Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't think this issue is really about whether or not someone can make a reasonable living without a college degree. I think we all know people without degrees who are doing just fine. Back on topic, people choose not to have children for a variety of reasons, and it appears that one of the top reasons is that they don't have a partner with whom they want to raise children. Is this not a good thing?
People who are not in the position to have children or do not want them should not have children, and I don't consider it my role to convince them otherwise. Goodness, the last thing I want is for children to be brought into the world under less than optimal conditions. It's a good thing that young people are taking parenthood seriously enough to ensure that they either avoid having children all together or delay until they're ready. That's not selfish; that's wise.
I don't think this issue is really about whether or not someone can make a reasonable living without a college degree. I think we all know people without degrees who are doing just fine. Back on topic, people choose not to have children for a variety of reasons, and it appears that one of the top reasons is that they don't have a partner with whom they want to raise children. Is this not a good thing?
People who are not in the position to have children or do not want them should not have children, and I don't consider it my role to convince them otherwise. Goodness, the last thing I want is for children to be brought into the world under less than optimal conditions. It's a good thing that young people are taking parenthood seriously enough to ensure that they either avoid having children all together or delay until they're ready. That's not selfish; that's wise.
It doesn't seem to be about that, but about having ridiculous standards and if their kid can't be a little Barron Trump in private school then the whole family's life is ruined. What they are saying is they are not good enough and their kid won't be good enough for the world if they are not wealthy.
It doesn't seem to be about that, but about having ridiculous standards and if their kid can't be a little Barron Trump in private school then the whole family's life is ruined. What they are saying is they are not good enough and their kid won't be good enough for the world if they are not wealthy.
I think we all want to raise any children we may have in circumstances at least as good as those in which we ourselves were raised. If people don't believe they can do that, it's perfectly rational to remain childless. I was raised in an intact family that lived in relatively affluent circumstances and sent all of its children to college. Of course I wanted to provide the same for my kids, and of course my kids would want to do the same for any children they may have.
Two of my brother-in-laws don't have a single college credit. They are both partners in their own residential plumbing company they started 5 years ago. They each took a salary of $150,000 last year. They have 4 employees besides themselves who make a minimum of $30.00 an hour. I'm their bookkeeper. This hoax that you need a college degree to make good money is baloney.
You need a family member who owns their own business.
It's unfortunate that the decision whether to pursue an education or not is, for so many, purely a financial one.
I was fortunate. I, eventually, went to school and graduated with no debt. I've benefited financially from that piece of paper, but, more importantly, was the education that I received. More so in width than in depth, perhaps. I took a lot of classes just for interest's sake. Or my schedule's sake. I learned a lot of things that didn't contribute directly to my diploma nor to any work I've ever done but they were as, or more, valuable than those that did.
Onish topic: I have no kids and want no kids of my own. I enjoy spending time with my fatherless nephews and teaching them about baseball, camping, music, the outdoors, my experiences living and traveling abroad, and other things my sister wouldn't. But I'd never want children of my own.
Having kids is a financial negative for those who are responsible and self-supporting. In direct contrast, it's a financial boon for those who receive public assistance as the more kids they have, the greater their public assistance benefits. Anyone with half a lick of common sense can see that we're incentivizing exactly the WRONG behavior in this regard and the end result will be exactly as you describe.
More info on the situation, as I just posted in another thread:
Live in a very well off part of NYC and people are having children by the pram full. Gay or straight you can't get away from new parents here in the Big Apple, especially Manhattan. Guess someone should tell all those high earning white/Euro people and others in their socio-economic demographic they wasted their time and are squandering their future income by having children.
Live in a very well off part of NYC and people are having children by the pram full. Gay or straight you can't get away from new parents here in the Big Apple, especially Manhattan. Guess someone should tell all those high earning white/Euro people and others in their socio-economic demographic they wasted their time and are squandering their future income by having children.
She/he said that it was a "financial negative", which it almost certainly is. More money going out than coming in. She/he said nothing (in the quoted post) about "squandering their future income"
I still disagree vehemently with most of her/his ideology
Those super cheap houses are becoming less and less common, as they're being increasingly renovated. And new houses built seem to be primarily expensive McMansions.
And if you do find a super cheap house, it will inevitably need extensive repairs and maintenance just to keep it habitable, and from what I've heard from home owning friends, the costs are . Many of them are in financial trouble because they only saved enough to buy a house, but didn't realize the constant financial drain the upkeep would be.
Not at all.
There are some real money pits out there. Floors? Roofs? no big deal that is easy knock it out in a weekend.
Foundations? That is a different issue. Code violations from previous owners, that can be a real PITA.
Far as their availability goes... Better get in on it... If not... Ohwell. Off to the 200k dollar house that needs a 30 year tune up. So realistically a 225-300k dollars in total cost after repairs are made...
My house was not uninhabitable. It needed work. But I turned that into one hell of a bachelor pad when I was done with it. Takes work but in 5 years it was paid in full and in tip top shape. Was it Convenient? No. Not in the fact that it was perfect, flawless, did not need any work.
But it sure was convenient to have something bought and paid for in full and in better shape than anything my friends were living in/renting for more per month. And that's what truly matters. Not move in ready and pay until the day you die...
Ill pay less for a house that needs work, and do the work myself and have something actually own it in a shorter period of time than 15 or 30 years. I like to keep as much of my money as possible when possible. Why pay interest to a bank? Why not do a private sale, cut the bank out completely, and have the owner hold the note instead of the bank?
That is the biggest load of BS I have heard on these forums, and I hear a lot of it. Not choosing to have kids is one of the least selfish things a person can do. There are endless threads posted RE people who have kids they can't afford and how how unfair it is that American taxpayers must support them. Then you post the exact opposite. People should have kids they might not want because if they don't they're selfish How about they have the choice to do what they think works for them in their lives?
There are multiple valid reasons people wouldn't have them: they can't afford them, a totally selfless reason, the world is a violent, scary place and people would rather not have kids in this environment, climate change has caused the world to be unsafe due to natural disasters, their own health issues, financial insecurity for the next generation, the list goes on. . .
And once again, with a 50% divorce rate that people conveniently ignore when they argue this same point, marriage is no guarantee of future financial security. Even with two incomes it's very difficult to afford kids nowadays. Besides, what if one's spouse is a substance abuser? Or violent? Or a cheater? Or the economy crashes and burns and the partner loses their lucrative job? Etc. . .
Onish topic: I have no kids and want no kids of my own. I enjoy spending time with my fatherless nephews and teaching them about baseball, camping, music, the outdoors, my experiences living and traveling abroad, and other things my sister wouldn't. But I'd never want children of my own.
People need to grow up. Stop making excuses and be honest with themselves. I swear 50 years ago 20 y olds were more mature than 35 y olds today.
Men and women growing up in the 1940s and 50s married young, had three kids by age 25 and created large families. And somehow they were happier than the single cry baby millennials of this era.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. Many of them are in financial trouble because they only saved enough to buy a house, but didn't realize the constant financial drain the upkeep would be.
How about they have the choice to do what they think works for them in their lives? 
