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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Hi everyone! I'm the OP. Thanks for the nice comments. One last post before I go to bed.  :-)

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Report back after you are married and have kids.[/quote]
This.  1000 times this.[/quote]

Why would that change anything? The conventional wisdom in fact is that if you want to save money, [i]get married young[/i]. But sure, let's dissect this real quick.

[u][b]Things that wouldn't change if I got married and had kids:[/b][/u]
- Would still eat 99% home-cooked food and generic brands.
- Would still not buy alcohol.
- If my old car doesn't last then I'll buy a used car and use it the same way
- Same cheap $20/month phone plan
- Would still not pay for TV/cable.
- Would still hopefully have a job that pays all health and dental insurance for family.

[u]Things that would improve if I got married:[/u]
- Giant standard deduction from taxable income
- Tax credit for each kid I have
- Tax-deductible contributions to a joint retirement savings account. 
- If we buy and sell a home together, we don't have to pay taxes on the profit as long as it's not more than $500,000
- Could probably combine car insurance policies and get a discount.

[u]Things that would suck if I got married and had kids[/u]
- Having to pay more on living expenses, such as rent or mortgage, because I only have the DH's income to split it with as opposed to 4 roommates and plus I'd have to choose a slightly nicer apartment to make room for kid(s).
- Costs having a child. This is really the only major expense problem. So you start paying right from prenatal care to the actual birth in the hospital, then you lose income even on maternity leave, the clothes and car seat and baby food, etc. Plus I may need to start putting down at least $800 a month for the college fund.

In any case that baby had better get good grades and wrangle some scholarship money! Public school and public university or I'm not paying. I went to public schools and it turned out great for me.

With my lifestyle habits and two incomes, why the hell can't I raise a child and still live well with my class/income level?

Good night for now!
[/quote]

Except you can't control or predict anyone else's choices or behavior so:

- Would still eat 99% home-cooked food and generic brands. - [b]EXCEPT your DH may decide that he prefers to eat out and really enjoys doing so, so he does it.  What will you do to stop him? I know, I know you are going to marry a guy who is on board with this and would never deviate from the plan.  Good for you.  (note: this is said with sarcasm)[/b]
- Would still not buy alcohol. - [b]EXCEPT your DH may. [/b]
- If my old car doesn't last then I'll buy a used car and use it the same way - [b]EXCEPT you may find that you now need to buy more than one used car, buy a more expensive used car or you are more concerned about space and safety then you were pre-kids so.  Also, since you are frugal, you are likely doing a long commute to pay less for real estate.  Now that used car needs maintenance, can't break down very often, and needs gas.  Oh yeah, and then there is insurance and now you have more than one car.  [/b]
- Same cheap $20/month phone plan - [b]EXCEPT your DH may not and his plan costs more.[/b]
- Would still not pay for TV/cable. - [b]EXCEPT your DH (heck maybe even the kids!) want cable and the shows needed are streamable so does DH get no say? 
[/b]
- Would still hopefully have a job that pays all health and dental insurance for family. - [b]EXCEPT I work in a very large org that has steadily provided great health and dental benefits for the past 15 years of my employment.  Starting in 2015, those benefits are dropping and there is nothing I can do about it.  It sucks but I will now carry the burden of higher insurance and medical costs.  It happens even in the best of companies. And comparing my private company benefits to the Feds, my benefits and insurance are way superior.[/b]

Now here are some things you didn't account for:
- Daycare for one child at a reasonable place can cost $15K a year.  
- If your child has special needs, even needing speech therapy, you may pay out of pocket for this therapy. It's pricey and it adds up.
- Food costs go up.  2 Adults eat more than 1.
- Insurance costs. You need more of it when you have a family.
- Rent/Mortgage - you aren't living in shared housing anymore.  What you will tolerate in a neighborhood in terms of safety and poor schools will change.
- Utilities - 2 Adults cost more than 1.  Add in kids and it costs more.  
- Home Maintenance costs - are you going to own a home?  Good for you. They are expensive to maintain. 
- Marriage counseling - while you are clinging to your frugalness and your smugness, your marriage might be going down the drain. Divorce is expensive so getting counseling will help.

It's very easy to be smug when you can have no real expenses, pressures or stress.  You can't predict now what those will be.

Enjoy the fact that at this time in your life you can save lots of money and do so.  Don't worry about how anyone else is or isn't doing this.  [/quote]

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