We paid the equivalent of our mortgage to send our kid to pre-K. We've finally recovered financially 4 years later.

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Mom playing with toddler
The author paid over $1,200 per month to send her son to a Montessori pre-k

Courtesy of the author

I'm a student at Cornell. From the teaching farm to the student-run hotel, here's what a day is like on campus.

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Aurora Weirens on a tractor and the interior of the cornell hotel
The author is a student at Cornell.

Courtesy of Aurora Weirens

When I became a 'DINK,' my apartment in NYC got a major upgrade. I'm paying $150 less a month on rent and now have a backyard.

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Couple standing outside, looking directly at the camera.

Clifford Prince King for BI

I bought a $65 screen-free camera to take more photos of my kids. It's helping us make memories.

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Girl with a Camp Snap camera
The author bought the camera for herself, but her kids love taking photos with it

Courtesy of the author

My toxic boss ruined my confidence in the workplace. I'm learning to build myself back up again.

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illustration of a woman yelling at another woman
The author says her boss made her question everything she did at work.

Prasong Maulae/Getty Images

I worried I'd lose all my work friends when I quit. It surprisingly brought us closer together.

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Rachel craft and her friend
Rachel Craft, left, worried about losing work friends when she quit, but they became closer instead.

Courtesy of Rachel Craft

My sons are in the Australian education system, while my nephew attends school in the US. Some differences surprised me.

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Couple having lunch with kid at school
The author says the one thing that unites American and Australian students is their dislike for homework.

Courtesy of the author

My twins are in separate classes at school. It's helped them become individuals, and their bond is still stronger than ever.

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Twin brothers reading a book

OR Images/Getty Images

I couldn't participate in extracurriculars at Yale because of the school's competitive environment. It's not just a Yale problem.

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A student wearing a Yale University sweatshirt walking across campus.
The author, not pictured, says Yale is too competitive.

Yana Paskova/Getty Images

I would never get married without a prenup — even though mine didn't protect me during my divorce

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Woman on a staircase looking gloomy.

Leah Nash for BI

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