"But on the flip side, having that monthly payment hanging over my head for two years sometimes made me worry about job stability or other unexpected expenses popping up."
Yeah, this part really hits home for me. I went with monthly payments too because seeing that huge lump sum vanish from my savings would've freaked me out big time. But honestly, every month when the payment came due, I'd get a little knot in my stomach worrying about layoffs or surprise car repairs... It's like trading one anxiety for another. Still glad I did it, but definitely stressful at times.
Totally get that anxiety—it's like picking between two stressful options, honestly. I ended up paying upfront, but then my car broke down a month later...ouch. Did you ever consider a hybrid approach, like saving half upfront to lower monthly payments?
I totally relate to that hybrid idea—wish I'd thought of it sooner. When I got braces, I went straight for monthly payments because I was worried about emptying my savings all at once. But then life threw a curveball (doesn't it always?) and my hours got cut at work...talk about stress. Maybe splitting the difference would've cushioned things a bit. Did your ortho offer flexible payment options, or was it pretty rigid?
My ortho was pretty chill about payments—thankfully. I did something similar, monthly payments seemed safer at first, but halfway through I got a small bonus and wished I'd just paid it off earlier. Funny how timing works out like that...
I get what you're saying about timing, but honestly, even if you had that bonus earlier, would you really have felt comfortable dropping a big chunk upfront? I'm pretty cautious with my budget, and for me, monthly payments help keep anxiety down. Sure, paying upfront might save a bit overall, but having that cushion for unexpected expenses feels safer. Sometimes peace of mind is worth the extra couple bucks...
