Affording a Family in the Last Days

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Sunain
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Location: Canada

Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Sunain »

Seems Satan is using every tactic in the book to attack the family. Student debt, the idea that the world is overpopulated and the financial costs of raising a family are hindering new families here in Canada. This isn't a unique problem to just Canada as it is happening all over the world now.

This current generation has less money than their parents generation which is making it harder to start a family. A house is 6 times more expensive than the last generation. The stress of being able to afford a family is a reality for many as the cost of living has escalated to a point that as the article explains, having a family is now considered a luxury many can't afford. Families have now become a thing for the rich only.

The church says we can't afford not to have a family but balancing staying out of debt and staying out of poverty is the new reality at least in Canada. We should not have to rely on welfare, be it from the state or the church, to afford a family. The standard of living keeps eroding with no positive change on the horizon.
Many Canadians too cash-strapped to raise children
Dave McGinn
The Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 3:14PM EST
Last updated Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 3:14PM EST

First comes love, then comes baby, then comes the crushing financial realities of raising children in Canada – and that’s assuming you can even afford to have one child.

Faced with exorbitant daycare fees, skyrocketing housing costs and a declining standard of living (not to mention student-loan debt many people have to shoulder well into their 30s), many Canadians say they simply can’t afford to start a family or have more than one child. It is a situation that should trouble us all, experts say.

Although raising a child has never been cheap, the bill today is eye-popping. South of the border, the latest estimate from the Department of Agriculture says that a middle-income, married couple will shell out $250,200 (U.S.) to raise a child born in 2015. That covers from the day they are born until they turn 18, and works out to $13,900 a year.

Here in Canada, two years ago MoneySense magazine put the annual cost at $13,366.

The three biggest factors that account for these numbers are housing, child care and food.

On the housing front, the average price of a house in Canada as of last November was $491,509. That’s more than six times higher than the average in 1984.

It’s likely one reason people are delaying starting families.

“Whereas it took five years of full-time work to save a 20-per-cent down payment on an average home in 1976, it now takes from coast to coast over 13 years,” says Paul Kershaw, a professor at the University of British Columbia. The founder of Generation Squeeze, a group that highlights generational inequities, Kershaw likes to use 1976 as a comparison because that’s when many baby boomers were buying their first homes and having children.

Chris Jappert has a mortgage on the Calgary home he bought with his wife three years ago, as well as more than $40,000 in student-loan debt. He works for Alberta Health Services; his wife works for a company that makes analyzers for natural-gas pipelines.

They have been married for five years and want to have kids but can’t afford to, Jappert says.

“Right now we’re barely getting by,” he says. “People tell me, ‘If you wait until you can afford a kid you’ll never have a kid.’ But I also don’t want to have a kid starve to death because I can’t afford to buy food.”

For many couples who have one child, the financial drain of housing and daycare makes contemplating a second child impossible, at least for the time being.

Daycare costs across the country have risen by 8 per cent since 2014 – more than three times the rate of inflation, according to a study released last year by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

In most big cities across the country, it is fairly common to spend $1,000 a month on a licensed daycare spot, says David Macdonald, an economist who conducted the study.

That number is even higher in Toronto.

“Once you’ve got two children … it wouldn’t be uncommon for you to pay $30,000 a year in child-care fees in Toronto,” Macdonald says.

That’s more than university tuition. And it’s certainly enough to influence family-planning decisions.

“For some, it’s not a matter of choice. It’s a matter of circumstance. You have no choice,” says Nora Spinks, CEO of the Vanier Institute of the Family, an Ottawa-based charitable organization. “And that may also mean somebody stays home or doesn’t return to work after parental leave. Or it means that you either postpone or choose not to have a second or subsequent children.”

But it also has broader implications, she says. “If families are choosing not to have children because they can’t afford care or they can’t find care, that’s going to come back to us as a society,” Spinks says.

Statistics Canada puts the country’s current fertility rate at 1.6 children per woman. This could jeopardize the country’s social safety net in the future, as there will be fewer people paying taxes to pay for it.

Daycare may be the biggest cost for new parents, but there are also rising food prices, hydro bills and all the other costs of getting by, while wages are hardly keeping pace with the demands of pocket books.

“The typical 25- to 34-year-old earns around $4,500 less [annually] for full-time work once you adjust for inflation compared to 1976,” Kershaw says. “It’s just a plummeting standard of living.”


The standard objection is to point out how much people in that age group spend on coffee or tattoos or eating out. Kershaw hears this all the time.

But, he says, our standard of living is driven by two factors. “How much can you sell your labour power for and what’s your primary cost of living? One is deteriorating dramatically … and the other is skyrocketing even at a more frightening pace.”

Isaac Otway once thought he’d have four or more kids. Instead, the Edmonton father, who works as a payroll and benefits consultant, has one. Feeling “squeezed from all sides,” he has accepted that it is better to be able to provide for his three-year-old son than to risk barely scraping by, or worse, with a second child.

“If he comes to me one day and says, ‘Dad, I want to play hockey,’ if I have two kids I probably couldn’t afford to put him in hockey. But maybe with only one I can,” Otway says. “Even that’s a maybe because hockey is expensive.”

For Neudorf and his wife, not having to be able to have a second child is still frustrating. “We’ve done a lot of things leading up to this point that we thought would set us up for living the kind of life that we wanted to live,” he says.

“Put it another way. What else could we have done to make this easier?”

Whatever some people’s objections might be – that there are already too many people on this planet, that you should be happy to have one child – the Neudorfs’ situation should be deeply troubling to us all, Kershaw says.

Canada is a wealthy nation and yet members of a younger demographic feel as if they can’t afford to provide for the children they’d like to have, he says.

“That has to grab all of us in the gut and make us wonder what’s going on with the standard of living in Canada.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/par ... e34031452/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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gclayjr
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Posts: 2727
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by gclayjr »

Sunian,

I agree. I see this in my own family. I graduated from USU 1975 with a degree in Applied Statistics. I went into the Marines, met and married my wife. When I got out, I got a job at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft for $16,800 per year. I owed $5,000 in student debt, which I paid off in a few years. I also bought my first home for $34,500.

I have a son who graduated from USU in 2008 (just as the economy was tanking), and he is now working at a gas station. I have 2 grandchildren who both graduated from Penn State. It took them from 1-3 years to actually get a job in the career they studied for. My granddaughter who graduated in accounting owes well over $100,000 in student loans. My grandson who graduated with some sort of youth counseling degree owes about $80,000. I think she makes somewhere in the 40's and he maybe in the 30s. They are aggressively trying to pay down their student loans and have hopes and aspiratons of being free form them in maybe 10 years or so.

My grandson, completed a mission, and has a girlfriend that I know he would like to marry and with whom he would like to start a family, but with debts like that and income like that he doesn't feel he could afford that family.

I know in my youth, I was told to have faith, and if possible, marry and start a family before I finished college and had a good income. While I didn't marry until I did complete college and had a good income, it was because I didn't find my wife until then, not that I was waiting.

Still, I have a hard time trying to counsel my grandson to just get married, and have faith he will be able to support his family. Maybe I don't have enough faith.

Besides I have two other sons who are married and have children. One had a good job with Siemans for almost 10 years, until last April, when he was laid off. Now he drives a school bus. I have another son works in the machine shop at ATK, machining parts for rocket engines, and I can say blue collar work, even highly skilled blue collar work doesn't pay like it did back in the 70s or 80s. They both struggle, to support their families.

I do believe that the struggles of my children and grand children are not unique. I think it is pretty common in this world we live in today. I have read that as a baby boomer, we are the first generation to have children and grandchildren who are not expected to live better than we did.

How sad. I pray for my children, and all of the others.

Regards,

George Clay

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Melissa
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Posts: 1697

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Melissa »

It's a trial for sure. It seems we are destined to feel like we are failing or guilty for one or both - debt and not having more kids. Then throw on top of that the depressing though many members could have of feeling like they don't have enough faith to make things better. Or the damaging act of the wife HAVING to work for the family to live while leaving kids all day or possibly shift work being away from spouse.

I believe part of the last days and enduring to the end is to not throw in the towel and quit while everything is crushing us and falling apart everywhere around us. We will be to the breaking point, everyone of us will. To endure is simply not to fall or quit or become bitter from a hardened heart. It's very difficult and we all are dealing with it. Trials are tough these days and I hope they don't get a ton heavier to bear.

We know the savior returns after he is overwhelmed with prayers of the saints...we are not yet fully there but it gives a good idea how hard things will get.

I wish that leaders would offer understanding words or encouragement for the difficult situations we face regarding finances and children and even marriage. Sometimes I just feel guilty for not having a kid every 2 years.

Dave62
destroyer of hopes & dreams
Posts: 1323
Location: Rural Australia

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Dave62 »

Build ZION.

Matchmaker
captain of 1,000
Posts: 2266

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Matchmaker »

Our Ward had a meeting recently where the Bishopric talked about self-reliance.

If I understood them correctly, if possible, we are expected to become self-reliant to the point that we can support ourselves and our families, without needing to ask other organizations (maybe Church or government welfare, etc. ?) for financial help, and still have enough resources to help someone else (maybe a ward member, extended family member, or neighbor) who may need charitable assistance in a crisis, and if we lack the education to get a well-paying job, we are expected to work on improving ourselves so that we can increase our employment opportunities and get those better paying jobs.

I know they are right, but with housing, food, health insurance premiums, medical bills not paid by health insurance, education costs, taxes, and transportation costs going up at a faster rate than salaries, it sounds like the days of wives staying at home to raise their children is coming to an end. What is going to happen to our Church and family values when parents can't hold callings in the Church or spend quality time with their kids and each other because one or both are working 2 jobs just to get ahead?

One of the Auxiliary leaders in our Ward was working 2 jobs while trying to maintain a household and help manage the Ward. Crazy stuff!

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gclayjr
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Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by gclayjr »

Matchmaker,

I didn't even go into the struggles my daughters-in-law, and my own daughters go through to try and balance being a mom with helping the family stay afloat. One of my daughters-in-law, who believes passionately in staying home, and in fact in also home schooling her children had to work part ime for a few months at night just to help her husband (my son) pay the bills.

We have been counselled to do everythig we can to keep our "nuclear famly" together, because children need an intact home for the best opportunity to mature into healthy adults. I agree with that as far as it goes. I think it is also improtant for extended family to step up and help support those members of their famaily struggling to "keep it together".

I was kind of "forced" into retirement at the age of 63, a couple of years ago. While, at least for now, I am financially OK, I am not where I would feel comfortable, and would have liked to work for a few years more. That being said, I think this was a blessing from God

1. I worked in a job for a company that had been downsizing for years. I sweated out wave after wave of layoffs. I was layed off, almost to the minute, at the point in time that would have not been a financial disaster for me. I attribute this toi 2 things
a). I paid a full tithing, for rmost of my life
b) God had other plans for me

WHich is to...

2. Step up and help ease the burdons of my Children and Grandchildren who are frankly struggling against obstacles that I never would have conceived of when I was their age.

Regards,

George Clay

JohnnyL
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Posts: 9830

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by JohnnyL »

It's going to take serious changes in societal and cultural norms for the LDS (and others) to survive and have children.

3,000 - 2,000 sq. ft. homes, bought on huge loans?
Two brand new big vehicles?
Expensive electronics?
Each family living in their own home?
Grass yards?
Typical heating/ AC/ electricity/ etc.?
Typical meals?
Typical health insurance?
Typical medical treatment and procedures?

It's not going to work for much longer.

Think of this, though. Millions in other countries have gotten by on MUCH MUCH less money. Part of the reason is they don't have strict licensing and zoning laws, or they disobey so many licensing and zoning laws. Difficult here. So you have to find other ways.

Families living in one "home" (communal rooms (living room and kitchen, etc.) with a big room as "their" private area.
If that's too much for you... Families buy one house, live in it and pay the loan off much earlier, saving $100,000+ on the loan. Then, buy another house and do the same thing, and so on until every one has their own house.

I have relatives who are willing to pay thousands for a psychologist, but not willing to try energy healing for less than 1/100 the cost. Try it. It might surprise you.

There are so many other things, but I think those are two of the biggest ways to save money.

Oh--that really expensive food that lasts for years? It'll be really cheap by the time you get around to eating it...

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gclayjr
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Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by gclayjr »

JohnnyL,

As I have stated many times, I have been a financial clerk for a few decades. As such, I am involved in FO payments. One thing that is required of a FO recipient, is to eliminate non essential luxuries, before asking for financial assistance. I have noted that over the years the "simple" life has become much more luxurious. What is considered essential has evolved too. We often pay cell phone bills. I have delivered rent checks to people with very large screen tvs and many FO recipients drive newer cars than I do.

SO where will it go in the future? I have always wondered what would be considered essential. I know that I personally would like to continue to enjoy
Electricity
hot and cold running water,
indoor bathroom
refrigerator
a window air conditioner in the hot summer time

and I am sure a few other things that many in this world already live without. Am I too spoiled?

Are we moving into a world where we will all have to revise what we think of as essential?

Regards,

George Clay

JohnnyL
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Posts: 9830

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by JohnnyL »

gclayjr wrote:JohnnyL,

As I have stated many times, I have been a financial clerk for a few decades. As such, I am involved in FO payments. One thing that is required of a FO recipient, is to eliminate non essential luxuries, before asking for financial assistance. I have noted that over the years the "simple" life has become much more luxurious. What is considered essential has evolved too. We often pay cell phone bills. I have delivered rent checks to people with very large screen tvs and many FO recipients drive newer cars than I do.

SO where will it go in the future? I have always wondered what would be considered essential. I know that I personally would like to continue to enjoy
Electricity
hot and cold running water,
indoor bathroom
refrigerator
a window air conditioner in the hot summer time

and I am sure a few other things that many in this world already live without. Am I too spoiled?

Are we moving into a world where we will all have to revise what we think of as essential?

Regards,

George Clay
Yeah, I've seen that with financial assistance, too. People asking for assistance who are on cigarettes, nice cell phones (which is where they spend a disproportionate amount of their day), have huge TV's (though it's not as expensive sometimes--you can get a big nice one for under $300), two cars (one reaaally nice), dogs, new cat(s), etc.

Good questions. I would say either we are going to live without, or have to find new ways of doing things, or at least personally subsidize them. And it's probably not just going to be about the money at times--it's the scarcity, the control that govt., industry, and companies will have and use, etc.--even if you could pay for the things.

Of course, if everything gets EMP'd, that would cut down on a lot. ;)

I wonder what will happen with "college degrees being necessary for jobs", etc.

And I apologize, but I have no doubt that for one reason or another we'll be using chamber pots, storing food in the snow, using natural wind "swamp coolers", sun-warmed water, candles, and more.

JohnnyL
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Posts: 9830

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by JohnnyL »

An additional area to think about is health. Health is improving in so many ways, but at the same time, it is declining, too.

My opinion is that while so many advances are made in Western health, costs will still go up. And we won't find out till later that those wonderful luxury-life operations/ medicines/ etc. came at the cost of true health.

"Mental illness" will continue to increase: PTSD, depression, rage, panic attacks, etc.

Things like wi-fi, cell phone towers, additives, GMO's, unnatural/ man-made diseases, and much more we haven't even seen or understood yet are going to increase.

The reason I mention this is because I believe all these things will make it harder to: stay healthier, work, be competent in that work, be emotionally stable, and stable in other ways, etc.

Heck, having children is getting harder and harder for more couples nowadays--though that kind of puts a damper on the "affording a family" problem...

Matchmaker
captain of 1,000
Posts: 2266

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Matchmaker »

JohnnyL wrote:It's going to take serious changes in societal and cultural norms for the LDS (and others) to survive and have children.

3,000 - 2,000 sq. ft. homes, bought on huge loans?
Two brand new big vehicles?
Expensive electronics?
Each family living in their own home?
Grass yards?
Typical heating/ AC/ electricity/ etc.?
Typical meals?
Typical health insurance?
Typical medical treatment and procedures?

It's not going to work for much longer.

Think of this, though. Millions in other countries have gotten by on MUCH MUCH less money. Part of the reason is they don't have strict licensing and zoning laws, or they disobey so many licensing and zoning laws. Difficult here. So you have to find other ways.

Families living in one "home" (communal rooms (living room and kitchen, etc.) with a big room as "their" private area.
If that's too much for you... Families buy one house, live in it and pay the loan off much earlier, saving $100,000+ on the loan. Then, buy another house and do the same thing, and so on until every one has their own house.

I have relatives who are willing to pay thousands for a psychologist, but not willing to try energy healing for less than 1/100 the cost. Try it. It might surprise you.

There are so many other things, but I think those are two of the biggest ways to save money.

Oh--that really expensive food that lasts for years? It'll be really cheap by the time you get around to eating it...
I like your idea about the communal family sharing a home together. It would require some parents to relinquish their attachment to the idea that they deserve and are entitled to total privacy in their homes once they have raised their kids. What would this idea do to the trend that comfortable seniors have earned the right to sell all their assets at age 55 to buy an expensive home in one of the new Del Webb-type communities where none of their kids or grandkids can come and live in an emergency?

JohnnyL
Level 34 Illuminated
Posts: 9830

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by JohnnyL »

Matchmaker wrote:
JohnnyL wrote:It's going to take serious changes in societal and cultural norms for the LDS (and others) to survive and have children.

3,000 - 2,000 sq. ft. homes, bought on huge loans?
Two brand new big vehicles?
Expensive electronics?
Each family living in their own home?
Grass yards?
Typical heating/ AC/ electricity/ etc.?
Typical meals?
Typical health insurance?
Typical medical treatment and procedures?

It's not going to work for much longer.

Think of this, though. Millions in other countries have gotten by on MUCH MUCH less money. Part of the reason is they don't have strict licensing and zoning laws, or they disobey so many licensing and zoning laws. Difficult here. So you have to find other ways.

Families living in one "home" (communal rooms (living room and kitchen, etc.) with a big room as "their" private area.
If that's too much for you... Families buy one house, live in it and pay the loan off much earlier, saving $100,000+ on the loan. Then, buy another house and do the same thing, and so on until every one has their own house.

I have relatives who are willing to pay thousands for a psychologist, but not willing to try energy healing for less than 1/100 the cost. Try it. It might surprise you.

There are so many other things, but I think those are two of the biggest ways to save money.

Oh--that really expensive food that lasts for years? It'll be really cheap by the time you get around to eating it...
I like your idea about the communal family sharing a home together. It would require some parents to relinquish their attachment to the idea that they deserve and are entitled to total privacy in their homes once they have raised their kids. What would this idea do to the trend that comfortable seniors have earned the right to sell all their assets at age 55 to buy an expensive home in one of the new Del Webb-type communities where none of their kids or grandkids can come and live in an emergency?
Yeah, I see that and wonder. It's a great idea about community living, except there's no family, high price, etc.
Privacy... like sitting home and watching TV all day.

We are looking at buying a house. We don't need much, but we don't want to go too small because we have the thought in mind that we might be housing many more than just us in the future.

And it would require changing that "growing up and leaving mommy and daddy" mentality that's even so strong and prevalent in LDS culture. You "haven't made it" if you're still at home, and are pretty much a loser, right? Yes, all over the world, that's how family has worked, and still works, hundreds or thousands of years later. How do you think they survived??

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Moss Man
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Location: Black Hills USA

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Moss Man »

Starting a small business is a legal way to have many of these after-tax expenses, for W-2 employees, turned into pre-tax business expenses. When you start a business, phones, computers, home office, utilities, food, mileage, etc. may become business expenses that get written off before taxes. The leftover is your income.

Regarding children - you can pay your children to work for your business, and it becomes a tax write off. They can help you file paperwork, shred paper, clean the office, model for advertising, etc. Paying them becomes a business expenses before taxers are taken out. Take the money you've paid them and buy their clothes, food, tuition, etc.

This is totally legal. I'm not a CPA or tax advisor and I suggest you do your own research. I learned this information from the real estate investing school I'm affiliated with. Message me if you'd like more info.

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ason123
captain of 50
Posts: 58

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by ason123 »

I can attest to the fact that communal house sharing works. We bought our home and share it with my husband's parents and grandmother. They pay us a small rent and we all help each other with cooking and cleaning (with everyone having a handful of "assigned chores," except for Grandma...she is getting on in years). Each family has their own fridge, but we don't mind sharing food too. We like to eat meals together and watch tv together and even go out grocery shopping together. Our own bedrooms are private so we have our own space to not be disturbed if we so wish. We have two household cars (one for each family), and I choose to take public transportation until we can save up for a new car. The key here is to live with someone who has similar habits of cleanliness and to stay away from "drama queens." I know that sounds a bit silly but you don't want to be living with someone who always is whining about stupid things or causing fights in the home. Our home is a refuge and we never feel it is too crowded or anything like that. I wouldn't have it any other way. Having said that, we have waited 5 years to start to have children because at first we were not financially stable at all, and we wanted to make sure that we can properly care for an infant without relying on the government or mooching off family members before bringing children into the world.

JohnnyL
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Posts: 9830

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by JohnnyL »

A business is a great way, especially if you can make it positive cash flow (doesn't have to be much)--IRS stuff. And never round your dollars on tax forms!

Communal living is actually easier and cheaper in so many ways. We did it--had a big living room we'd take turns cleaning, and since it's communal, you naturally put your stuff up. One washing machine for three families. Kitchen appliances, cars, power tools, bigger TV's, whatever, shared by all.

Drama queens--so important for everyone to chill out!--just like with roommates.

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Yahtzee
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Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Yahtzee »

I think the key is knowing what is and is not a luxury. My husband works for the church making just over 40k/year. It's not a lot. I stay home and homeschool our children while doing little things that brought in 1-2k extra. We live in 875 sqft with 4 kids. Most people think we're insane and say they could never live like that. It's all about what you're willing to do. Housing prices are absolutely insane in Utah!
A few years ago we got a 60k inheritance. Our first thought was to buy a bigger house. But we have 4 sets of braces to pay for, we had no savings, and only one car. So we've saved much of it, bought a shed for storage, and got what food storage we could fit (about 6 months for 6 people).
We lucked out with an inheritance though. Without that I would have had to work at least pt to pay for braces. Nearly everyone in my ward is dual income. It's difficult to fill callings because so many people have to work nights or on Sundays. But I see these same families, who complain they can't afford food storage, buying newer cars and atvs. So I think that's part of the problem.
Everyone wants their kids in dance, piano, and soccer ask at the same time. They're not willing to cloth diaper or shop for used clothing.
So it's a combination of both. We need to work harder to be frugal, but with student loan debt and housing prices the odds are stacked against new families.

JohnnyL
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Posts: 9830

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by JohnnyL »

Yahtzee wrote:I think the key is knowing what is and is not a luxury. My husband works for the church making just over 40k/year. It's not a lot. I stay home and homeschool our children while doing little things that brought in 1-2k extra. We live in 875 sqft with 4 kids. Most people think we're insane and say they could never live like that. It's all about what you're willing to do. Housing prices are absolutely insane in Utah!
A few years ago we got a 60k inheritance. Our first thought was to buy a bigger house. But we have 4 sets of braces to pay for, we had no savings, and only one car. So we've saved much of it, bought a shed for storage, and got what food storage we could fit (about 6 months for 6 people).
We lucked out with an inheritance though. Without that I would have had to work at least pt to pay for braces. Nearly everyone in my ward is dual income. It's difficult to fill callings because so many people have to work nights or on Sundays. But I see these same families, who complain they can't afford food storage, buying newer cars and atvs. So I think that's part of the problem.
Everyone wants their kids in dance, piano, and soccer ask at the same time. They're not willing to cloth diaper or shop for used clothing.
So it's a combination of both. We need to work harder to be frugal, but with student loan debt and housing prices the odds are stacked against new families.
Sounds sound. Especially saving lots of the 60k!

Utah housing prices are ridiculous. Oh well, the price for living in Zion, lol...

Most people in our ward are dual income, too. Even the pharmacist's wife works.

I've also seen where everyone wants their children to study everything. They get busy. Everyone gets tired. H&W both work so they can afford giving "the good things" to their children.

I'LLMAKEYAFAMOUS
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Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by I'LLMAKEYAFAMOUS »

This is one of the most common reasons I hear of young men wanting to put off marriage, and I don't blame them. They'll see a young woman raised in a comfortable lifestyle in a large home and realize they can't afford even a quarter of that, so they say "I'll wait until I'm done with school", or "I'll wait until I'm financially stable."
Doing this takes time, and the longer you're on your own with only yourself to worry about, the harder it's going to be to transition to coexisting with someone else.

Older/wiser?
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Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Older/wiser? »

The financial bondage upon people is overwhelming. Being able to plan, maneuver your way through the future economy will require,( and this is not my opinion),you first pay an honest and full tithing , this one principle when lived with an honest heart will not eliminate your financial difficulties, but I promise will give you that life jacket that will float you through the storms. In my desire to share my knowledge of this principle and lift any who feel overwhelmed unable to carry the load , may I share one experience. Living in a small rural community has advantages and disadvantages. Rents are cheap, income is small , most around here have a main job and have cows as a second. The economy , well I am probably the only business in town and seasonal at that. We also have a project that will be under construction till we pass on, leaving it to our children. It is a rental property. A few years ago we needed more money as the project was "The Money Pit" and we simple were being sucked under by a family member. I was so grateful for the many blessings in my life , despite the many heart aches and tribulations. I went to the Lord ,I know better than to not pay a full tithing, but this time as I knelt in prayer , I offered up more than the required 10% I won't say how much but to me it was the " Widows mite" , my gratitude filled my soul at the opportunity to make an offering. The next day or so as I knelt in prayer, a thought came into my mind, go down the street approach a company that was working in town see if they needed an apt. to rent. We did just that, they immediately needed a unit for 2 employees (ours was a 2 bedroom unit). They wanted it right away and offered $1,800. a month , well they were here 1 1/2 yrs. Like I said rents are cheap up here yet we were way overpaid . When the Lord does it for you it is so much more than you could do for yourself. This was just one experience in my financial dealings with the Lord. If you live this principle, the Lord will not pay your bills, but you will have the HG enlighten your mind with ideas and knowledge outside of the box to solve your needs and wants. Believe enough to try the principle fully, I at one time even heard a voice saying "that house right there" and yes we bought a house without a sign in the yard, but was going to be listed the next day (VA assumption take over loan). I only share these things so others can increase their faith, try the Lord and have faith that the upcoming financial Tsunamis will not over take you, for surly they will come.

Dave62
destroyer of hopes & dreams
Posts: 1323
Location: Rural Australia

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Dave62 »

I lost my job two years ago. I went back to university to retrain as a teacher. I received government welfare as a full time student and substantial help from family, friends and the church. My wife and I have always paid our tithes and always will, as well as the most generous fast offering we can afford. One day, we were really feeling the pinch and I was outside "yelling at God". I just didn't know how we were to make ends meet. Later that day my non-LDS Christian friend came around and gave me $3000. He said he had an impression that we needed it. Now two years later, many prayers, tears, growth and study later, out situation is now better than before.

The Father loves and looks after his children. He didn't bring His children through the Red Sea to have them perish in the wilderness, He didn't bring the early Saints across the plains just to have them perish in the desert. And so it is with us. Have faith, pay honest tithes and generous offerings, do your best with what you've got, try to keep the commandments, be generous to others, and I'll bet my bottom dollar God will see you through.

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gclayjr
captain of 1,000
Posts: 2727
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by gclayjr »

Dave62,

Amen!

Regards,

George Clay

Zion2080
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Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Zion2080 »

I'LLMAKEYAFAMOUS wrote:This is one of the most common reasons I hear of young men wanting to put off marriage, and I don't blame them. They'll see a young woman raised in a comfortable lifestyle in a large home and realize they can't afford even a quarter of that, so they say "I'll wait until I'm done with school", or "I'll wait until I'm financially stable."
Doing this takes time, and the longer you're on your own with only yourself to worry about, the harder it's going to be to transition to coexisting with someone else.


Well, I plan on marrying later-on down the road after college and when I have a job. So many millennials are getting married right after their missions and having children. I think it would be difficult raising a baby while in college. That said, I'd probably get married between 2027-2033, but I'd still be working for my masters and degree and law. I wonder life would be like then. The collapse of the economy? I just hope to live a normal life before crap hits the fan...

Sunain
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Posts: 2711
Location: Canada

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Sunain »

I'LLMAKEYAFAMOUS wrote:This is one of the most common reasons I hear of young men wanting to put off marriage, and I don't blame them. They'll see a young woman raised in a comfortable lifestyle in a large home and realize they can't afford even a quarter of that, so they say "I'll wait until I'm done with school", or "I'll wait until I'm financially stable."
Doing this takes time, and the longer you're on your own with only yourself to worry about, the harder it's going to be to transition to coexisting with someone else.
That's the situation I'm kind of in. The expectations of a partner for living standards, even members of the church in North America, is quite high. I know I'm well off compared to a lot of younger people but I don't think I'm even remotely financially secure enough to raise a family without going into debt. My faith, or full tithe paying has nothing to do with how I'm living, it's just that opportunities that were there for previous generations no longer exist. It shouldn't be that way in the world today, each generation should be improving upon the next but that isn't happening with the standard of living. Compound that with a lack of YSA/SA outside the major church hubs and were in the situation we're in!

What I do like is seeing the church trying to help with the student debt part of the equation with the newly announced BYU worldwide program. It will be interesting to see how that turns out.

Bronco73idi
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Posts: 3623

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by Bronco73idi »

Zion2080 wrote: February 23rd, 2017, 8:08 am
I'LLMAKEYAFAMOUS wrote:This is one of the most common reasons I hear of young men wanting to put off marriage, and I don't blame them. They'll see a young woman raised in a comfortable lifestyle in a large home and realize they can't afford even a quarter of that, so they say "I'll wait until I'm done with school", or "I'll wait until I'm financially stable."
Doing this takes time, and the longer you're on your own with only yourself to worry about, the harder it's going to be to transition to coexisting with someone else.


Well, I plan on marrying later-on down the road after college and when I have a job. So many millennials are getting married right after their missions and having children. I think it would be difficult raising a baby while in college. That said, I'd probably get married between 2027-2033, but I'd still be working for my masters and degree and law. I wonder life would be like then. The collapse of the economy? I just hope to live a normal life before crap hits the fan...
I think you should find love and get married now, life isn't about law, and school. It's about family :)

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shadow
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Location: St. George

Re: Affording a Family in the Last Days

Post by shadow »

Reverse the question- If you had a wife and few young kids and a financial problem arose, would you trade your wife and kids for a better financial situation? No. So why would you wait to marry and have kids? It's a sign of fear.

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