It’s downright shocking how expensive it is just to live these days. Now, add children into the mix, and those expenses increase tenfold. So why is it that people don’t treat having children as a luxury, just like they would buying an expensive house or car? This is what one woman in New York asks. As she explains it, people don’t consider these long-term expenses when they talk to others about bringing children into the world.
Laura (@longislandlesbian) posted a TikTok explaining how nonchalant people can be when talking about bringing kids into the world. As she explains it, “Kids are a luxury in 2025” and, well, she’s kinda right. Laura asks why she could go out and buy a “luxury item” like a car, and her family and friends would tell her she made a bad financial decision. However, if somebody didn’t have a good financial position and announced they were having a child, they wouldn’t get the same reaction. She said people will “convince you that having kids is a good idea” no matter the financial position.
The truth is, a lot of women feel downright pressured to have children. Maybe somebody makes them feel like they’re making a mistake if they choose to be childfree. Others tell them they might run out of time. But people don’t always realize that children add more than “purpose” to your life. They can also be incredibly expensive and those expenses will follow you through life. It’s definitely the number one decision that you want to be sure about when you decide to go through with it. As Laura states, it costs “$20,000 a year to raise a child.” That’s more than a small expense.
Laura also voices what we all know: the price of things is forever increasing. She explains that “housing costs, transportation, daycare, food” are all going up in cost at higher rates than ever before. These are all important considerations that people need to discuss thoroughly before they decide to bring a child into the world.
Commenters mostly agreed with Laura and some were quite harsh about it. As one commenter said, “I am done congratulating people for having kids. I’m genuinely not happy for them and I’m done pretending.” Another said, “My luxury car costs less than daycare and brings me joy. If anything happened, I can sell it and cut my losses. I can’t imagine having a permanent expense like a child in this economy.” It’s tough out there for everybody and that’s the truth. Being financially comfortable is difficult to achieve for so many, so children remain far from the forefront of many people’s thoughts.
