Are You Cheap To The Point Where You Won't Have Kids To Save $?

That seems a sensible idea, because why have children if you can't afford to keep them? People end up in the UK having children so they can claim more benefits for them, not because they want them. The system is flawed in that the more children you have the bigger house you can get. Sadly these types of parents keep the money for themselves.

Even my well off friends only have as many children as they can afford because they want to give them a good life. It would be wrong to have children and them to be brought up in poverty and to live a frugal life.

 

I am this way but I wouldn't say it's the entire reason for me not having kids right now. I definitely think having more room in the budget helps a lot in making things go smoother, but I believe there's also more to it than that which is having enough experience and emotional and mental maturity which also plays a big part in my decision in waiting a while longer. As much as I know I'd enjoy having company right now, I think it would be unfair to the kids if I looked after my own concerns ahead of their well being especially considering they don't have a say in the matter and will merely be forced into the situation so I see it as my responsibility to make their situation as good as possible.

 

When considering to have children, one should definitely consider the costs and where their finances stand ahead of time. That being said, you do not need to be wealthy to have children. There are a lot of ways to save on expenses for new babies. Breastfeeding is practically free compared to high priced formula, second hand clothing, books, and toys save money, and some people even use cloth diapers in order to save money instead of disposable ones.

 

I read an article not too long ago that unemployed women in South Africa choose to have more kids so they can get more money from the government. I bet there are lots of people who do the same thing elsewhere in the world.

I think not having children because you want to save money isn't such a great idea. In any case it would make you less responsible. People tend to spend their money more wisely when they have children because they know there's someone who depends on them.

 

We actually have no kids but that's not the reason for it - to save money on expenses. I actually had undergone workouts by gynecologists to get pregnant but failed. Anyway, I know of some couples who don't want kids not only to save on expenses but also to have more time for themselved. They said that they may not enjoy life anymore when they have to take care of their children. Too selfish, I think.

 

Although a somewhat strange question - I see it as acting responsibly rather than being cheap or wrong - as apart from the fact - that everyone should be free to make their own choices and live their own lives as they please - without other people making judgements or speculative assumptions on how they think they should be living their lives - I think that whether or not someone chooses to have children is very much a personal decision - that has nothing to with anyone else but the two people concerned in making that decision.

Therefore as choosing to have children is a personal choice - that involves taking on a huge responsibility - requiring a large amount of money and more importantly a life long commitment - I think those who choose not to have children - regardless of their reasons - are acting very responsibly - particularly as there are already way too many children being brought into this world for all the wrong reasons - many of which are currently suffering and very much in need of a caring - loving, stable family environment.

 

I just think some people have stronger desires to have children than others. You certainly shouldn't have kids if you can't afford to pay for them, but that doesn't stop people from all over the world from having babies. I think it is a responsible choice not to have kids if you can't afford them.

 

I know some people who have chosen not to have children due to the state of the world, and not wanting to contribute to overpopulation. There are actually plenty of children waiting to be adopted, except it costs an arm and a leg in many cases to adopt, and many of those who need adoptive families have issues due to abuse and/or neglect. There are some ways to lower the cost of adoption if you want to go that route, but as I mentioned, many of the children (here in the U.S., at least) in the foster care system have issues that will require special treatment and could be costly.

If someone chooses not to have children for whatever reason, that's their decision, and I wouldn't look down on it. Perhaps they know better than others what kind of parent they would be, and feel their time and talents are better used in other ways. I know many who have issues with the way they were raised, and are afraid they would perpetuate those ways. I think there are probably better reasons for not having children than how much it costs, because as @prose mentioned, there are ways to decrease the expenses of raising children.

I do not agree with people having more and more children in order to obtain larger apartments/homes and collect additional welfare. I've worked with people who've done that, and they care more about the money than the children. Those children often end up in foster care, or in some cases, with relatives, while (in some of those instances), the parents still collect the money, yet allow family members to raise the children because they care about them and their well being.

 

It's sad that people actually have that mentality. People can definitely manage to afford for kids. There are always ways. It's a bad excuse. You can get so many hand me down clothes, gently used stores have a ton of cheap clothes for kids, and you can find free stuff on Craigslist all the time. You can also get coupons for diapers and wipes, and you can also find those items for free online as well. There's always a way to get around it and to save money in the process. I understand if people are worried because they don't have a lot of money, but it's just not that bad. I couldn't afford it either, but God always provided.

 

Personally, I do not see it as being cheap to choose to not to have children, rather I see it as planning a comfortable life where if ever you decide to have children, you can provide for them, take care of them, and raise them in a comfortable and good life. I am not yet planning to have kids because I know that I will not be able to provide for them and take good care of them properly. But I am not saying that I do not want to have children, I am just not sure when I will become stable and have sufficient income to raise kids until they are legal of age. I have to think about a lot of factors like clothes, tuition fees, infant milk, diapers, house bills, etc. It is difficult, especially now because of the economy and I do not want to bring a new life into this world without the funds to give him/her a good life.

 

I admire people who make the decision not to have children. They are thinking rationally.. and not just about themselves, which is the case for most people who choose to have children. When you choose to have children, you're choosing to bring them in a world where they are owned and must work their entire lives for other people.. regardless of whether they have their own business or not. We work and make money any way we can so we don't suffer.. that's not my idea of ideal lol. It's also a world of rampant disease and hate and crime etc. Not that we can't give children good lives.. but these are fantastic reasons not to bring a child into the world and force them to live, deal with all of it and then die lol.

I have children and I wouldn't have it any other way. We actually spend less than when we were childless, because our whole world view has changed and that whole life we lived before (one path, more more more, bigger better) is not something I wanted to share with them. It's not expensive to have children.. we make it expensive.. it's a choice.

 

I think having children is a very personal choice, and you have to make your decisions on whatever basis you feel is the best for you. I don't believe that money is a good enough reason not to have children though, because children can bring so much more to your life than money ever could. However, I believe that financial planning is key, and as long as you make sure you plan for everything, you should be able to afford children and a good lifestyle at the same time.

 

Some people just don't have that maternal or paternal instinct, so they chose not to have children. Having kids is a big responsibility, so people who don't want to be burdened by that responsibilty just chose not to have one, which is a sensible and responsible choice in itself and not really about being cheap.

 

If every single person who can afford to have children, had children, then why are there poor families? bad personal choices? But think again, have you seen where children from poor families become rich; and, help their families? I don't believe that one such idea is the best, children are a blessing, and I believe if you are in the position to be able to work and earn well, have kids...it'll make you a better person-more driven, more focused..that's my two cents.

 

I do have children so I cannot relate on this topic. I have three kids actually, and I'll be the first to tell you that kids are expensive! Maybe the said person doesn't want kids because they have been poor before, and do not ever want their *potential* children to have to see that struggle. Basically, they do not have confidence in their stability, which is okay..