People ask if I'm sad my son started kindergarten. After $87,000 in day care bills, I'm celebrating.

Mesha Griffith says the transition from day care to kindergarten in August has her feeling more relief than sadness—after spending more than $87,000 on day care for her 5-year-old son, Ellington, over the past five years. Both Griffith and her husband work full time, and staying home wasn’t financially realistic. With grandparents working as well, day care became necessary, even when it sometimes cost more than their mortgage. To manage expenses, they scaled back retirement contributions. After Ellington started kindergarten, the day-care bill fell to about $623 due to part-month attendance.