As someone who went through paying for it myself, it's really the way to go. Just let your kids grow up knowing that their education is not paid for them and they better figure it out. I did it with a combination of living at home still, junior college scholarships, and just plain old working a lot to write tuition checks. Sure, it took a couple years longer but I was just so much better set up for a good start to life. I had a lot of real world work experience that showed I could actually hold a job, the college degree, and I took no loans so no ridiculous mountain of debt. I suppose I gave up the stupid notion that college should be an experience you see in a frat party movie, because I was too damn busy for that lifestyle. I don't think I lost anything there.

It can be done, and not just the way I did it. Military service for example...even something like the national guard will get college paid for and for the most part you're giving up a year for training, some weekend service, and likely a deployment or two over the enlistment.