Times have changed. So have rents. Childcare costs. etc...

I know lots of people in their 30s who can't afford to buy homes and who have decided against kids. It's not limited to expensive areas. That generation has crippling school loans, poor job prospects, and a lot of (justified) unease about where this country is heading.

I'm 38 and have always felt that I squeaked in before things tanked - first in the job market, then housing. We live in a small house with a poor commute and we've decided to have only one kid. I feel fortunate in what we have; my sister is 5 years younger, has way more debt, and us married but likely won't have kids. We are not as well off as our parents were at this age, even though our parents grew up poor and we didn't.

It's always been too expensive. That's why I have to subsidize the products of your unprotected sex. Gross.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I watch a single friend enter her retirement, married is definitely the way to go financially, at least in her case.

Single friend with 3 houses instead of 3 kids, I'll be fine dear - my money isn't going towards college funds.

You may need that money to pay people to care for you in your old age.

Anonymous wrote:I never understand this argument. We live an hour from Dc, but daycare in our town is $12k a year for an infant. If you’re working for minimum wage or very low paid (my sister was a private school kindergarten teacher making $21k a year 10 years ago), I get it. But my friends, neighbors who live in $400k 2500 single family homes, it’s not even 25% of their salary. Cost of living being what it is, salaries are higher, home prices are higher, daycare costs more but it’s not like the same $100k salary requires you to buy a $1M house and spend $30k/kid in daycare.

You live in the boonies. Daycare is much more expensive closer in.

A marriage license costs $55.

It's easier to afford to get married, just don't spend much. Children and housing on the other hand...

If you can't afford it, you need to move to a different area you can afford to live/buy.

I live in CA and an article came out this morning re: Exodus of the Golden Coast.

More people than ever are moving out of the state due to the extremely high cost of living.

It co$t too darn much to live here w/housing prices through the roof (no pun intended) + no single income family can afford to reside in this state comfortably unfortunately.

Many people are moving to -> Texas or Oregon instead.

Just do what my spoiled ass BIL did and ask your mommy for the $$. Sarcasm removed, no, it’s not too expensive for people who live within their means, make sacrifices, and smart financial choices. Which has ALWAYS been true. This is not some new world where these tenets are no longer true, you just don’t want to live in reality.

Anonymous wrote:As I watch a single friend enter her retirement, married is definitely the way to go financially, at least in her case.

Single friend with 3 houses instead of 3 kids, I'll be fine dear - my money isn't going towards college funds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
In certain areas where real estate is expensive, most people definitely need to downsize their housing expectations. This is what European cities have done for ages - families live in apartments.

I’ve happily raised my family in apartments. Better an affordable apartment near amenities than a place we can’t afford or out in the sticks.

The good thing about apartments is there are always other children around for your children to play with. It is never boring. That's for sure.

Anonymous wrote:No.

Technically, you are right since government assistance is always an option.

No.

Some people are coming to this thread from a standpoint of where they were at 20 years ago, 10 years ago as single adults.

Things have drastically changed since then.