Both parents working is the current trend globally, the worst are developing countries where both parents work and there still isn’t enough money for retirement and medicine.
I think this can be done. It just depends on what their perspective of modest living is. Also I personally think much of two income household money is used by the average family to keep up with the Jones and buying "nicer" things than 50 years ago
You are spot on. Have you noticed how a family of 6 managed in a 10 Sq house now it's 3 or 4 in a 30 Sq house?
Do you really mean 3 or 4 in a 300 sq m house? I've seen some of the apartments in Sydney on property websites, they are much larger than what we have in Singapore, and ours is almost double the size of Hongkong. Generally, 3 bedrooms here range from 85 sqm to 120 sqm (interior). Personally, I feel that for 3 persons, a 90 sqm is large enough. Any larger than that, cleaning will be a headache.
Australians were content with less, including living space, particularly those that experienced economic depression & war.
^^ and you nailed it. 40 years ago one factory workers wage could support 4 kids, a newish car, mortgage in the middle suburbs and two weeks holiday every year.
Weve always been a one income family but my wife has has a few part time jobs here or there in our 31 years, just short stints when she wanted once our kids were in school. She also watched kids and babysat for others. I was raised by a single mom and rarely had my dad around so I wanted better for my family, plus I grew up on the Brady Bunch and I was always jealous, and jealous of kids that had their moms at home. We reared our family on one income with mom at home and we homeschooled our daughter off and on since she has dyslexia and the schools dont have any resources or experience with it. I worked as much as I needed to and had as many jobs as I needed to make it happen and it got easier as the years went on and as i made more $$. Now that my kids are grown I'm glad we made the call way back then and my kids are so far ahead of their peers its pathetic. I was lucky to have good jobs and skills that allowed it but wasnt always easy and we couldnt necessarily keep up with the neighbors but its give and take. My kids were more important than a new car or a big screen and I wouldnt have done it differently. It's not that it cant be done but it's not a priority of most parents. Money is more important.
It's the same everywhere although the make up is different. 40 years ago, a local factory worker probably can support 3 kids, but no car, a mortgage in a small apartment, no holiday. Today, the factory worker can't even find a lady, let alone have a kid.
