"Monthly payments were a lifesaver then, but I did wish I'd saved up a bit more beforehand."
Totally feel you on that one. Braces can throw curveballs at you when you least expect it. From what I've seen, paying upfront can sometimes get you a decent discount—my cousin got around 10% off by doing that. But honestly, monthly payments are often worth the peace of mind, especially when unexpected procedures pop up. Either way, you're investing in yourself, and that's always money well spent...
I went the monthly route too, and honestly, zero regrets. Sure, upfront discounts sound nice, but when my retainer broke unexpectedly halfway through treatment, I was glad I hadn't drained my savings completely... braces are unpredictable enough without added financial stress.
Went monthly myself, and honestly, your retainer story hits close to home. I had a bracket pop off right before a family wedding—talk about bad timing. Unexpected repairs aren't cheap, and having that monthly setup meant I didn't panic over the extra costs. Sure, upfront might've saved me a bit initially, but the peace of mind knowing I could handle surprises without scrambling was priceless... Braces are stressful enough already, right?
"Sure, upfront might've saved me a bit initially, but the peace of mind knowing I could handle surprises without scrambling was priceless..."
Totally get where you're coming from with the peace of mind thing, especially after your wedding bracket fiasco—yikes. But honestly, monthly payments always made me a bit anxious. I kept worrying I'd miss one or something unexpected would pop up financially. Ended up paying upfront just to avoid that monthly stress. Guess it depends on what kind of anxiety you're more comfortable living with, huh?
"Guess it depends on what kind of anxiety you're more comfortable living with, huh?"
Haha, exactly. For me, monthly payments were actually a lifesaver. I remember when my oldest needed braces, we had just replaced our water heater (talk about bad timing...). Paying upfront would've wiped out our emergency fund completely, and I wasn't comfortable with that. So, spreading it out monthly made it manageable, even if it meant paying a bit more overall. But I totally get your point about the stress of remembering payments—I've definitely had those "wait, did I pay that?" moments at 2 am.
Did anyone else find that orthodontists were flexible if your financial situation changed mid-treatment? I'm considering braces again for my youngest, and I'm curious how accommodating they usually are if something unexpected pops up.
