Friday, January 25, 2013

Baby Pre-Req: Marriage or Money?

Question
What's really more important before deciding to bring a child into the world - being married or financially stable???

Think on it before you proceed.





Still thinking?






Now, why did you choose that answer over the other?





Done yet?





Okay.....my turn.



I want to yell "FINANCIALLY STABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" from the mountain tops, buuuuuttt.....I have reasons to think marriage would be more important as well.

Honestly....I must have some Gemini in me the way I split views on everything. CANCER FOR LIFE!!!!!! 69



MARRIAGE

I certainly see myself being married before I have a child. I consider myself Christian, so per my beliefs I should be married before procreating the good old fashioned way. However, if I lived as I should per my beliefs, I'd be a completely different person. I try to walk the straight and narrow, but it's more like I'm walking on a turnpike. Anyway, enough of my spiritual struggles. I could write a book on those.

I was raised in a two-parent home with loving, married parents (loving towards us anyway....as far as each other...it just depended on the day. Haha) It's a beautiful thing to have love coming from both parents. They weren't balling at all, but my sisters and I still had all of the essentials and a little more. However, it came at a price. All of us - parents and children - had to sacrifice different things occasionally because it was best for the whole.
Not knocking having to sacrifice at all.... Lessons were learned. Humility was taught. I turned out awesome. 

I'd just rather not go through those times from the mirrored side if I don't have to. #AndThenIKanyeShrug



MONEY

All the love in the world ain't buying diapers, formula, clothes, food, rent, etc... Romanticizing that "Just-the-two-of-us" feeling into thinking that we can get through anything is sweet n'shyt, but uh...I'd rather get through without the financial problems, at least.
Gotta backtrack for a second: I'm not saying I need to be RICH before having a child. I said FINANCIALLY STABLE. And what's financially stable to one person may be questionable to the next. It's SUBJECTIVE. My loose definition of financially stable would be to have at least a 3-month rainy day fund built up, a comfortable amount in savings, and a secure job/career that is constantly feeding my checking account before I bring a life into this world. (Not to mention having a house that I'm making steady payments on along with a dependable vehicle.) And yes...I know nothing is guaranteed to be a particular way forever. Anything could occur and wipe out all of my savings....but at least I tried!



THE BS HAPPY MEDIUM I COME UP WITH AT THE END TO LET YOU KNOW YOUR OPPOSING VIEW DOESN'T COMPLETELY SUCK

I think the key words in the question are "deciding" and "stable." 


  • In this day and age, half (or more) pregnancies are unplanned. It's gotta be difficult to say what's more important once you see that plus sign on the stick.
  • Stability is based on personal beliefs. Some people find stability in marriage. Others find stability in money. As long as you're stable somewhere is what's really important, I suppose.