[Aliska]

Your #14. Is that how you live personally? You sound highly educated and I'll bet your standard of living is way above average.

It's amazing, but for food and shelter (you need at least one of those older four-bedroom homes for a lot of kids or expand a smaller one), you can furnish your entire home and clothe yourself on garage sales and salvation army stores. You can drive decent second-hand cars. Kids don't need all those toys. It's amazing what you really don't need. I couldn't presume to tell the young that's how they will HAVE to live. It is their choice.

Health costs are another matter if all your children aren't healthy and if you don't have insurance. Health costs didn't used to matter because most families of old had many children die which wouldn't happen today if you can get the medical attention.

[Polycarp]

You sound highly educated and I'll bet your standard of living is way above average.

1) I'm a doctor, if you consider that "highly educated." 2) For reasons I will not outline here, my income is BELOW average. Yet my wife, who has a PA teacher's certificate, does not work but stays home and homeschools our children.

[Polycarp]

Health costs are another matter if all your children aren't healthy and if you don't have insurance.

We have not had health insurance for years.

[Conservative til I die]

Your #14. Is that how you live personally? You sound highly educated and I'll bet your standard of living is way above average.

Right, but I'll bet that he's not living beyond his means.

I think what he's saying is no one is entitled to 5 TVs in their house and 3 $30,000 cars in the garage, nor are they a necessity, so when one takes on added responsibilities such as children (or less, as in the case of someone deciding to retire from their job or take a new job at less pay), one's spending habits should follow accordingly.