With the ups and downs of the current economy, Americans are becoming more acquainted with the thought of living a child-free lifestyle. According to a recent article in The Daily Beast, having children is becoming more of a preference than an absolute for many single and married men and women who are now giving the option of a childless life and marriage more thought.
For many, the choice of not having kids seems selfish and combats the ideal of a woman’s “obligation” to be fruitful and multiply, but given the cost of raising a child and the rise in women who are becoming more educated and more motivated to become a bigger part of the C-level workforce, a childless lifestyle seems to have more advantages then it does disadvantages for some.
Going against the grain, have you ever thought about the benefits of not having children? Here are a few reasons how this choice might benefit you and your lifestyle. (And on the flip side, check out some benefits of having bambinos right here.)
Save Money
One of the most evident advantages of not having children is the money you save. The cost of raising a child in the first year in this economy, according to a USDA Report in 2010, is about $12,000 for the average middle-class income family. That is only for child-related expenses in the first year. To raise a child until the age of 18 years old, the average family can expect to spend about $300,000 on items like housing, food, transportation, clothing and more, according to The Wall Street Journal’s Real-Time Economics. Looking for a comprehensive view on how much it’ll take to raise a child? Go to USDA’s website, where you can find a calculator to estimate your specific costs of raising a child.
