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Nice try but that does not change the lifestyle of the child. Music camp doesn't suddenly take a child from lower middle class to middle middle class.
Why are you fixated on moving to different social classes. Heck, a single parent earning $20k/year isn't moving to another social class by saving $2,000, but that $2,000 can CERTAINLY improvement their child's life.
Using your logic, one could argue that if it's not enough money to affect you social class than it doesn't matter....spend it on whatever you want.
Absolutely not, provided the family has the means to do so. Anecdotally, despite the unexpected hurdles we have been through over the past 5 years, the Hubs and I have faithfully put a small amount away each month toward our Alaskan cruise for our 20th anniversary. I would never dream of asking my husband to give up the hot rod he has been restoring for the past 10 years, but if he needed to spend $1500 for a power tool, he'd be saving up for it little by little (ex. earmarking his overtime money, which we don't figure into our monthly budget). We can have the things we want, but with delayed gratification.
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Originally Posted by eddiehaskell
Would you fault the working class parents taking a ~$2500 cruise for 5 days? What about the hard working dad that buys a $1500 power tool to work on his hit rod?
Yes, it can significantly improve a child's prospects, which is why I cannot imagine someone choosing to spend 10% of a limited family income on himself rather than his child.
They do it every year. Small emergency fund. They're somewhat paycheck to paycheck - typical working class folks. Child's healthcare is taken care of.
A typical 5 day cruise for 2 is between 2-3K. Only 85% of americans take a yearly vacation, some 20% spend less $1000.
Now if that yearly vacation is the extent of their entertainment budget, than they are not denying their child moving up the middle middle class. But if they have a yearly $2500, another $2000 in hobbies, have a fancy car, jewelry and the rest of the stuff you feel parents should have before their children's wants are met, than yes, they are denying their children a true middle class lifestyle.
But a single snapshot of a single expenditure is meaningless.
Yes, it can significantly improve a child's prospects, which is why I cannot imagine someone choosing to spend 10% of a limited family income on himself rather than his child.
So you would advocate parents doing nothing to entertain themselves? Can they at least have cable tv?
In my perspective, that is irresponsible. An emergency for just that: emergencies. As in a lay-off, a major auto repair, a catastrophic health emergency, or anyone one of a the unpredictable events that can cause a financial hardship. Be a responsible adult and maintain an emergency fund first and foremost, with a little extra for a vacation fund.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiehaskell
They do it every year. Small emergency fund. They're somewhat paycheck to paycheck - typical working class folks. Child's healthcare is taken care of.
It's ok - you don't have to answer. I understand this type of question can be uncomfortable.
What is so difficult to understand?
Yes, $2k when you earn $20k makes a big difference. $2k when you make $60k makes less of a difference, but is still a consideration, making $120k, $2k is generally much less of a factor.
As for music camp, maybe your kid really likes music, but isn't especially talented or completely devoted to a particular musical pursuit and the camp you chose is good enough, and several of your child's friends will be there too, so it will be a fun and enjoyable experience for your kid, whereas the more expensive camp would be above their level, create stress for them, has no friends attending and they wouldn't enjoy it much at all.
If however, your child was very talented musically, had a strong drive to pursue musical interests and was keen to go to the more expensive camp, then a parent would consider that, and consider the sacrifice of their own wants in order to better the experience for their child.
For the umpteenth time, parents do not make every decision for their child based purely on the financial expenditure involved.
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