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People with less money than you who have kids will still be able to travel. They will just travel less frequently (sometimes much less frequently), they will t

by Crito 13y ago

People with less money than you who have kids will still be able to travel. They will just travel less frequently (sometimes much less frequently), they will travel to less exotic locations, they will book further in advanced, and they will travel and stay in less luxury. A week in Duluth, instead of a summer in France. This is a difference in degree. It is a difference in degree until you reach the real difference in kind, far closer to the median household income / poverty line. The people who have no hope for a retirement, who plan on working until their aging bodies force them to stop. I am sure those who travel whenever they please would assert that a retirement consisting of planning out the next trip months in advance is a difference in kind. It is a different sort of lifestyle if you are honest, but it is best described as difference in degree. Everyone thinks that the difference between what they want and what they have is the important difference. If you had it, the bar would move; you wouldn't be satisfied.

rayiner 13y ago
I agree that traveling more or less is a difference in degree not kind. But 'chongli suggested forgoing having kids so you can save money and travel. That's a difference in kind, and it's a prole sort of thing to do. At least assuming you'd otherwise have kids if you had more money.
- Crito 13y ago
  Well, yeah. chongli's suggestion is a difference in kind, not degree, but I think his suggestion is a bit extreme. I don't think many people decide to not have kids just so that they can travel more. Plenty of people probably claim that, but I don't think many people who actually want kids would decide not to have kids just because of their retirement plans. There is probably a deeper fundamental lack of a desire for kids hidden in there somewhere. Anyway, I think it is also worth considering how the price of having kids changes as you go up and down the income scale. Most parents will naturally be inclined to provide the best childhood for their kid that they can. For most people, this probably means making sure their kids have good nutrition, do well in school, etc. Parents with more money available to them might start considering additional expenses though, like private tutors, private schools, larger college funds, trust funds, etc. People with more money will probably spend more money on their kids, so that 50k extra (after taxes) income every year doesn't necessarily mean 50k more money for yourself. If your income increases, you'll probably spend more on your kids. (of course this won't make more income a wash, since certainly some of that extra income will be spent on yourself).

by Crito 13y ago

rayiner 13y ago

I agree that traveling more or less is a difference in degree not kind. But 'chongli suggested forgoing having kids so you can save money and travel. That's a difference in kind, and it's a prole sort of thing to do. At least assuming you'd otherwise have kids if you had more money.

Crito 13y ago
Well, yeah. chongli's suggestion is a difference in kind, not degree, but I think his suggestion is a bit extreme. I don't think many people decide to not have kids just so that they can travel more. Plenty of people probably claim that, but I don't think many people who actually want kids would decide not to have kids just because of their retirement plans. There is probably a deeper fundamental lack of a desire for kids hidden in there somewhere. Anyway, I think it is also worth considering how the price of having kids changes as you go up and down the income scale. Most parents will naturally be inclined to provide the best childhood for their kid that they can. For most people, this probably means making sure their kids have good nutrition, do well in school, etc. Parents with more money available to them might start considering additional expenses though, like private tutors, private schools, larger college funds, trust funds, etc. People with more money will probably spend more money on their kids, so that 50k extra (after taxes) income every year doesn't necessarily mean 50k more money for yourself. If your income increases, you'll probably spend more on your kids. (of course this won't make more income a wash, since certainly some of that extra income will be spent on yourself).