Millennials can’t afford their own lives, let alone children || Motherhood In Progress 

Exactly so many just pop them out when they canr even support themselves then expect society to help or worse are the slugs that tell others to have kids.

I wouldn’t say it’s “self less” It’s just because you don’t want to spend money on a kid, you want your money for yourself And there is nothing wrong with that honestly

I don’t agree really. I think there have always been hardships. My grandparents thought they couldn’t afford to have kids.

@@user-sf2yv3vy7rOr you want the best for your kid and you’re just not in the position to provide the things a kid will need and/or want. I’m basically on the fence of the situation but I feel like if you are of the mindset that I indicated above (the latter) then I would in all respect consider it *selfless* to not have children.

@@vanillavania. what I’m saying is that you don’t need to be rich to have a kid If you aren’t going to have a kid bc you arnt rich, that’s a preference

Just buy and invest in Gold or other reliable stock , the government has failed us and we cant keep living like this.

Yes, gold is a great investment and a good bet against the devaluating dollar, been holding some for awhile now, I’m grateful my adviser’s moment by moment changes in the market are lightening quick, cos who know how much losses I would’ve had by now.

Mind if I ask you to recommend this particular advisor you using their service?

Credits goes to " Vivian Jean Wilhelm " one of the finest portfolio managers in the field. She's widely recognized; you should take a look at her work.

Appreciate this recommendation, hopefully I can get some insight to where the economy is headed and strategies to beat inflation with when I hear back from Vivian .

You're one of the few that understands

Yep. Wages stayed the same and house prices doubled.

I graduated in 06, can of tuna was .10, I could easily find a job that paid very very well without any degrees. I made 3k a month working with sprint with unlimited hours. Rent was 550 for a 2 bed with a beautiful view. That huge crash happened and the job did massive lay off and added restrictions to everyone. Food was very affordable too and I could save. Move on to today. Have a degree, barely make enough to afford rent in my own for my son and I. Groceries about 500-600, gas about 400 a month, and so on. It’s dramatically different then it was

I don't even have children, but out of curiosity I looked up how warehouse buying for diapers (44-50+ bucks) compared to other regular stores after seeing the prices at Costco: Diapers in my area are around 30-35 dollars at even "cheaper" options like Walmart for something that by its nature needs to be thrown away! I just turned thirty and it's wild to me- I feel like I almost would feel guilty worrying about affording things for a child despite having a "respectable" income if I had to commit to having a child today.

Well ma'am instead of buying formula you can just spend thousands per year on regular meetings with a licensed medical professional from *the industry* that we all love, and they can maybe probably ensure that you produce enough milk to feed your hungry baby yourself before recommending you buy the formula anyways.

If you have to choose between 'thriving' financially and having offspring in your lifetime, what would you choose?

​@@nicoobrowner59 Thriving in my lifetime, 100%

@liamwacey807 Thanks for sharing sir. Everyone wants to thrive their entire lifetime. That is impossible though and that's ok. Life is full of ups and downs. I am waiting for the lovely lady who commented to share her thoughts on my question though ❤️❤️❤️

#bidenflation

​@@nicoobrowner59 thriving in my lifetime (answer provided by a woman with her biological clock running out soon). Why? Because I was just surviving all my life, as were my parents after I was born. I currently can't even afford providing for my cat without relying on help from somebody else, there is no space or recources for a child in my life. If I was to get pregnant, it would probably be the end for both of us. I never even wanted to have children, because I was the oldest child and the burden of caring for younger siblings (cooking, cleaning, helping them with school), left me drained, depressed and anxious as a a child and it never really went away, (it probably got even worse). I feel like I never had a chance to be carefree or play as a child, I was also bullied at school and "punished" at home for anything my caregivers wouldn't like that day or simply for existing and reminding them of their past choices they regretted. If I find a way to thrive in my lifetime, I have no intention of giving it up to birth a child and be a resentful and unreliable mom like my mom was to me. I intend to break rhe cycle of abuse in my family. If I somehow changed my mind about children, I'd still prefer to adopt or find a partner with child to care for. I don't understand people who make it seem like a child not carrying their genes doesn't count as family.

as a boomer we did not waste money on silly stuff. now people have cell phone bills, disney plus, netflics, door dash, eating out instead of cooking, starbucks, nails, hair, expensive nike, car loans, school loans, credit cards, amazon. they are being conned, if you want a house get a cheap car and ignore all the rest

@@hermanrosario7045as a 42 year old who is doing actually really well (no kids, dual income) I need to tell you that you are out of touch with what it actually takes to survive in the world today. This is evidenced by the fact that “cell phone” is listed as a superfluous item in your list. In my job, a smart phone is *required* for MFA (look it up, boomer). A safe, reliable car is a requirement for my personal safety after some old guy ran me off the road when he didn’t check his blind spot and almost killed me leaving me with multiple surgeries and chronic anxiety. I subscribe to a few streaming channels because 1- it’s actually far cheaper than cable and 2. I refuse to support any cable company that carries Fox News. And while you’re sitting in your house that has increased in value 15x, collecting your social security that the rest of us are paying for but will probably never see, remember that the rest of us don’t have a stay-at-home anything to make sure that dinner is on the table, laundry is done, and the house is clean after a long day of work like YOU were privileged enough to have.

@@hermanrosario7045please do give us some website links to cheap house listings.

@@hermanrosario7045 @hermanrosario7045 I use a minimum cell phone service of 2,99€ a month. My phone has been working well for several years with no plans of replacement and I bought it at a low price. I use the streaming accs of my parents. I don't get my nails done. My hair is natural and I cut it myself. My car is 20 years old. I get my no-name clothes from sales and keep them for a long time. I cook myself. Even my gym membership is the cheapest I could find. Can I afford living alone? Nope. There are lots of Gen Zs like me. And there are also split groups of older generations living like that vs the way you described. So what is your point?

@@hermanrosario7045I’m Gen z and I am extremely frugal, I do not own a car, it’s been 5 years since I went out to eat or ordered food, I meal plan and budget like crazy, I keep a firm eye on any money I spend on “entertainment” because it’s not a necessity, my partner and I both work jobs where we make $20+ an hour and we cannot afford a home. We’ve been saving for one for years and we are basically living paycheck to paycheck because prices keep rising or an emergency will happen and all our funds go to that. I have zero debt. I stay on top of counting every single dollar I get and every single dollar I spend. So tell me why I can’t afford to buy a home again? I live in a rural community, this is the cheapest area around, and two adults working full time on good pay cannot afford to buy a home. But it’s because we are buying silly things?? That’s why?

In fact, some people CAN’T handle college. College IS a privilege. *face palm*

Only about 40% of people in the U.S. attend college. So, like, 60% of the population shouldn't have kids? lol

I make more money with a high school diploma then my son’s dad with his college degree. I’ve already made sure my son knows there’s more than just 1 path (I wasn’t told this, college was pushed heavily and I’m so glad I only did part time community college while i figured out what I wanted to do)

Because the people complaining about not being able to afford kids by and large are those who did go to college.

College is free in developed countries.

Every child deserves a decent quality of life 50 K for more than one child is practically poverty in most places in the US and not fair for the children.

People can live on modest incomes and their children never go without. It's not correct to assume that they are all miserable living in "poverty". Here's the true poverty guidelines for 2024 in the USA.: A family of 8 (EIGHT!) living on $52,720! Pretty eye opening isn't it?

@@believestthouthis7 you can't generalize the entire USA, income varies state to state . In New York and California you need 140k for a family of 4 . Plus I hate to say it but a life in poverty is not fun, and it's environment I would not like to raise my children in, most parents wouldn't want that.

@@user-or2vq1vq9w Well that's how the US govt classifies "poverty". It's true that different areas have different costs of living. People would be wise to be willing to move and live modestly. There are plenty of families living off far less than that. Psalm 128 KJV 1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

​@dorino9057 My family makes less than $50, and we have two children under our roof. We have no debt and rent a farm for a very reasonable price. We are not suffering at all. I am a stay at home mom. Yes, I do see how this a privilege because at one time, I was a single mom of two children and could not stay at home. I go to the Goodwill a lot and find clothes and furniture that are in amazing condition. We have a large garden and I can up food quite frequently. We also heat primarily with a wood stove and collect the wood ourselves. It's a lot of work but we don't see it as suffering. It costs to much for me to work right now.

The sad reality is that our dollars shouldn’t have been debased to the point where both parents have to work. Now kids are sent to government schools that are absolutely a joke and you’re still stating society should provide support? Maybe we should realize that the best place for a mother to be is in the home raising the family literally one of the hardest and most important tasks a person could do. My wife is a stay at home mom she’s a registered nurse and chose her kids over a career. A career she can return to but time spent taking accountability and taking charge of what our kids will learn how they’ll be patented and guided was way more important than working in industry only to be taxed on every dollar to do what? To say look at me I’m a strong working woman? Society has been duped to believe that women should be literally forced into the workplace due to economics but fooled them into thinking that is where “women’s empowerment” will be found.

"I'm not gonna forfeit my career to have children. How else will I be able to afford to buy the stanley cup in 50 different colors?"

Uh... Being a mom is WAY better than any job or career I've ever had. Working is no fun

​@@ironsurvival7011Doesn't provide a solution to all the single mothers regardless.

As it should be. Women are being logical.

Rural areas are expensive in other ways: transportation, medical services, and perhaps not as obvious on the monthly budget, but very important for the children: places for them to be besides home or other people's homes. Which I tell everyone who tells me to "jUsT mOvE tO tHe CoUnTrY". If there are not enough of cities (which are just inherently more efficient), they will be overpriced.

@@SystemfehlerK it's definitely not a place for opportunity. Which is why people left in the first place? Some people, I tell ya.

I agree on the falsity of the "move rural" bromide. As you note, the competition for any barely "decent" job is always tight, no matter where you are. And people look of for "their own." I migrated to Washington DC after school from Boston, as it was a place where someone with an education had a shot. Boston was very much only friendly to the most brilliant, or, for everyone else, family connections. Referring to the former, someone like Barak Obama (based on people who knew him as a young man) was a brilliant shining star as a law student and law clerk.... charismatic and intelligent and dazzling, even when he wore one frayed corduroy jacket and had a car with holes in the floor! I have seen people do horrible things to secure a slot for a friend or relative. We are talking finding a way to get rid of an ASSISTANT DOCKET CLERK at a law firm, to open the slot for a cousin who needs a job. There is competition at ALL LEVELS.

In 2021, we moved from the pricey Southwest to a nice/fancy area in Ohio. We are not rural. It is a booming suburb with a lot of opportunity. However, It is no longer affordable here. It is also extremely competitive. Very Few homes are for rent or sale. When they are, you need to be using a conventional loan or cash. No VA, FHA, etc. I could not qualify to buy the house today that I bought just 2½yrs ago. It has increased in value and the rates tripled. I'm glad we got in when we did, but we are also stuck here now and the weather kinda sucks.

Bidenflation

Same here!

And yet it didn't kill you or make your life as bad as most ppl will assume. A loving family is more important than giving your kids the latest phone, brand name clothes, and trips to Disneyland

No child deserves to grow up in poverty, but when we say that people who can't afford kids shouldn't have any because it is abusive, we get accused of eugenics.

@@MonatguestI don’t think you understand poverty. Imagine not having food or eating anything you can find including pet food. I wasn’t worried about video games or going to Disney or having newer clothes for school. You really don’t get it.

@@user-xm3wd8tz6d my family of 5 were dirty poor when I was little. Watery veggie soup and bread was an everyday meal, no heating and no shoes until basically school age. Being poor in the west is basically middle class for some countries. US has food banks, salvation army, goodwill, soup kitchens and homeless shelters and different government assistance programs like foodstamps and so much more. Being poor in the US is a luxury compared to many other countries. The things westerners complain about is insane when even at poverty level you live better than majority of the world

Lol, yeah, that's the biggest part of this conversation I think people are missing. If people are saying "I can't have kids because [blank]" and [blank] isn't literally "I am infertile," then it's not that you can't have kids, it's that you don't want to have kids. And there's nothing wrong with that.

There’s a difference between childfree and childless though. The first case are people that do not want to have children. The second case are people who want to have children, but can’t for some reason. The first group will say that even in ideal circumstances they would not procreate, the second group will list the preconditions of their ideal scenario and state that they would procreate in these circumstances. > That said, I agree with your overall statement. Childfree people are still heavily stigmatized in most societies, though. So some childless people may be childfree in disguise, who knows.

The gov propaganda has to be pushed they need both snasnorsions (sell the parts for tons of money) and birthed kids (taxpayers)

Yes but that’s not what she talking about. She’s referring to people who want kids but can’t afford to, which is different than people who don’t want children.

EXACTLY I simply don't want to do that

They will also blame you for declining population when you are financially responsible and don't have kids you can't afford.

So youd rather listen to people who tell you to live foolishly and run up a bunch of debt?

@@oneperson5760 balance a budget is not a solution to a cost you cannot control. The people deciding not to have kids are making steps, it's the ones saying "just balance the budget" so you can who are expecting reckless financial decision making.

@@lizcollinson2692 , I dont understand how you can interpret 'balance your budget' into reckless financial decision making. Making a budget and living within it is anything but reckless, whether you have children or not.

​@@oneperson5760because saying balance your budget as a solution to having children is inherently reckless because your budget could easily be 30k a year. You can't turn shit into diamonds my friend.

Hard to argue

So you're in Cali or NYC or another big liberal city. Not even kidding.

Even birds have a nest. So so true

I live with my husbands mum with our child and it’s nice. Sometimes that nest is within your family home.

💯

I was in high school at the start of ours. The word "depression" feels very apt. Always told I'd achieve nothing and should just give up. Worked my arse off to have a good career but let's be honest, I got lucky. But even though I'm on an ok income I'd struggle to afford kids. I don't know how folk do it

​​​@@potato1084I have lived with my in-laws for a bit and my partner has lived with my parents. We both could not wait to leave: living with parents when you do it because you are financially dependent on them (their house, their rules) is terrible because you are an adult and you have to abide by teenagers rules, even when you contribute to pay the rent or bills. That said, we were never treated poorly. They were great. But still, being in your late 20s and living with parents is tough.

Ikr! Her fam is probably loaded. Stay at home moms are a privilege.

I think it's like 60% of people say they are middle class. There is an entire cohort that calls the lower upper class, "upper-middle class" as they are living in a suburb with a white picket fence.

That's because what was defined as middle class in 1984, had been redefined in 2024.

I want to see Emma's parents' financials.

@@dmoore8595 It’s more like it was never given another definition and every news agency wants the latest cohort to own homes. Gen Z with the Wall Street malarkey might be the first generation with a significant percentage not owning their own home. Also, like I said the “America Dream,” is now reserved for the upper middle class.

I think most of these families just sacrifice their large paychecks for large families. That doesn't mean they have any neglect though. It probably is fun for a child to have lots of kids around to play with. They do have a lot of hand me downs, so the oldest had newer clothes and youngest don't, but the oldest has to sometimes give up their toys to younger ones.

That's absolutely untrue. Maybe you have experience with this, but parents who love their children and are focused on them, and not other things can absolutely give plenty of love and attention to each one.

@@t.8936I agree. Even with two kids this can happen, the neglect. It’s all about the parents and what they do and how they show each individual child love.

@@daniellemasterson7590 i'm from a developing country, it was common in my parents' generation (boomers) to have large families. Actually, parents in those times took care of their kids very less, compared to my own friends who have 1-3 kids max. It is literally humanly impossible to put each child to bed separately when you have 10 kids 😂 often, the older kids had lots of responsibilities...cook food, dress the younger ones for school, sweep the house, etc. And it's also interesting that such families, as they grew older, tended to have lots of sibling rivalry and conflict too. Siblings would hold grudges against each other, have favourites and form alliances, fight over parents' property...in fact lawsuits within families over land and houses are extremely common in that generation.

​@@daniellemasterson7590normaly the oldest have to grow up at very young age, to be a parent for their siblings. They do duties, a child shuld not do, as a child is not responsible for another child, an adult is. And yes the neglect in those families is real, but not on purpose. The parents have not the time to provide emotional saftey for all their children.

Yeah and in some countries it's against code to have more than x people in y square feet. I thought that the other day, the large families of the past would likely be fined for too many people in one apartment.

Wow so interesting

When I stayed with my friend in Poland I was surprised to find out that it’s super common for families to live in one bedroom apartment and the parents sleep on a sofa bed in the lounge room and the children sleep in the bedroom

Really? A friend of mine once told me that owning one or two apartments in Poland "means nothing" because most people there own one. There's probably a big difference between different regions/cities.

Czechia is similar. We were family of four in apartment shy of 800sq ft. I always thought it was huge. But for some people it's apparently tiny even for 1 child? When my sister was born my mom lived in a studio apartment. When she wanted to buy a sewing machine it cost her monthly salary. People couldn't even get a car because ~communism~. We have it great these days.

That is a really good point. A lot of people do not realize that nuclear families relatively new phenomenon that rose to prominence after WWII. Extended families have historically been the norm and are still common in less affluent countries

and Gen X...me.....were not watching your kids because we were adults by age 9!

It is both money and lack of social support.

You're talking about getting free childcare from family members and letting other people do the work of the wife and mother (cooking, cleaning, childcare) so that she can also make an income? Daycare, public school and full-time working mothers weren't always the norm. All of it is abdicating responsibility. It's all pretty sad.

@@autobotdiva9268 grandparents should be forced to babysit if they coerced the kids into having them

Even if I could afford the ridiculous rents, I'd rather stay in my Sienna, and not throw that money away.

Yep an apartment is the next best thing cuz it’s no commitment after lease is up no maintenance and half the cost of a home per month

@@AO-46613 Fuck renting. I'd rather own a house the size of a shed than rent something. That's why I bought the van. It's MINE.

Same here girl... Sadly It feels like I'm forced to give up my core dreams just to scrape by

Same. 37 and my work and books have become my life

I’m with you on that

Sounds like you’re depressed ❤ don’t give up!

@emm6724 very yes. Have been for a long time. People keep taking my funds because I fall in love and thought that people had the best intentions but they never do yet. I'm very lonely having no friends from going to uni after I come back everyone was married and with kids. I listened the government and now I am on minimum wage even. Thanks for the upliting message ! Really appreciate it! Xxxx

I thought the same thing as far as not being able to have a normal healthy child. My chances weren't great, I have a disabled brother, 2 disabled uncles and an aunt. It was somewhere between 1 out of 3 and 50/50 chance of having a disabled child. I listened to my body. Now unfortunately people don't have that kind of choice now, but I have a happy healthy daughter that has no problems. Sometimes you know everything is going to be fine during pregnancy with your baby and sometimes you can sense that it's not. Listen to your gut. I think adoption should be cheaper so we don't have to roll the dice and hope for the best too.

I was born with a congenital heart condition that was corrected via surgery when I was 11 months. I would have to be monitored if I ever developed blood pressure issues. My dad was military and I was born in the right place, at the right time. The hospital I had the surgery at housed the leading pediatric cardiologists at the time and they were only about an hour away on the highway. A little girl a few years older than me was in the waiting room waiting to undergo the same surgery and her parents had come all the way from France. Back then, Tricare covered most of the costs associated so it wasn't looming over my entire childhood. I have never needed another surgery since so I am as healthy as a normal person. My condition is now being debated as either genetic or environmental, as my dad's side does have heart problems and my mom worked in a hospital and three other women in her unit gave birth to babies with similar conditions; the research has become more mixed since my birth. I have a chance at having a healthy baby when I actually have a job that pays enough to survive. But when discussing it with new friends that one of the first things I will be looking for in a partner is that they do not have or their family does not have a history of heart conditions (unless via something else like smoking or cancer related,) they find it weird. I cannot afford to have a child like me and two wrongs don't make a right. My partner needs to be clear there so the likelihood doesn't increase.

Funny enough that those people who insist that everyone should have children are also the people who resent handicap or mentally challenged kids.

Being able to work and have your own income is also privileged.I am stayed home mom and I agree that I am privileged to do so because my partner and I have a great relationship and he is Happy to work twice as hard to make the income that we need.But is it a privilege for him? Or what about the lack of time that we miss out on with him?There's disadvantages and Advantages to both.

Agree with the previous poster - working and having your own income is also a privilege. I used to work full time when we had our first child, returned to work at 5 weeks postpartum since it was a very competitive work, 60+ hours per week, no paid leave at all and we were relying on my income. The pandemic happened and our entire situation changed. With childcare costs being absolutely ridiculously high in our area now (major city - and it isn't just prices but also the question of finding a space, especially for an infant), it doesn't make sense for me financially to work - we sincerely would be off worse. I never imagined myself to be a stay at home mom - but it will be temporary and so we limit ourselves to make it work with the kids we have. Only spending on necessities, free options as outings and gifts for our kids, living in a 2 bedroom apartment across the street from where my husband is working so we can save on transportation costs and he can spend time with the kids too despite working 60 hours per week. It would be easier if our area had free PreK but it doesn't. No family around either, so I will only return to work when it makes sense again financially, which means once we only have one kid left who needs childcare. It's a lot of years though where I can't pay into retirement, the lost opportunities in the future due to the long gap in employment, probably having to start at a lower paying job again (we probably would have decided differently without the job loss and unsuccessful job search in my field). But with prices as they are right now, we cannot afford for me to work, which is absolutely ridiculous. I definitely agree that sadly in this country, it is a privilege to be home with your baby though - and it REALLY shouldn't be. I originally come from a country with generous maternity leave policies and the US is outrageously behind in this regard. No mother should have to consider childcare for their 7 week old baby unless it is her choice.

If you make less than 30K (after tax) per kid, you would be better off being a SAHM.

As a SAHM day care is a luxury to me. I don’t understand how people afford daycare.

It's a privilege but not for the rich. It's a privilege to those whose circumstances happen to make it possible. Or if you're forced into it. I have now baby twins and a 2 year old which all need private daycare. I don't make enough money to send 3 babies to daycare!! So obviously, the CHEAPER OPTION is to stay home with them... see how that works? I could say it's a privilege that you can afford to put your kids in a daycare and go to work. No but seriously. Imagining having to put my 7 week old baby in the care of someone else makes me want to cry...😢

How did anyone stop supporting families? You work you eat.

Exactly!

exactly. my dad make less than me when he purchase his first house. he have 7 children and my mom is a stay at home mom. while me, combine with my husband's income. we still cant afford to buy a house. we are in our 30s. and oh my god being stay at home mom is a priveledge. you think i want to leave my child and go to work everyday and miss half of their childhood? what is she talking about? oh we are from Malaysia. housing market are bad bad.

My best friends Dad bought a nice house in SoCal as a preacher. That same friend works for the church (It's a large church) and owning isn't even on his radar. Even with a good job, a wife and no kids.

I wonder what year her parents bought their first home. I wonder how much that home cost. Then, we could look up the median household income for that year and do the math. She used a lot of words, did some smiling and a little giggling. No numbers . people like her irritate the hell out of me. My husband and I bought out first home in 1996. It cost 180,000. We made 65k combined at the time. Can you imagine finding a nice house today that is less than 3 times your annual salary?

Emmas dad has been a corporate real estate exec since the 1980s and hired Emma and each of her siblings to launch their careers. Awesome for them but let’s not pretend she knows anything about being middle class (or a parent, she’s 20 something living with her parents)

There is no such thing as "free healthcare" in any country. Or "free school systems".. They are all taxes.

I think the whole point is you shouldn't have to do that

There's no such thing as free healthcare. The taxpayers of your adopted country are footing those health care costs, and services are rationed in some way (likely via wait times for procedures).

Zora, Americas are also paying taxes for healthcare they don't receive, PLUS insurance. My grandmother is about to go blind on a wait-list for optic surgery. The USA sucks, why can't you just admit it?

@@mj269everywhere sucks just in different ways and to different degrees

When I was in college, I thought about buying a run down manufactured home on 4 acres of land. It was 90k at the time. Which was a little less than average 6 years ago, but it would have been cheaper than paying rent. My bf, now husband, said it wasn't a good idea because we'd be buying later in the future after we were out of school and starting our careers. So I chose not to get a mortgage on a run-down home and pay less in rent. Omg. I could have sold that house and land for 500k now. 😭😭😭 I still think about it. 4 acres. 4 acres! In the outskirts of a major city! Why didn't I just go through with it 😭

@@OneClassyCupcake I feel this way often when I see the home of almost 10 acres that my husband ALMOST bought before he met me. But it just means that there is something more suited for both you and your husband in the future, as well as me and mine! Best of luck in the future and finding your forever home (maybe it’ll have more than 4 acres and won’t be as rundown, fingers crossed!)

Renting a house is way better than renting an apartment. I think anyway. It was stressful horrible in an apartment. I still have shared walls. 4 families in one building but no one above or below me now.

You're definitely not alone in this situation. There are many of us just like you.

It’s true, many of my friends are priced out and are moving to less expensive states. It shouldn’t be this way. Congrats on getting married! I’m happy for you and we don’t know what the future holds, I’m sure there is a great future for you. ❤

She also assumed she'd be fine in SoCal. I left when rent was 2k a month for a 2 bedroom apartment. My FIL once bought a condo in Redondo for 10k. Current condos are 400k+. SoCal become unbuyable for the average person during the last generation. Making a whole shit ton of kids who can never live where they grew up.

I also love how she was like "you can just downsize your home." How are you going to add people to your household but get a smaller house??? Out of touch.

​@@MrsJC808kids can share bedrooms?

That’s what I’m saying! I literally cackled when I watched that part 😂

@@MrsJC808Can’t downsize if you can barely afford the small place you already live in 😑

Yes it is… When are we all going to stand up and say no? I’m down for boycotting just about everything- including paying mortgages, rent, taxes, etc.. until we change the system… But there are too many boot licking, tyrannical government collaborators all around us, who would not stand with us. That is the problem. People have been conditioned and adjusted to an abnormal, ass backwards, mentally ill society, and they love their slavery, at least they believe they do. If we all said no, well they can’t foreclose on, evict, or jail us all.

What?? I thought the economic system that structures society to be completely focused on profit and money was the best one for the common good?

@@user-xr7ci8tf3e I like your sarcasm.

Listen, we're not gonna fight the system period we're just gonna accept the rules of the game and then plan accordingly.

Can i ask a question….dont you think its a bit much bringing 8 children into this world… Do you really need to show off like that… its all for yourself wasn’t it! The attention seeker “look at me im a woman i can get pregnant”ridiculous! Your the church goddess arnt ya

$130k for a family of 10 sounds really challenging. I with you the best.

@BlendedBarbieDoll It just bumped up to $160,000 this week with a raise. We are always working to increase income. That's take-home income, BTW.

Hard to hear the truth huh … pathetic people

How did you buy 3 homes? It sounds like you were sitting on generational money?

Yes, my former spouse and I did the traditional route and then when his behavior was getting unbearable, I left. He found a rough Lawyer and harassed me until I signed a document that stated he get over 90% of our assets that were combined. I had to start over, and we had three children. He practically fought me to death so he wouldn't have to pay child support. I never recommend a woman going traditional anymore.

@@cmcordoYT this is horrible :( I'm sorry... i dont ever want to get divorced. but i told my wife IF it ever happened. I'd just live in the basement until our children moved out... which is basically like some marriages now anyways lol

Agree. Sure being hated by others is bad for beinh childfree.. But whats worst is being potentially hated by the hypothetical offspring.. Why did you bring me here? Such equal words by a depressed child verbalizing wanting to unalive will hurt any parent- especially if unluckily the factors that resulted for the offsprings mental health is directly related to the parents HAVE and DONT HAVE

bro, women can divorce any man and still get half of his income and even his house. They don't have it that bad.

@@mortalwombat2001 how often does this happen in practice though?

American Boomers disagree.

My parents didn’t pay for my schooling. I’m jealous. I took out loans and payed it all back by myself. It did teach me importance of savings though

To be fair, not everyone needs to go to university. University should be reserved for jobs that require intellectual credentials like engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. Not everyone wants to or even needs to be a doctor or a lawyer. Maybe we should learn to love and support our children who would just as happily apprentice under and electrician or be a manager of a local restaurant.

@@seabreeze4559as a millennial with boomer parents- very true. They’ve helped me financially before yes and God bless them for that, but if I ever want to move home to get on my feet and save up I’d either be charging A) rent at least 800$-1000$ a month or B) even with rent probably won’t be able to live there due to them wanting their privacy. Both are not together and have s/o.

Tell them brother

A lot of people have to rent before having kids. My parents didn't own their first home until I was 11 and they are millionaires now.

Hold out, the housing market is going down.

Where I live, most people rent for all their lives. You don’t need to own property to start a family. You don’t even need a lot of space. In my parents generation it was common to share a room with your siblings and they lived in a flat with 2 rooms and a kitchen, no bathroom with 8 people. I get that that’s an extreme by modern standards but the people I know who claim they can’t afford children have enough money to party, eat out, travel, etc. and somehow it’s still more common here for low income families to have children compared to medium or high income couples.

We're in the same boat - thirties, renting, and wanting a child. We're trying in a rental and have no plans to buy a home at the moment due to the cost. We live in the UK, and it's difficult to pay for groceries, let alone a deposit on a home.

I’ve lived in rentals my entire life and have had a good life. Your baby will still be happy :)

Its giving mormon cult.

We moved somewhere cheaper...lol going back as soon as we can. No sitters, almost no family, no friends and ppl are nuts these days I'm not leaving my kid w a stranger even if they do pass a state bg check. I've seen too many teachers, camp counselors etc pass a bg check only to discover yrs later that they were assaulting kids all along and even had a history of it in other states. My mil babysits on average 1 day/month and we live 1 hr from her and 1 hr from the only grocery store that carries food baby will eat and his non-dairy formula. Add in dishes, laundry and taking out the trash and that's the whole day- no dates, no time to ourselves, just baby all the time for me and hubby usually works 6-7 days a week 12-14hrs+/day. We are EXHAUSTED & constantly at each other's throats and there isn't even time to sleep. It's awful! I can't wait to go back home. My mom can be borderline toxic at times but at least she understands my special needs and that I need a level of support that I'm just not getting here and she understands what it takes to keep a partnership on track even when nearly all of your time goes to wrangling kids with moderate to high support needs. I live in this big beautiful house but I just wanna go home.

My husband was in the Navy and it moved us away from family. We ended up buying in 2019 and could only afford to buy a house with a VA loan. Cost of living is not that bad in Norfolk but all our family live in south Florida so it’s been a struggle since he got out to find work down there that would be able to support cost of living. It would be worth the move just to have the village

I moved away from my hometown and have absolutely hated it ever since. I just want my weekend hang outs with my friends back, and to be able to go to my favorite places and drive on the streets I know.

Not only did I move. I moved BEFORE I had kids overseas to get married and start a family elsewhere

ESPECIALLY 👏🏻 WITH 👏🏻 KIDS👏🏻!!!!

As someone with kids, I agree. As bad as things have gotten, I think it is forcing people to really prioritize what they want vs. being told what we should want

I'm childfree, I can't afford to have a dog, I know that a child is way more expensive, my nephew is on preschool and my sister has to spend a lot of money per week only because school told them that they have special days when child do other things, events, things like that, is a public school in my country where you don't have to pay to the school any money, but is still a lot of money spend every week, I lost my job a few weeks ago and I'm going to get a job in another city try to save money for buying a house in the future, with a child that is completely impossible, and I don't have furniture only a matres and a chair and a table, and a kitchen cabinet, I couldn't affor a tv or a new bed (that I need because my matres is too old), I hope a new job come and pay me what I deserve and can buy things I really need but a child, I don't understand people who have children and don't have money.

The rich keep getting richer while the poor are more poor

Deleted door dash 😂😂😂😂 well I sure fucking hope so. Imagine being so lazy you won't even cook a meal let alone get off your ass to go pick one up. I just can't with door dash. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 My husband and I ordered off of door dash once. He was working on the car (out of commision), was hungry snd we had no food in the house. When we got the bill we just about fell over. We were disturbed for the rest of the day. I could have made those same burgers and better from scratch, and fed us for 3 weeks off of what that cost. I can't believe how many people use that service in this economy. And they make it sound like it's a sacrifice that they can't afford it!! Smh.

Agreed, yes people can go without these things, but some small things like these add to your social life. A Uber eats order I can send to my friend at work, will make his day. Getting pampered once a year with a pedicure, or even medically getting a massage for physical pain relief. Or even buying a tea at Starbucks, really feel special and add to quality of life. Going constantly in survival mode really drains a person. I really hope things change.

💯 and us millennials STILL succeeded. We are Rockstars honestly.

@@t.8936 i think we are the generational roaches, even if we don't earn so much as many people did before, we pull through and still do our best. I just hate when older people say we had it easy. Nope

​@@igeorgoudi I've never heard an older person say we had it easy.

@@t.8936 i have heard it in my country. I am happy you didn't hear it

@@t.8936 I hear the boomers switch it up depending on who they're talking about; "You kids have no idea what it is to struggle, life is so convenient" "Gosh darn it life is so hard nowadays! It never used to be this hard for me to get by".

That is true. Even military base housing kicked us out when our 8th baby was born in 2020.

Move. There are jobs everywhere

@@Gottaknow hahaha its rental affordability.

Things will get better in time i had my son at 17 just keep striving and don't give up

@@happyd1479 thank you🤗

I’m the kid where mom rented a room and it was fine you create their reality and make up for it with park fares quality time and showing up everyday after school to pick them up you are their best time model all you sacrificed

Cloth diapers ftw! My husband thought I was crazy when I said we’re gonna be on the cloth diaper train. I said you’ll thank me when we have to pay $120 one time for a whole bunch of cloth diapers that ADJUST to babies size all the way up to 2 once vs having to pay almost $120/month on disposable diapers that take a toll on our environment. Not a green argument, just a common sense argument to save a ton of money.

Idk if housing can be “solved” since it’s not just banks who benefit from inflating house prices. Homeowner do (or at least perceive to) benefit from treating housing as an investment. No homeowner wants their house to depreciate over time, which would happen (much like to a car) if it were not an investment. So much of “normal happy life” that people imagine, being able to upsize and downsize according to life stages, passing inheritance onto kids in the form of a house/realestate, is very much hinged on this assumption of housing being an appreciating asset.

We’ve had two kids since the economy tanked and exactly like you said, we made choices that benefited our family (cloth diapering, breastfeeding, homemade baby food) and pretty much each child has added almost nothing to our general expenses. I believe the greatest thing effecting Millennials and Gen Z is not that they don’t have enough money, but that they were never taught how to budget, invest, save, skimp, anything financially. It’s something severely lacking in the school system.

The problem is capitalism. Down with capitalism! 😊

@@trawrtster6097 Yes, you’re correct, housing being an appreciating asset is good, but I think only when it appreciate in a reasonable way. When I say “investments” I mean that while yes housing should be an appreciating asset, it’s first function is to give families a place to live, and it’s second function is to appreciate so that it can stay in the market in the future. But it seems we’ve have an attitude of the reverse, because most people ask “How much can I make of this if I sell it in the future?”, at the detriment of having average families afford them. I spoke with my Dad who grew up in Vancouver. He told me his parents bought a house for $14K in 1965. They passed the house onto the children around 2000 where they got $280K or something for it, but it was bought by a developer who tore down the house to build three much smaller homes where each would ask for over $1M today. People who actually grew up there have been priced out of living there, and so many older properties are just seen as something to demolish and make money off of instead of preserve the physical heritage of communities. I am young and naive on the subject, but I have been thinking about it lots. Thanks for giving me something to consider!

It sounds so nice 🙂 I wish I have that type of family live with 😢

That is amazing you are working together as a team! More American families should do this, but too many are either too selfish or too programmed not to

I would do the same but my mom is dead.

Thats the way to go!

8 billion on the planet and growing And your not concerned about overpopulation?

@@emilyfeagin2673I’m not I think it’s a myth

If you gave every single man, woman, and child one acre of land the entire world population of almost 9 billion could live in Africa and Australia comfortably while leaving the remaining 5 continents uninhabited.

Umm. The planet is huge we just like to be close to each other and drain all the resources from it. People are just freaking out about not having space to sleep? There is land it's just people don't like some of the land because it's not convenient for comfort?😅

​@@emilyfeagin2673 if you are in a corporate Job yes!!

I agree. It will probably get worse before it gets better. More people, more income in a house, the better. Help each other.

Girl, I wanna know too. How are people affording basic necessities

Stop buying things. Think outside the box. Get rid of social media. Its only making everything worse. It's all clever marketing.

Get out of debt, stay out of debt. Make a budget and live within your means. Only spend on things you NEED, not things you simply want. Save up a little bit and find a good loan program to buy some cheap housing, rather than renting. Thats how we make it on one income.

Having your own place also can give you access to lawn or garden where you can grow some of your own food, saving more $$$

@@oneperson5760 no one does this anymore. A few older folks like to grow tomatoes, but nothing crazy. We pack as much vegetables as we can into our yard. Even the front yard! We don't buy any vegetables from June to October.

Then if you would buy the "fall apart house" it has wather damages so you (I/we) would give us and the kiddos mold deseases... which is NOT a solution... It has really changed alot in one generation. So its not "just" to do it and let renovations take time.

@@abcdefg216 And you know other people would look at us and say we shouldn't have had kids or even married unless we were wealthy. It's mind blowing to me the way people act like it's possible for everyone to be well off in this country when it clearly is not. They just tell you that you're lazy so they can dismiss any problems and never have to have empathy for people struggling.

1 third your income, i think most people are struggling and your doing well

@@hermanrosario7045 1/3 for ONLY rent (not utilities) and we both have to work 2 jobs to do it. That's not really "well" so much as getting by but one big emergency away from being homeless.

@@DimaRakesah most people pay half they are poor and struggling you are uncomfortable

Type hospice care kid into the search bar, don't let them use you. Especially if you aren't on the deeds.

You are not married to your parents, that is called emotional incest so no, you don't need to help out your dad. That's why you pay taxes and so have they, for years.

FYI domestic slavery of any kind is an international crime including care work, working on a family farm or restaurant etc. Especially if you feel forced or coerced into it. They didn't build you up so you owe them nothing morally as well.

Maybe it's time to reevaluate your situation

This 100%. My dad had several strokes after I finished my undergraduate degree, which prevented me from going on to get my doctorate. My brother had already moved away, and my parents divorced, so it fell to me to care for him. That was 10 years ago. I have a professional certification now that I got working full time and attending night classes. I have no idea if I'll ever be able to get my doctorate. I certainly can't move away, because I am my dad's only support. My brother has kids, and cannot move back home to help, because his wife's family offers so much money and financial support for the grandkids. I respect that, but it still leaves me alone. I love my father. He is a wonderful man. I am not having kids. Caring for him is taking everything, including my future. Kids would be impossible to factor into that. By the time he passes, I will likely have to care for my mother. Elder care in this country is just as much of a joke as childcare.

My parents did much the same for us, and we’re doing the same for our kids. Family makes all the difference! People need to be kind and loving to each other, maintain good relationships, and help each other generationally. We didnt have cash wealth, but we saved the child tax credit from our tax refund to get each child an old car to start off with. If they need tools for a new job, we lend them what they need. And we bought 25 acres years ago at a cheap auction price, and we all live on it, with our housing expenses paid off. Cultivate good family relationships! If you dont have good family relationships, then its your responsibility to break that bad cycle and be the first one to start building good relationship with your children and pass it on.

Also, even when I was a kid my parents couldn't afford childcare so my mom got a job working in childcare so we could get a discount so they could afford to have us in childcare. And the lady who founded the childcare center that my mother worked at only started the company in the first place bc she couldn't afford to put her own 3 kids in childcare...lol. there's always a workaround so it's good to consider all the factors, both known and unknown, but it's also a matter of priority. Like there ARE projects across the US still and those ppl manage to make it work, mostly... The other issue is morbidity rates- nearly every population with higher child and infant morbidity rates throughout history (including modern lower class American populations) has a correlatively higher rate of birth- and that's not just with humans, that's true for any animal population, that's why so many animals have litters or clutches of babies instead of 1 at a time. And it's also part of the reason (along w reasonable access to education, Healthcare, contraception, etc) why so many low income populations tend to have more children- I would say it's human nature, but it's bigger than that- it's animal nature- it's evolutionary nature. So the other option is have 5 babies and even if you lose 2 of them you still have 3 left...seems like a dark or at least a disassociate way of looking at things but it's actually quite clinical and objective and ppl don't like to think about it but lower income families do have higher morbidity rates and we can say "they manage to make it work" till the cows come home- but if they're making it work by having more kids that even out the losses and we just aren't considering the number of actual child morbidities bc we don't like to think about it, then I guess the whole thing really comes down to your own personal definition of "making it work". If making it work means keeping kids alive then sure they're making it work. If making it work means raising all of your children happy, healthy, and successful and capable and into and through adulthood, then maybe they're not "making it work" after all... Someone on my fb recently lost a baby to their swimming pool ( they seem to have lived quite comfortably before having kids- a home w a pool- then after kids- less comfortable bc they clearly couldn't afford a safety gate between the back door and the pool. That child is GONE. FOREVER. But they still have their older son and when people talk about this stuff and think of them they won't be thinking of the child who died bc they couldn't afford a safety gate-bc nobody wants to think about that- they'll be referring to the child who survived. So I think it really does come down to priorities, but I think that the issue of priorities is FAR more complex than your argument, or even mine paint it to be.

It's that much for just one child? Wow. Women could be "paying themselves" by saving the money and staying home with their own children.

That's more than my mortgage with taxes and home insurance.

@@OmniaSubSol I know of a rich family that had an indoor pool and tragically lost a child also. Those are just dangerous for children to be around without supervision.

@@OmniaSubSolwow! Sorry for your friend’s loss.

Good for you that you are not giving up. Starting from scratch can sometimes be a good thing. New beginnings and such. Great, that you are still so positive to wish us all success.

The problem is people won’t work hard or use their problem solving skills. I got a kind of useless degree. Biochemistry. I was a glorified cook earning anywhere from $15-22 an hour. Not worth having a bachelors when others made the same or more. So I used my brain 🧠 and applied for other jobs not in my field and guess what, now I live a cushy life and do less work than I did when I was a lab monkey. The whole point of college is to gain knowledge to make it in the real world. So many people do so much work applying for positions they will never get. Or they could get if they knew how to sell themselves. I’ve seen so many resumes with unnecessary information. No one cares about your GPA or that you used to work at Walmart. Sell what is relevant. Have a master CV and draw stuff from there to tailor to each position.

@@Mom_of_the_ChickiesI have noticed a lot people get jobs from people in their networks or by networking. Just by chatting it up with people at conferences I found opportunities but I was nowhere near graduating at the time. A lot of my closest friends and colleagues got jobs outside of engineering. I think employers also want to hire people who can hit the ground running.

Say it louder for the people in the back

Im 37. It’s not the norm for me. Eating out and traveling is not for people who are poor.

It is not feasible to say that everyone should just be in the fields that make the top 10% of income. That is not how a society works. You literally can't have an entire country working at Google. We need teachers and nurses and delivery drivers and cooks and bus drivers, mechanics, etc. The only thing that would happen if everyone tried to go into software is India. In India and some other countries, there is a huge pressure to become an engineer or a doctor. So engineering is the default degree. So the bus drivers have engineering degrees because you literally cannot have a country that is all engineers. So no. Your theory that everyone can just work high paying jobs in software doesn't work. Software pays a lot because it has huge profits *and* because companies compete for the top talent. The high-paying tech companies do not even want 90% of software engineers, let alone 90% of the entire population. They are like professional sports teams bidding on players, that's *why* they pay so much. In many other markets, software is just an average job, people make about the median income, a fraction of what is possible in the US. This belongs in the "90% of jobs should be done by teenagers" category of ridiculous economics.

I Don’t even have kids but I’m a teacher. My classes where I have more than 20 or so, the students think I’m an awful person but the classes where I have around 12 or less, the students absolutely adore me. I have more patience and emotional support to go around with less kids!

Yes, I have some grief about not having 4 children, but often the emotional support needs weigh me down and I'm grateful for only having 3. Mind you, I would advise people to either stop at two or go to 4+, family dynamics wise.

Hm. Not in my personal situation. I have 3 and am able to give each one plenty of time and attention. My husband and I discuss out children and how they are doing constantly. We look out for all of their signs, moods, behavior and everything to make sure they are OK. We spend a lot of time cuddling on the couch, talking, discussing, teaching, and playing. I am having a 4th! We handle all of our children just fine. Mind you, I am a SAHM and we are completely involved in their lives. We don't spend time at the golf course or shopping. We spend time with our kids. To each his own I guess.

@@t.8936admittedly, everyone is different; which means that everyone has different emotional bandwidths. What might be easy for you could be a bit overwhelming for someone else. That’s life, though!

@@PlayerTenji95 definitely! Everyone is different and has to make the best decisions for their family.

Wait, what?! I didn’t know this until very recently, but you just reminded me. There’s not a law on the books that provides a cushion for SAHMs?! 😳

You should give up your social security payments when you are old, because you didnt make any children to pay into the system to support you. Current workers support current retirees. So if you dont want kids so you can have an easy life, dont expect to live off of other peoples kids when you are old.

For those of us who really want children and family life, money is less important.

Blue collar people might have made better choices. My sons dont have any debt, they went straight to work after graduation. We started them off with older vehicles which they’ve repaired and are still driving. Theyre doing fine on about $45k. They could choose wife and kids at this point, but women are so materialistic right now that they wont want a simple life of debt-free love and security.

​@@oneperson5760lmao thinking 45k is doing ok. The average home in America costs $400000 period you need a salary of a 114k to afford that. The average story is 60K. Your son's salary is below average. The poverty level for a family of 4 is 25k.😂😂😂

Exactly. People need family to make it now, but pride and poor social and emotional skills make it so that relationships are damaged and bridges burned and nobody helps anybody. We need to have better, emotionally mature relationships and stay together and help each other in these times.

So maybe dont have 2 cars.

@@oneperson5760 I don’t have 2 cars.

So, nobody should have kids and humanity should just go extinct, according to you.

the housing market feels rigged against us. You mentioned returns. how do you distinguish between research driven results and plain luck? the role of luck is downplayed in investing

Consistent outcomes aren't luck. research was the challenge till it led to Emily Ava Milligan, a top fund manager, her strategy made 310k into this and counting.

I pasted her name into my browser, and her website popped right up. It became clear she's in high demand. Your example is rare. I stumble on gems when I least expect to. thanks for the share

This is the worst chain of spam that I’ve seen in a while.

Because not all of us expect a cushy life. Some of us arent afraid of adversity and we know we can figure out a way to make it and love our children at the same time. We saw our grandparenrs flourish in adversity, and our parents, and now us. Our kids are young adults and struggle has made them strong. They out-compete with their work ethic in the job market. Immigrants by the millions are coming here and having multiple kids and making it, better than in their home countries. Those who have the will and the capability will inherit the earth. Those who are too weak to face adversity will die off.

@@oneperson5760 The thing is with immigrants is that most rely on welfare. Are you ok with that being the case?

Yes, we will get on and say that. Because family and love is more important to us than money and luxury is.

Lmaooook!!!!! Right??? And I want my children to suffer in poverty because I wanted to live out my fantasy of having a family!

These Gen Z spend money on all kinds of things they think are neecesary. Restaurants, subscriptions, new clothes, fancy cell phones, cars that are not paid in cash, etc.

​@@breezybre2670 kids aren't necessary either

@@tulip811 sure if you don't want to have kids that is fine. What 'm hearing is that these people want to but think it is not affordable.

@@breezybre2670and if anyone watches Caleb hammer content, you know people are making stupid financial decisions too….like people who make good money and no money. It’s just irresponsible financial planning.

It's definitely less of a government issue and more I'd a family issue. Maybe I'd all the women didn't flee their homes in pursuit of a career, we wouldn't be in this mess. But, anyways. Our choices will determine our destiny I guess. If you want to believe that all the women were beaten or on drugs at home so they had to get a job, then I guess you do you. I'm over wit generations if stay at home Moms doing juuuuuat fine.

Can you put off the foundation fix? The reason I ask is, sometimes things we think need an immediate fix aren't actually emergencies. For instance, we had the heat go out in our house over this winter, and we actually saved money on utilities by using space heaters. We were eventually able to slowly save up to fix the heating.

Since medical bills are ghastly unreasonable expensive, i know people who just dont pay them, or pay very little. Here in the US, you dont pay anyway, if you are poor enough. My dearest friend is very poor, and she uses all the programs available to her and sees to it that her children are well cared for with vision, dental, and medical. I used to begrudge the poor for having children on the taxpayer’s dime, but now i am grateful. At least theyre having children! If it were up to the wealthier people, there would be no children at all.

Please look into late and defect required disclosures. the concealment of a latent defect is an issue depending on what state you're in. Look into fraudulent concealment.

Yeah this is doable until you lose your remote job and are forced back into the over priced cities to get ‘hybrid’ employment.

Canada?

@@keepcreationprocess Yes, Manitoba Canada!

You better make sure your name is on the title of that home or your screwed if he leaves.

More like, he’s hoping she wont leave. Women begin 80 percent of divorces, so it was smart of him to get the home before they married. Im advising my sons to have a home before marriage, so a gold digger cant take all of what he’s worked so hard for if she someday feels ‘im just not living my best life and i think i could do better by taking half his stuff and moving on.’

Thank you so much, I love making this content ☺️

Sounds like proper planning to me! May you always be blessed.

Hello from NZ..! Yes the situation is getting worse and owning a home is so expensive. Those who have envisioned getting ahead in life and working hard to succeed it seems have to make a lots of sacrifices to have just one child. Unless bank rolled entirely by super wealthy parents. Currently I'm using IVF to freeze my fertility decline so that myself and my husband can save enough to have a child in our late 30's. We bought a house 2yrs ago but the mortgage payments are so high... I want to have the option to have more than 6 months off on maternity leave, ideally 12 months. Without family support it's tough. We count ourselves lucky but not at the stage in life we were hoping, coming into our mid 30's. All the best 🙂

I think housing and building regulations need to ease, to allow people to build their housing more affordably. Banks and municipalities making $$$ off of property taxes and fees and regulations and insurance is hurting people who would otherwise be homeowners if it wasnt so expensive to build.

I loved this comment, and I feel exactly like you!! About moving to another country, tired of cooking from scratch, even gardening has become a chore! But we're happy, too. Unfortunately, my boys don't have any cousins nearby, but they have my husband's Mom and my Mom. Thanks for your comment, I feel like your my long-lost sister! 😂❤

@@kaleyjanenigh ❤️

Canada is a different story entirely. I think there's a conspiracy to exterminate you guys or something what with the housing crisis, MAID, your 2020 policies, etc.