I am a Catholic who believes that life does begin at conception, and I am as pro-choice as they come. So you can even make the argument with people who don’t “agree” with that part of the Bible.

The thing that will never, ever stop baffling me is how so many Christians don’t seem to, like, actually read the bible. Or make the effort to understand what it’s saying. Because Exodus 21 shows the clear difference between penalties for loss of human life vs. destruction of property over and over.

OMG I don’t know what’s wrong with you. You keep focusing the costs of living in the city, when the entire point is living somewhere else.

Again, you’re making assumptions of living in the NY metro area, which is a terrible idea IMO. Not sure why you would keep mentioning it, since I have clearly stated it’s something I will never do again and that all my figuring was based on NOT living there, or anywhere near there.

Well, you’re making a lot of assumptions that end up with the numbers failing. You present a caveat of “it depends on where you live” and then reel out the numbers for living in NYC. I was born there, and have lived there, and never would again. Therefore all your numbers are wrong, but I won’t bore you with a…

Then You may want to try simple note

That’s all fabulous, but completely besides my point, which had nothing to do with the quality of parenting vs. daycare/nannies, and everything to do with the idea of actually doing the child care one’s self.

I admire Pence for coming up with this common sense solution to a very real problem.

Could have. Felt called to do social work instead, which is notoriously poorly compensated, and I knew that going in. My only real complaint with my salary is that it’s too low to afford living by myself. Another $500 a month would be just what I need for that. Wouldn’t change anything else, though— my boss is…

Pretty sure I didn’t say that. I’m going by the assumption that those who have children had them in order to spend time with them. Presumably, they also wish to impart their own values to these children. Would you not agree that doing so by raising the children personally is a preferable situation, instead of…

A Toyota Highlander is not what most people would consider a luxury car. It’s a large midrange crossover.

A Toyota Highlander is not what most people would consider a luxury car. It’s a large midrange crossover.

I can see the amazingness of your life in the “vacation every day” sense :) You posses something most are lacking - self-confidence to not have that “jet ski” or an expensive watch, etc... that’s a gift and you are richer then many in this world. The rest comes and goes including money.

Exactly— you’re conscious of what you’re doing, can afford it, consider it a worthwhile expense, and aren’t sitting around desperately wondering where your money went.

Honestly, if I were to magically gain access to more money— even conservatively, let’s just say double what I make now, or $72k a year— I’d buy a small house, keep (but pay off) my car, figure out how much I needed to live adequately, then invest the rest for retirement. I estimate I’d go from spending $18k a year…

I Agree, but those cars are hardly luxury. They are rather upper end of an average car. But yes, if they were in need of saving, they could certainly slash it off. I just think that they scraping by because of their mentality not anything to do with their finances. Many would give a lot to scrape by like that.

I didn’t say having children was a *bad* choice, just that it *was* a choice, and a choice that costs them a fortune. And if they lived elsewhere, had a cheaper mortgage, cheaper or fewer cars, no insane childcare and lessons, etc. etc. they wouldn’t need that extra $250k, PLUS they’d be raising their own children.

The couple in this story has no concept of what it means to be poor. Apparently you don’t, either. Hell, *I* don’t have much of a concept of what it means to be poor, and I only make $36,000 a year ($24k after taxes) and yet somehow I manage to live on half that and save $6k/year.

500k doesn’t go as far as you think

Your snottiness is pretty impressive. Consider me impressed. Please know that I’m gazing in appreciative wonder at my monitor right now, which I know was the reaction you were aiming for.