honestly, how are young married couples doin the one income thing these days?
been thinking a lot lately about the traditional family setup. It seems like a lot of guys my age (Gen Z / Millennial) have a strong conviction about being the sole provider so their wives can stay home, especially once kids are in the picture. Millennials particularly are known for student loan debts, and degrees that aren't really helping in some cases. As for Gen Z and A, I don't know what they're dealing with after the news about college being more risk than not.
But looking at home prices and just the cost of living right now... it feels like you'd need to be making crazy money to not be totally house poor.
For the guys here who are actually doing this:
how’s it actually going?
Are you guys finding it doable, or is the financial stress way higher than you expected?
Just trying to get a bead on what's going and if this is still a realistic goal for most of us or if the 2026 market has basically made it impossible without a massive salary.
I ask because I'm concerned with the amount of young marrieds still considering a home and a kid without considering the state of play we're at. But I could be wrong. Maybe you have parents paying for things? If so please say so. It's not a bad thing. Fathers are biblically told to leave an inheritance for their children.
EDIT:
I'm looking for FIRSTHAND accounts from people who are married AND are Millenial age or younger. Please do not comment unless you fit that category.
EDIT 2:
Please include if you entered the marriage with student loans. I'm noticing a lot of folk who got married without sudent loans are able to make the dream happen. Either no college debt by not going to college or if it was paid for by family or scholarships or a combination of things.
Edit 3: Thanks for all of the bold ones who answered with your life stories. And those who shared what they could as well. I really appreciate it.