But that’s just me.

Regardless, I think if you can prepare as much as you can, as much as you’re comfortable with, do so. It’s your future and with or without kids, it will only be better if you have little or no debt to add to the stress, excitement, challenges, etc. ahead of you.

this comment made me very sad. we had our first baby when I was 24 and my husband 26, while he was in grad school and I was only working a 20 hour job. We had to cut our expenses a TON, and i am glad that we had saved a lot our first two years of marriage, but now he has a job that supports our little family without me having to work. having a child when we were young and living on half of an income did NOT make us poor, it actually made us RICH- richer than any family living on two incomes.
I think that this article is wonderful for those who would like to begin planning financially for children. However, after reading all the comments I am very discouraged. Just as people may look down on you for waiting to have kids until you are “ready,” is it fair for you to look down on those of us who have decided NOT to wait, to trust the Lord to provide for us?
We are not being reckless, or stupid, which is how many of these comments make us feel. The reality is that life WOULD be easier if we had done all of those things before having kids. But, on the same token, you can still have a wonderfully happy family with less money and less financial security for a time.
Bottom line, neither way is wrong, they BOTH have advnatages and disadvantages.

I actually just posted something similar to moneysmartblog.com about moving in together. Check it out. I would love to hear your thoughts.

We’re doing fine now, and I think some of the hard times brought us closer as a family. But now, of course, with a 5-year-old, we’re getting hassled about having more kids.

Now our issue is emotional, rather than financial. For people one is enough.

We didn’t care about the finances when we got pregnant, a baby is a gift from God and He provided every need we had- regardless of our income.

We have been fine living in apartments with our child, and paying off our debt at the same time. We live on my husbands income alone, no government assistance and no income from me.

Am I saying you’re wrong for having this plan? No. If you have the desire to get all that done before thinking of children that’s fine. When you feel ready to have a baby, have a baby.

On that note, if we respect your decision to wait- respect our decision to not wait. Just because we did not care about those worldly things before having a child doesn’t make us irresponsible.

Being “poor” is all a matter of perspective. You might see me as poor because I live in an apartment, don’t have the nicest clothes, might not have all the new toys and things you have. But I might see you as poor for not having kids. What is the point of having stuff anyway? Does it make a difference in the end what you lived in or what you drove or what you wear?