Currently my wife and I are currently trying to figure out whether we want to have one kid or two (trying to get another year of being DINK's in). The perceived financial burden of two kids seems a little higher than we can manage, specifically daycare for two kids costing as much as our mortgage is the big shocker. So, one kid will probably win out.
And this is with two incomes in the 70k range, and a house price about 5% above the median price in Calgary. Not living large by any means but comfortable. We aren't hurting at all without kids but with one kid, money will definitely be tight.
I think that the perceived wealth of those making 70k in this city is overstated. I would be shocked if anyone couldn't comfortably live on that amount, but factor in kids and it's not as much as people think. I'm convinced kids are simply financial death traps waiting to happen. My parents say that you're never really financially ready to have kids, you just do it.
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