Comments on: A Life Without Debt: The Decision to Remain Childless

By: deegee

deegee — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:42:17 +0000

Stephanie, you totally miss the point when you say, “All the hardship and stress that kids may bring is a drop in the bucket.”

That may be true for YOU, for childfree people like ME, the hardship and stress we would add to our lives if we had them is not only insurmountable and intolerable but also has ZERO upside, starting with screwing up my finances and ending my early retirement.

And why do you try to equate liking ice cream to wanting to have kids? You have drunk too much of the Kool-Aid with the so-called “Life Script” of having kids. (By the way, I can’t eat ice cream any more because it freezes my teeth and causes me lots of pain.)

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:23:58 +0000

I respect your decision and don’t think in any way that you are being selfish. I have a “live and let live” about other people’s lifestyles.

So I am not being critical when I say this, I am just amazed, much like a child would be to find out there are people in the world who don’t like ice cream. I have a STRONG maternal instinct and all my goals and plans through my entire life centered around one fact: One day I will be a mother. That’s not to say that I don’t have other identities, but being a mother is as central to who I am as being a woman, or even being a human being.

All the hardship and stress that kids may bring is a drop in the bucket. So many of the most beautiful wonderful things in life are hard. Getting out of bed is hard, but it’s hardly living if you don’t.

By: Breton Wench

Breton Wench — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:02:04 +0000

Interesting reading.
But spare a thought for those of us who did NOT plan for these little surprises. We knew from the start of our marriage that kids were not on the cards due to infertility, but husband and I were unperturbed and not worried about being childless.
Finding that I was suddenly pregnant – with twins! – was infinitely more worrying.

Nine years later and we love them to bits, for richer or poorer.

By: A Life Without Debt: Whatever Will I Do In My Old Age? - SavingAdvice.com Blog

A Life Without Debt: Whatever Will I Do In My Old Age? - SavingAdvice.com Blog — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:03:15 +0000

[...] couple of weeks ago I wrote about our decision to remain child-free and how that decision (while not based on money) has made it easier for us to remain out of debt. [...]

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 06 May 2009 04:32:57 +0000

Don’t forget that children expect inheritances, so don’t count on spending your retirement money on yourself!! I am so glad I am not having kids. I would totally resent someone taking over my freedom, cash, free time, my love of animals. I am donating my money to a Veteranarian teaching hospital, and I am a proud fur mother.

By: AngryReptileKeeper

AngryReptileKeeper — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:14:49 +0000

“We’ve been accused of being selfish; denying a child the benefit of being raised in a comfortable home.”

A child that doesn’t even exist, therefore, it needs no ‘comfortable home’! Breeders are idiots.

By: deegee

deegee — Tue, 05 May 2009 02:39:54 +0000

I think the article is right on. I am 45, single, male, and knew when I was 20 years old that I never wanted to have kids. That is the main reason why I have been debt-free since I was 35 years old. I paid off the mortgage on my apartment that year and was able to retire last November at the age of 45. I never have to work again and I can live off my dividend income indefinitely.

And Stacy Adcock, I am an atheist, so your “children are from god” is totally irrelevant to me.

With my added free time, I can do more of my volunteer work at some local area schools, so I am not totally without interaction with kids. I just don’t want any around 24/7 (along with the huge expense and daily annoyance they bring with them).

I cannot imagine screwing up my finances by having kids and having to work until I am 55, 60, or 65 (or longer).

And if you think I am some lonely man who can’t find a woman, think again. I have been in a steady relationship with a woman for the last 5 years. She has an adult child who lives out of state, and she is not interested in having more kids (and she can’t have any more, anyway).

Whenever someone asks me how I was able to retire at the age of 45, my short, simple answer is this: “No kids. No debts.” In that order.

By: Paula

Paula — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:56:44 +0000

One thing I didn’t mention before: some people had suggested to me the reason for having another child, so that younger child could care for my disabled son in his adult life. I think this is just as bad as parents having children because they want to be taken care of in their old age! I wouldn’t do that to a child, especially because my mother was the second eldest of seven children and was expected to “mother” her five younger siblings (and my grandmother was a SAHM!)

By: Brooklyn Girl

Brooklyn Girl — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:49:59 +0000

Here we go again, shoving religion into every opening.

People on hallucinogenic mushrooms are even happier with absolute bliss and believe they understand the universe, so can we use that happiness as a merit as well?

One chosen unproven belief that makes you happy is as good as the another…

I should start posting about mushrooms as an answer to everything from now on.

By: Stacy Adcock

Stacy Adcock — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:44:27 +0000

Sorry about that, totally got off topic, you’re right Shane, very emotional topic. I so proud of this site and the freedom to share financial (and other) opinions. I’m learning a lot.