Honestly, I’m right there with you on the recurring bills being a pain, but you nailed it—peace of mind is worth a lot. I once thought I’d just bite the bullet (pun intended) and pay for my braces all at once, but then my dog ate a sock and we had to make an emergency vet visit. That wiped out my “rainy day” stash faster than you can say “orthodontist appointment.” After that, I was way less cocky about dropping big sums upfront.
The interest does sting a bit, but having that buffer for surprise expenses (or surprise vet bills) is huge. And yeah, being able to pay off early if things go your way is like getting a little “get out of interest jail free” card. I think you’re doing exactly what makes sense—protecting your sanity and your savings. A little extra hassle now is better than being totally stressed out later. Teeth are important, but so is not eating ramen for six months straight...
A little extra hassle now is better than being totally stressed out later.
I get wanting that safety net, but have you ever run the numbers on how much extra you end up paying with the interest? I did the math when I got my braces and was honestly shocked. Made me wonder if it’s really worth it, or if I should’ve just risked it and paid upfront. Curious if you factored that in or just went for peace of mind?
have you ever run the numbers on how much extra you end up paying with the interest?
Yeah, I did a quick calculation before signing up for the payment plan, and honestly, it was more than I expected too. But spreading it out made the whole thing way less stressful for me. Did your ortho offer any discounts for paying upfront? Mine mentioned it, but it wasn’t a huge difference after insurance.
My ortho did mention a small discount for paying everything up front, but honestly, after insurance kicked in, it barely made a dent. I’m with you—monthly payments just felt way more doable, even if it meant a bit more in the end. I’d rather have a little extra peace of mind than stress about draining my savings all at once. Plus, braces are enough of a pain without worrying about the bill, right?
I’d rather have a little extra peace of mind than stress about draining my savings all at once.
I totally get that. When I did my second round of braces in my 50s, that upfront discount looked tempting, but honestly, it wasn’t worth the hit to my emergency fund. Did your ortho offer any flexibility if you needed to adjust your payment plan later? I found mine was pretty understanding when I had a tight month.
