"Honestly, it was more peace of mind than anything else...but hey, whatever helps you sleep at night, right?"
Haha, exactly! But honestly, from experience, I'd lean toward upfront savings if you can swing it. Monthly payments seem manageable at first, but life has a funny way of throwing curveballs—like when my fridge decided to quit right after I got braces put on my youngest. Having that chunk already set aside saved me from some serious stress. Just my two cents...or maybe two dollars with inflation these days.
Yeah, I totally get your point about upfront payments being safer—life does love to surprise us, doesn't it? Had a similar thing happen last year when my car decided to need new tires literally a week after we signed onto monthly payments for my kid's braces. Still, sometimes the upfront chunk just isn't doable...so I think peace of mind can mean different things depending on your situation. Either way, braces aren't forever, right? Hang in there, you're doing great.
I completely relate to the anxiety around this decision—just got braces myself a few months ago, and the financial side definitely had me stressed. I opted for monthly payments because, like you said, sometimes that upfront amount just isn't realistic. One thing that helped ease my mind was setting aside a small emergency fund each month, just in case life throws another curveball. It doesn't have to be much, but knowing it's there can really help with peace of mind...at least it did for me. Good luck!
