children so I applaud you.
Cait says
Having been a college student with CRAP teeth, I am so incredibly thankful my mother covered my dental work until I was out of the house and working full time. I did not have to have my wisdom teeth out, but did need a molar removed (got knocked out for that). The price of dental work/medical care is so bananas.
When I chose to move out/work full-time at 21, it all became my responsibility.
The girl is your child, so I am sure knows the value of money. I’d say just treat her to her teeth, it will not be for much longer and I am sure she would be very thankful.
Gail says
Hi Mavis! Exciting post! I have a desk (more like a table) a lot like the black one you posted, AND it’s black and I want to strip and refinish! I’ve been looking into the citrus and can’t wait to hear your results.
Regarding dental…I had moved out of state and was going to graduate school. I needed a new crown, other such work, and was still covered under my parents’ insurance. They also covered the part that insurance didn’t pay. I was 22 and broke, and also working 30 hours a week while finishing my degree full time. I am so very thankful for them doing this. I do believe that part of why they covered it was due to my working my tail off to pay for what I could during school. It also helped form my gratefulness for having dental benefits as an independent adult. I am 46, and I STILL count my blessings after leaving the dentist that I am fortunate to have a career (due to my parents!) that affords dental benefits!
Jane says
I am 64 and just had my wisdom teeth out 3 years ago. I had it done as outpatient surgery (my choice) but my insurance paid for everything. I woke up and it was done. I paid all my child’s expenses until she moved out of the house and was on her own – college, medical, etc. I didn’t want her to start off her life on her own with debts.
Jessica@ My Ardent Life says
Hey, Mavis, on the teeth, I had two wisdom teeth pulled on the right side with Novocaine at age 20 (having never had a cavity at that point and from age 8-18 hadn’t had dental care). I found the dentist, make the appointment, took myself and paid for everything myself (I was on parental insurance).
At about 26, went to a new dentist who informed me with some concern that it would have been better to have done all four for symmetry in my mouth and that after age 25, they don’t recommend any teeth pulling unless absolutely necessary because the recovery period is so much longer. We peak at 25, who knew?
At 37, guess which two teeth are causing me problems? My dentist still says to hold off as long as I can since there are no cavities but it’s going to happen eventually.
I really like the balanced way you guys seem to support and teach your children. I’m sure your instincts will guide you just fine!
Sheila says
We paid for our daughter who is in veterinarian school to have her wisdom teeth out. No way she could have afforded to do that and it needed to be done. Our kids are eligible to stay on our dental insurance until they turn 26.
Marie says
Seek out an oral surgeon in your area. They specialize in oral procedures & that’s it! All 4 & done. She will require some down time so be ready to put on your nursing cap, premake her favorite soup & turn up your generosity.
Carrie says
I’m 31 and stayed on my parent’s insurance till I was kicked off at 26. I then had to get a ACA policy because I still couldn’t get a full time job. Graduating during the recession was bad news and I am so thankful my parents were able to pay for my health insurance. I lived in a different city and paid all my other bills on $15,000 per year.
I had my wisdom teeth cut out (they were impacted) when I was 18, right after high school. My parents paid for it and I had no idea how much it cost. I was a cheap child considering medical expenses. No braces, no ER trips and rarely sick. Glad I had it taken care of while young; my dad had his pulled at 60 and he was a big baby about it. 😉
Lesley says
Mavis, regarding your extra laptops: I follow a blogger who is a woman running her own farm. She scrapes together a living with some design work (logos, branding, etc) on her computer, which is about to die. She has put out an appeal to see if anyone has an extra computer lying around. Wondered if that would interest you? She is Jenna at Cold Antler Farm. If it were last year and you were doing your monthly charitable donations, it would have been a great fit!
Just a thought! Lesley
Maxine says
I’ve Jenna!
Maxine says
Autocorrect changed it from “I love Jenna”. Lol
Earlene says
Is the girl moving with you and HH??? If not what are her plans??
Emily B. says
Oh, good question! That could affect her financial outlook considerably.
Helen in Meridian says
Is she going to Brown University? is she still planning to be a surgeon?
Katie says
While in college, my parents covered my medical expenses. I worked part-time, but my job didn’t offer any benefits. Plus, they wanted me to be focused on school, not worried about paying for things like dental cleanings (which I totally would have skipped because I was so broke). Do you claim her as a dependent on your taxes? If so, pay for the teeth.
Terri says
Do not assume anyone will wipe the hard drive for you. Software is available to do that–not free, obviously. If you want to donate the laptops for others to use, you must wipe the hard drive. If you are going the electronic recycling route, just smash the hard drive.
Jeanie says
First, we are financially blessed to be able to pay in full for both our kids college educations including grad degrees and they have been able to stay on our medical and dental and vision insurance by being full time students. My daughter was a college athlete and lived on campus. My son is able to live at home (his university is just 5 miles away) and works part time.
My daughter has horrible teeth and we have always paid for her dental work. When she was 20 and in college, she actually had all her teeth replaced with porcelain veneers and that was very expensive. It was in the range of 40,000.00 and we paid that but it was a decision that really changed her life. Her teeth gave her nothing but pain and we had already spent a fortune on fillings and crowns and etc.
We choose to operate as a family unit even with our adult children. We believe that insurance, car insurance, cell phones are all things that pay to purchase in bulk. We choose to help our adult children out. We have no regrets about it and both our kids are super responsible adults.
Gail says
In our area, we have a dental school at a local college, and prices are way cheap. Haven’t used them, but know others who have. No problems. You might check on that option before you go forward.
I use their beauty school for hair and nail care, and have been very happy with the prices and results.
I believe in helping an adult child who is helping themselves. I like the idea above of having them pay a portion over a period of time. It’s the real world and they have to face it. Sooner is better than later in my mind.
My s.i.l. is a computer guru. He says take out the hard drive and destroy it with a hammer.
Gigi says
We destroy with a hammer also and then laugh about the scene movie Office Space!
mary says
I helped my sons with expenses all the way thru graduate school. I was a single mom and told them that I would provide for them as long as they worked to their potential. And they were the only ones of their friends with paper routes and part time jobs. They worked hard to keep their end of the bargain and I kept mine. Asking a child who is in school full time to be responsible for medical and dental bills is to me stingy and not very familial or parental especially since you have insurance. Would be different if they were slackoffs but they are not. Pay the bills and think of it as giving them a leg up in life. Just my humble opinion.
Sue V says
The Washington State Attorney General website posts community events where you can get free shredding, electronics recycling, appliances, etc. Many groups sponsor recycling events around Earth Day in April. Here’s the link:http://www.atg.wa.gov/shredathon.aspx#.Udw_R1N1Hf0
KC says
1. Get all four out at once. Just do it. Really.
2. Do not bank on being up and about for a couple of days afterwards. It varies, but I was planning to take the bus home afterwards (why not? I took the bus everywhere) until my mom heard that was my plan and said “nope, I’m driving you” – which turned out to be a very, very good thing, since I never did remember the rest of that day and I have no idea where I would have ended up if I’d somehow gotten *on* the bus. I wasn’t really functioning properly for another couple of days; tired, fuzzy-brained, slow-moving, in pain; fortunately it was during break and I didn’t have any work hours scheduled the two days after the surgery.
3. Not all foods taste good as purees; go for the ones that are already pureed (sweet potato/squash soup, milkshakes, pudding, etc.) and avoid foods that are mostly puree but still have flakes of things/bits of nuts or herbs, because those bits of whatever can get caught in the gaps/stitches and it is *miserable.*
Regarding paying for it: honestly, some young adults know what things cost, are earning money, and aren’t wasting money, so… they’ve already gotten the idea of how to live on a budget and that life can be expensive. If you have plenty of money, there’s no particular reason to further “teach them the lesson” and it’s probably better to give them more financial help while it makes a bigger impact in their life. My parents are kind of sad, now that we’re financially comfortable, that they didn’t give me and my sister more money when we were barely making ends meet, when $20 a month made a big difference in things like whether we could splurge on cheese to go with our beans and rice. 🙂 Of course, it’s different if parents are struggling to make ends meet, and also I’m a big fan of start-cheap-then-move-up-slowly (you appreciate functioning appliances so much more that way! and you get lots of great stories!), but eh, if you’ve got the money and if your daughter has her financial ducks generally lined up as much as is possible given low starting wages, etc., then footing the bill for wisdom teeth makes sense to me.
Kids who are financially clueless (or financially careless) would probably be a different story, though.
Deborah says
While our children, three of them, were in school we claimed them on our taxes and they were on our insurance. We paid for their medical and dental care. They paid their car payment, car insurance, and phone bill. They all worked part time and helped with their living expenses while at school. We paid what we were able for their education and any loans needed were on them. They came with very little debt, they are all very grateful and not at all entitled.
Marcia says
Wisdom teeth: it’s a tough one, and it depends. I’ve had many a philosophical discussion with friends and neighbors.
We live with our (elementary age) boys in a 1100 sf, 2BR, 1BA house. Thinking about adding on – at a minimum, another bathroom, maybe extend the boys room (it’s basically a closet), at max a bedroom and a bathroom. One friend insists what we really need is a full 2nd story master suite, then the boys can get their own rooms because “Kids boomerang these days, it’s expensive.”
While I get that (times have changes and things are expensive), do they have to happen that way? Their kids are in their 20’s and don’t live with them but one may be boomeranging. My 25 yo nephew still lives at home.
In any event, in college my dental work was covered by my mom, even though I had a PT job, because I didn’t have money for it and I was on my mother’s insurance (however, we didn’t have dental insurance). When I finished college I joined the Navy, and I had medical and dental there.
I had my wisdom teeth pulled at 30, while married, so I paid for them yes.
The question is, when do children become adults? I’d say when they have a FT job. It’s a sliding scale, really. She still lives at home and is going to school, can she afford it? Or would it be better to not go into debt? A 22 year old falls into a different category (to me) than a 26 year old.
It gets tricky when not all jobs come with insurance, too. I figure while my kids are in college, I’m covering their expenses. Until they finish undergrad or 5 years.
Holly says
Orphans Africa (Tacoma) can usually take old laptops. They build schools in Tanzania. Great little nonprofit.
samantha surovec says
I don’t know if our situation is unique, but our medical insurance paid for my 17 y.o. son’s 4 wisdom teeth to be removed, under anaesthesia, by an oral surgeon. Our only expense was $50 for an x-ray the dental insurance company wouldn’t cover as he’d already had one at the regular dentist’s office. Our dental insurance stops at age 20 but medical is 26. Our 21 year old non college student also needs them out but we just switched ins. companies so not sure we’d be in as good of a position. When it comes to paying, he works fulltime now and lives at home, so it’s on him. As well as car payment, insurance, clothing etc., he contributes to household expenses but isn’t technically rent.
Tracy says
I believe the early twenties are a time when kids have many, many life lessons to be learned and that learning them in this short window will set the tone for the rest of their lives. And not learning them will also set a tone –not one you want as a parent– for the rest of their lives. If you can afford it, I believe in paying for a child’s major expenses through college and grad school, if they go that route. Major expenses means, room, board, food, medical and dental, tuition, etc. I’m a firm believer in kids going away to college, again, if you can afford it. And not close enough that they can come home on weekends. College is a semi-supervised environment that permits them to grow up a bit, test their judgement, hopefully in a setting when they can’t do too much damage. So many of the benefits and life lessons at college happen outside of the classroom. I don’t believe in allowing college kids to have cars. I don’t care how convenient this is for the parents. Their summer jobs provide them with spending money, any travel money and clothes, gifts for family and friends, etc. Make sure your kids know that the day…the HOUR…they graduate, they are responsible for all of their expenses, with one exception: medical and dental until they are 25, as most adult policies provide this option for the insured’s kids. If they cannot afford to get their own place with 842 roommates to share expenses, they can live at home, as long as they pay rent and abide by all the rules of your house. Make the rent hurt, perhaps a third of their take-home pay and make the rules the same ones they had to live by when they were in high school. You want to give the kid a fall back, but you don’t want it to be the preferred option. Rent includes a room, the room’s furnishings and all food. It doesn’t include laundry (hopefully you made them do their own laundry long before high school), spending money, cars, gas, etc. If their jobs don’t pay enough to support them living away from home after a few years, they need to reconsider their career choice, because they’re out by their 25th birthday no matter what. I knew this was the deal all my childhood, and my parents stuck to it. My sister used the same rules with her kids and we overheard them talking more than once about not choosing some easy or low-motivation career choice because they’d “never be able to support themselves by the time they turned 25.” Neither my sisters, nor their kids ever had conflicts or arguments about this, and we all were pretty prepared, simply because we always knew this was how it was going to work. My parents were fantastic, and they knew their job was to raise self-sufficient adults, not little fun companions for them, to hang around the house! I lived at home for 9 months after graduating until I found an apartment I could juuuust barely afford (my rent was 62% of my take home). I lived on beans and ramen and slowly moved up the ladder. I had exactly five work outfits, etc. Lots of hard knocks and tears. I never took a cent from my folks after I graduated, except after I had been on my own supporting myself for a full year, my parents gave me all the rent I had paid them, which they had saved for me, as an “independence gift”, which allowed me to mostly furnish my apartment.
Cecile Hoare says
Our benefits pay until they are 25, if still in school (must send proof each year) and having them done under anesthesia is completely covered with our Ontario Health Insurance! If they need pain medication all children in Ontario under 25 get free prescribed medications! So, in a way we pay nothing, in another we pay 13% Harmonized taxes (goods ans services & sales tax) and somewhere around 32% income tax. Looking at that dental bill, I’d say its worth it!
Karin says
The wisdom teeth question depends a lot on your personal situation. Since she is in college and works part time it sounds like she is a pretty responsible kid. In that case, I think it would be nice to pay her medical and dental expenses until she graduates as long as it isn’t a burden for you. BUT, depending on her ability to afford it, and your personal financial resources, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask her to pay for a percentage.
For the computers, take out the hard drives and then recycle the rest. There are ways to wipe the hard drive but it’s too much work for an old (and unlikely to be reused) computer. There are places that will accept old electronics for recycling. Where we are, Best Buy accepts them. You should be able to find a place in your area that would take them.
Jenny Young says
I just bought 6 manila envelopes in this size for .79 at Walmart. It’s just the amount I needed with none left over.
Ugh…I didn’t have to pay for my son’s wisdom teeth. He & his wife had their wisdom teeth out the same year so they had to foot the bill. Though I am keeping their baby while they work for free…so is that a bad thing? They supply everything the baby uses & bring me occasional meals & coffees.
Connie says
My medical ins paid for it. Dental insurance would not. Go figure.
Linda says
As a mother and retired college professor, I have to say that if your daughter is doing well grade-wise, in school full time while working part time, she is more motivated and responsible than many of her peers. I can’t imagine that you want to burden her further with the bill for her wisdom teeth, given that. And the idea of charging her for the removal of the healthy tooth takes frugality to a new level- one you have too big a heart for. Most times all 4 wisdom teeth are taken out at once anyway- something about “bite” I think.
If your circumstances right now (new house, closing costs, moving, etc. )mean you and your husband can’t afford this, then I’d advise sitting down with The Girl and discussing what her contribution toward rent should be, starting with her next paycheck.
Please let us know what you decide.
Alison R says
We always did the it’s on us if you are still in school and not completely on your own and it’s on the kid if they are out of school and paying 100% their own way.
Kayla says
I would pay for the wisdom teeth-all of them. Think of it as a right of passage (like losing teeth in grade school). Majority of people have to have theirs removed and I feel like that is a parent’s responsibility before they send their kids off. Maybe explain that this is the last big dental bill you will pay for her?
Stacy Bowen says
Pay for the tooth, Mom. She’s a smart girl; someday she’ll be taking care of these things on her own–and someday you may wish that you were able to help her out when some real problems arise after she’s a ‘grown up’. (And truly, if she is claimed on your insurance as a dependent…well, she’s depending on you. 🙂 Give her a bit more time to have Mom take care of her.
Peg says
My only suggestion on the wisdom teeth removal is to encourage her to have all four removed at the same time. Otherwise, she’ll never go back to have the 4th one done.
Toni says
In Canada, universities and colleges have dental coverage, and that can usually be combined with the parent’s employment dental plan, so that’s helpful. But here’s the thing: If you can afford to cover it, do so. We had four kids who are all grown up now, the youngest just finished a 4-yr degree. From the time they had their first part time job to the day they moved out, they always paid room and board, which was 20% of whatever they earned – net, not gross. If any of my kids needed to have similar surgery, you bet I would have paid for it – although it would be a challenge financially. If they need it, they need it, and it has to get done. The thing about being a parent, is that no matter what you decide to do, you later wonder if that was the best choice. However, you will never have guilt, and your daughter will never have future problems with her wisdom teeth if you go ahead and take care of it now, while you can.
Vicki says
Best Buy recycles old computers. They popped out our hard drives for free and gave them to us.
Leslie says
Love Citri-strip. Diff strippers work on diff finishes/materials. Had luck with a few Peel-Away products and Jasco, as well.
Jennifer says
Medical typically covers wisdom teeth. We paid $0 for 2 of my kids to get 11 teeth out total. Between that and dental you shouldn’t have to pay much.
Vicki in Birmingham says
I was always told to run a strong magnet over my hard drive to clear it. I don’t know if that works or not, I wound up giving it to my nephew so it didn’t matter!
And about envelopes, I bought a box of business size security envelopes at the Dollar Tree…for a dollar! Maybe those tidbits will help you out.
Lori Gilmartin says
Hi Mavis!
I sell all my old phones and computers on Gazelle. They’ve been great to work with
Vicki in Birmingham says
And I meant to tell you that even in this honest to goodness cold weather we have had here, including snow, I had a few hyacinths in bloom that made it through all that. I was DELIGHTED!!
Suzanne says
I would pay for all 4 while she’s still in school.
Mel W. says
For the laptops, just Google how to wipe a laptop. Have your daughter do it as a trade for dental work!
Mrs. M. says
Hi Mavis,
As far as your son goes, why wouldn’t you help him out if he needed oral surgery? He has chosen to work and live independently, costing you and your hubby less than your daughter. He probably couldn’t afford such a large medical expense.
Our oldest daughter is 20.5, lives at home, and works almost FT. She chose not to go to college… it’s not for everyone. She pays her car payment, dance lessons, fuel, clothes, and part of her phone bill, but even though she is very frugal and budgets her money, she wouldn’t be able to afford much of anything else… I know because I helped her set up her budget.
My husband and I agree that we will help support both our daughters (our youngest is about to graduate HS and does plan to attend college), as much as we reasonably can as long as they’re living respectable lives and not wasting the money they do earn.
What I’m saying is, in our opinion, having one of our children work and the other attend college doesn’t lessen the degree of responsibility we feel for the one working.
On a side note, our dentist told us that if we had our daughter’s wisdom teeth removed before they break through the skin, our medical insurance may cover it better than our dental. Best wishes to your DD during the procedure and anesthesia.
Aunt G says
We use the hard drive for target practice and give the rest to a HS student who makes money junking computers.
Our kids paid for their own cars, tuition (without loans) and are required to show us evidence of saving 40% of their paychecks. (3-6 months of expenses for emergencies) In return we give them free rent and food. We pay for their medical, however they must take what they would have spent on medical and put it into a down payment for a house fund.
They gain responsibility, while building up a nice nest egg before they totally adult. Win/win! They are debt free and have pride in knowing how to handle money.
They are miles ahead of where I was at that age.
Rebecca says
I’ve been off the radar for a while building a house. What did I miss? I thought she went to school on the east coast? Did she transfer?
Laura says
I would pay for getting the teeth pulled. We were able to get both our kids through school with no debt. But once they graduated and get jobs, then it’s on them. My daughter is still on our insurance until 26. She still has 1 1/2 years left. But since she’s moved out of town then the copay is on her. I have them pay more than my husband does. He would do everything for them if he could. I don’t think that teaches them anything.
Sheila says
Recommendation:
Wipe your hard drive by using specialized software that is designed to government standards and will overwrite your information (Active@ KillDisk and Softpedia DP Wiper are free downloads).
Then, find a list of Microsoft-sponsored recycling opportunities in your area.
From Microsoft website….. I, personally, would clear out password files, banking apps, and social media links before hand, then do the wipe.
Lace Faerie says
We are in our mid 50’s. We expected our, now grown, kids to get jobs during the summer to pay for the majority of their clothes and gas use in high school and put money aside for college, just as we did.
We stopped paying for auto insurance and cell phones when they reached 18. We always made sure they knew growing up that we did not expect them to move out at any set point, given they were in college or employed full time and continued to contribute to the household with chores and buying their own specialty foods.
Our oldest left after college to full time employment and health benefits. Our second moved out temporarily for an out of state job after she got her college degree and returned when it ended. She stayed until she had her down payment for her own home. Our third, fiercely independent from the get-go, voluntarily contributed $250 a month to our household budget. He stayed on our health insurance under Ombama until his employer plan kicked in. (We had to prove to our health insurers that he had coverage elsewhere before they would remove him and reduce our cost). We found out later that he insisted to his sister that she also contribute to the household budget. It certainly allowed us to get ahead onour own savings and unexpected health/dental expenses.
All are married and in their own homes. Interestingly, the best price we’ve all been able to find for cellphones has been to maintain our family plan, which we split by the number of devices. Everyone has been very respectful of sharing the data pool. Any overages are paid by the person who caused it. Once it was me while traveling without access to wi-if and once was one of the “kids” streaming movies until their own home’s tv service could be set up. Their spouses have opted to stay with their families’ cell phone plans.
Sara Talbot says
You can find anything on YouTube these days, including how to wipe a hard drive. My hubby does it on old computers. You just have to be certain it is completely wiped out & unrecoverable. Then recycle, donate, or sell!
https://youtu.be/OfICZMMr0JM
The Girl seems responsible, you could either gift it to her, or ask her to pay a portion. $2000 is a lot of money. I’m so thankful I never had wisdom teeth!