- Date : 03/04/2017
- Read: 3 mins
Did you know that inflation is education costs is higher than the national average? Here’s how you can manage.
As new parents to a baby girl, Solapur-based Rajesh and Vinita Kale wanted to give her the best education possible. So, they moved to Mumbai, where Rajesh got a job as a middle-level executive in a BPO, and his wife joined a company as an office assistant. To help look after the baby, Rajesh’s mother moved in with them too.
Great expectations
Like all new parents, they couldn’t stop gushing about their baby to everyone. Most people responded fondly to their incessant chatter about their daughter and their big plans for her in Mumbai. But Sailesh Gadgil, Rajesh’s team leader, did not respond with the usual “oohs” and “aahs”. Instead, he asked one question that stumped Rajesh: Whether he was saving enough for the future he was planning for his daughter.
Rajesh realised that even with a double income, they were barely meeting their living expenses. He heard that school fees, even in the playschool in his locality, were close to Rs. 30,000 a year. So, they consulted a financial planner to devise a plan to save enough for their daughter’s future.
Related: Child insurance: How to make sure your child gets funds at the right time
Reality bites
If you are facing the same problem as Rajesh and Vinita, here’s what you need to know about education today.
Your child may want to become a business magnate, a pilot or a sportsperson in the future, so ensure you are prepared for anything and everything. But how do you go about planning for the future, and where do you start? Start by calculating the cost of your child’s higher education.
Related: Using mutual funds to plan for and fund your child’s education
Calculate future education expenses
An education calculator is a handy tool at this stage. It helps visualise various education scenarios over the timeframe that you have estimated.
With the help of certain algorithms, such calculators ascertain the rate of inflation and even currency exchange rates, in case you want to save for higher studies abroad. Based on these calculations, you can arrive at a ball park figure. This can give you an idea about your monthly savings for your child’s future.
When you have a fair idea of how much you need to save, you can choose a product or combination of products that will help you reach this financial target. Whether it is your child’s education or another financial goal, investments must be chosen based on your risk appetite.
The other important factor you must consider, is inflation. Rising prices must be factored in when calculating the expected rate of returns.
Related: How prepared are you to meet your child's education cost?
Choosing the right product
If you do not take inflation into consideration, chances are that you might end up choosing an investment product that gives low returns. This could result in you losing money, which could ultimately impact the quality of education you give your child.
As a parent, you dream of your child reaching the pinnacle of success in whichever field he or she chooses. The cost of her dreams is what you need to be prepared for from a very early stage. So do not make the mistake of delaying the process of investing for your child’s future and begin today!
