"I'd say just ask upfront how flexible they are—better safe than sorry, especially if your luck is anything like mine..."
Haha, totally feel you on the luck thing. When I got braces, I initially planned to save up and pay upfront for the discount. But life had other ideas (car repairs, anyone?), so monthly payments it was. Honestly though, my ortho was pretty chill about it—no penalties or anything if I needed an extra week or two sometimes. Did your office offer a discount for paying upfront? Mine did, but it wasn't enough to justify eating instant noodles every night...
I get the anxiety around this totally. When I first considered braces, my ortho mentioned an upfront discount too, but honestly it made me nervous—like what if something unexpected comes up? I'm usually the type who likes to have some savings put away for emergencies (because you just never know...).
Ended up going with monthly payments because it felt safer, even though the discount was tempting. And of course, two months in, my laptop died and needed replacing. Classic timing, right? I was pretty relieved I hadn't emptied my account to pay upfront at that point.
Did your ortho's office mention anything about hidden fees or late payment penalties? Mine seemed nice enough, but I still asked about a million questions just to be sure. They probably thought I was paranoid, haha. But seriously, knowing exactly what happens if you're late or miss a payment can really ease your mind. Thankfully, they were understanding and flexible—no extra fees or scary letters.
And yeah—the noodles thing cracked me up. I remember joking with friends that I'd have to live off PB&J sandwiches for months if I paid upfront just to get that discount. In the end, peace of mind was worth way more than saving a bit extra upfront.
Wondering now if anyone had regrets either way—monthly or upfront... would be interesting to hear if someone wished they'd chosen differently after starting treatment.
"Wondering now if anyone had regrets either way—monthly or upfront..."
Honestly, I went upfront for the discount and it worked out okay, but looking back, monthly might've been smarter. Had a car issue pop up later and things got tight... peace of mind is underrated.
I totally get this. I went monthly myself because I didn't have the upfront cash at the time, and honestly, I'm glad I did. About halfway through treatment, my laptop died out of nowhere... had to replace it ASAP for work. If I'd paid upfront, that would've been a lot harder to handle. Sure, I missed out on some savings, but having that flexibility was worth the extra few bucks each month.
I was actually debating this exact thing a few months ago when I started my braces journey. I'm usually the type who likes to crunch numbers and save wherever possible, so the upfront discount was really tempting. But then I remembered what happened last year when I decided to pay upfront for my car insurance to save a bit of cash. Literally two weeks later, my fridge decided to stop working—completely out of nowhere. Had to scramble to replace it, and suddenly that upfront payment didn't feel like such a smart move anymore.
So this time around, even though the analytical side of me kept whispering "take the savings," I went with monthly payments instead. Honestly, it's been a huge relief mentally. I know I'm paying a bit extra overall, but having that cushion each month just feels safer. Plus, life has a funny way of throwing curveballs at the worst possible times, doesn't it?
I guess it really depends on your personal situation and comfort level. If you've got a solid emergency fund already built up, maybe upfront makes sense. But if you're like me and tend to worry about unexpected expenses popping up, monthly payments might be worth the peace of mind. Either way, braces are expensive enough without adding extra stress into the mix...
