Will I save a lot of money by NOT having kids?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I have no chidren yet, and probably will. BUT I think that not having children is fine as well. My best friend will probably never have any and IS great. She is not selfish or stupid, and because she knows herself and her lifestyle. Instead I think it's wiser that she does what makes her most comfortable.

Children are a responsibilty. Geez a lou. Having some for purpose, well you're just asking for bad things to happen.

[Seeker]

Guys,

There are certain posts that really should never exist. A teacher asking the question of "Will I save lots of money by NOT having kids?" Come on.

The question is mean-hearted to those of us who would have loved to have children but simply could not. It's a very inconsiderate topic and has no place in this forum.

Let this topic die please.

[SnoopyCool]

Well put, Princess!

The Genesis verse beforementioned was when Noah was leaving the ark with his family and two of every animal and God told them to multiply because they were the only ones left...the verse was taken out of context.

That's in Gen 1:28, spoken to Adam and Eve.

I think children deserve to go to a home where they are wanted. I love my brood of 4 and may have more, but wouldn't begrudge or be ugly to anyone who feels differently. I may not understand this thinking, but we're all different and come from different places.

Anyway, you may or may not save money by not having children. We manage to save more now than ever, and make just a hair more per year than we did b.c. (Before children). Ours was a matter of getting our ducks in a row and getting educated about how to handle money (ongoing).

[Exile]

You will save thousands of dollars per year and possibly your mental health as well.

[Beccagold]

Guys, think about this:
You are 60 years old, rich, you are living a high-level lifestyle and evenings you are ALONE in your home. There is nobody who thinks about you, there is nobody who cares is everything allright with you or not.
There is nobody who will support you. There is nobody who will bring you a glass of water. And there will be nobody who will come to say you last goodbye.

I have to admit this is one of my pet peeves in the discussion of having children. There is no guarantee your children will be there for you when you are older. The same argument goes for the only child debate when people say the child needs a friend. There is no guarantee your children will like eachother or get along.

These are not the reasons to have children. My personal belief is that too many people have children for the wrong reasons, i.e. they're supposed to, somebody to take care of them, etc.

[ActYourWage]

Guys,

There are certain posts that really should never exist. A teacher asking the question of "Will I save lots of money by NOT having kids?" Come on.

The question is mean-hearted to those of us who would have loved to have children but simply could not. It's a very inconsiderate topic and has no place in this forum.

Let this topic die please.

I agree. The title of this post does come across as sounding selfish. I am sure the OP isn't that way, but one should use common sense on such topics.

[ScrimpAndSave]

Blah blah blah.

I think it is much more selfish to having children for the wrong reasons or have them and be completely unprepared.

To each his own.

[aida2003]

Blah blah blah.

I think it is much more selfish to having children for the wrong reasons or have them and be completely unprepared.

To each his own.

After reading such an answer, I have no clue why you started the topic in the first place. You already had answers

[lgslgs]

Guys, think about this:
You are 60 years old, rich, you are living a high-level lifestyle and evenings you are ALONE in your home. There is nobody who thinks about you, there is nobody who cares is everything allright with you or not.
There is nobody who will support you. There is nobody who will bring you a glass of water. And there will be nobody who will come to say you last goodbye.

Then get a dog.

[ScrimpAndSave]

And...as selfish and harsh as it sounds...it is really just an honest question.

I didn't ask, "If I give my kids away - will I save money?"

Haha...obviously once they are born, you can never imagine your life without them. I don't think it is right to have them if you really can't afford them.

[gamecock43]

So then I guess your question was intended to be- "how expensive is a child?" and a follow up question is "how expensive would a child cost ME?"

because your choices when raising the kid will affect the cost.

While the answers to question #1 can range from 'not very expensive' comparing low income households to upper class households to 'very expensive', this question is easier to quantify.

And by understanding the basic costs associated with question #1, you can apply it to question #2 which deals with you specifically.

If you dont want kids you dont want kids. I call 'the mall' my natural birth control because seeing screaming children while ragged mothers shop reaffirms I am not ready for kids.

But you being a teacher, your husband being a soon- to- be- lawyer, can afford kids if you wanted them. So if you worry you cant afford them, dont worry, you can.

[ActYourWage]

So then I guess your question was intended to be- "how expensive is a child?" and a follow up question is "how expensive would a child cost ME?"

because your choices when raising the kid will affect the cost.

While the answers to question #1 can range from 'not very expensive' comparing low income households to upper class households to 'very expensive', this question is easier to quantify.

And by understanding the basic costs associated with question #1, you can apply it to question #2 which deals with you specifically.

If you dont want kids you dont want kids. I call 'the mall' my natural birth control because seeing screaming children while ragged mothers shop reaffirms I am not ready for kids.

But you being a teacher, your husband being a soon- to- be- lawyer, can afford kids if you wanted them. So if you worry you cant afford them, dont worry, you can.

Nicely stated.

[tripods68]

Coulda shoulda woulda have children.....things happen in life. You accept it as they are. In a way, it's a rhotorical question. Of course, you will saved TONS of money if you don't have children. DisneySteve already answered that question.

I think my wife and I would be fine being married without kids. But we wanted to share the abundance of life with our own flesh and blood. We were ready to accept kids in our life, we are both loving parents. We didn't plan to have kids right- a-way, but we were prepared for the unexpected. But the main question should be asked will a child bring pure happiness to your marriage life? If you are not married yet, then its a tough question to answer.

[disneysteve]

But the main question should be asked will a child bring pure happiness to your marriage life?

As the father of a pre-teen girl, I can tell you quite emphatically that the answer to that question is NO!

This thread has wandered all over the place. The orginal question has been answered. Yes, it is cheaper not to have kids.

Other issues have come up: Should you have kids? When can you afford to have kids? Is it okay to just have one kid? Etc. Those are totally different issues and there is no right answer to them. It is a personal decision. Let's leave it at that.