'They aren't that expensive if raised right.'
That may be true to some extent ... but raising them right can also be an issue. They ARE expensive regardless. Take into account reduced income while one parent takes paternal leave from work. Or, consider child care, $450/month/child minimum. Throw in increased grocery bills, diapers, baby strollers/carseats/furniture/clothes/etc. Yeah, it CAN be quite expensive in the long run.
That falls under the heading of "if my grandmother had wheels, she would be a wagon."
I know lots of people who go that route, and it is just plain stupid. Could we double our income if my wife worked? Well, yes, but we could also double our income if I took a sales job and spent 80 percent of my time traveling.
But that isn't the same as money spent on the child.
And the $450/month/child isn't money spent on the kids, it is money spent on yourself to maintain a certain lifestyle.