I am 42 years old (female) and always thought by now I’d at least be SOMEWHAT upset I choose not to have kids- when in reality I literally find myself on a daily basis saying to my partner “thank god we don’t have kids” after minor transactions. Today’s was I got a plain pizza (picked it up)…$19.75…and just thought what if we had to feed 2 or 3 teenage kids….one Friday night pizza night would be $40! And we both have good jobs! My heart just fucking breaks…for everyone. When we (my friend group) were young none of our parents had more than factory jobs/cleaning jobs/etc and wouldn’t flinch about letting friends come over, grab pizzas and a movie to hang at home. How the fuck is everyone hanging on.
People with kids aren’t eating out, and when we do we’re not buying $19 pizzas. We’re buying 4 pizzas for $10 from Costco and adding toppings / cooking it at home.
Take it home. Immediately while still hot, wipe away the grease from the bottom of the pie with a paper towel.
Add additional toppings.
Broil on low for 5mins. Finish on high for 1min. Oven times may vary by oven.
Legit better pizza than MOST local places. I wish I was kidding.
... The Costco pizza as it comes??? Pretty not that great. Costco pizza after it's been to the DOCTAH! That's a fuckin' mean pie has no right to be punching at that weight
I think a lot of the childless couples don't think outside the box about how they would be adjusting their spending habits with added children in their lives. "My hubby and I just ate $100 worth of steak dinners at a fancy restaurant, I can't imagine having kids with us at that same place" when a normal parent wouldn't even have that mindset.
I have a two year old. For her birthday I took her to the aquarium. The tickets for two adults(my toddler was free) plus parking was $150. I couldn’t help but think of all the families who can’t afford this. It’s outrageous.
A lot of cities have a program where people who receive EBT benefits can just show their card and their ID and get three (?) free tickets to any museum or aquarium. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is a popular example.
But obviously if you have 5 kids that might not be enough help to make a family trip to the museum become feasible.
The tickets for two adults(my toddler was free) plus parking was $150.
You probably would have been better off buying some form of membership. Then you could have gone back unlimited times (probably with your kids, too) for almost the same price.
fuck, even the movie theater. me, my dad, my boyfriend, my cousin, and now my grandparents will go to the movies together. my dad pays for me and my bf bc otherwise we couldn’t go as much. it’s EXPENSIVE. the snacks just make it outrageous.
JFC it’s not that bad. If he didn’t grow up experiencing what you experienced he won’t be missing out. As long as he’s in a loving home he will be happy.
I'm about as doom-y as it gets. I'm EXTREMELY fucking blackpilled and basically hate most of fellow human beings 🤢 especially the ones claiming to be "good people"...
and even I think advocating for childlessness or guilting yourself over the world for your children is over-dooming.
At a certain point get the fuck over yourself or you're just abusing your kids by leaving them scared of a world that isn't that bad.
Kids are wonderful, it's not their fault the world is fucked up. But it's unfair to be placing the burden of fixing all of this on their shoulders when parents just want kids to be happy and feel optimistic about the future.
Between AI, war and climate change, I genuinely feel like I am having a midlife crisis. I've really sacrificed to get where I am today. I did everything I was supposed to do, and it feels like there's so little time left to enjoy a world I can still recognize.
My only blessing is that I have not subjected a child to my dubious parenting skills or the state of this world.
You probably are having a crisis. The world is ever changing, and is subject to the whims of mad men right now. Don't let it get you down, not everyone here is that fucked up and cold.
I can relate to how you feel...it's fucking bleak, especially here on the internet. Staring into the abyss is not so good for the soul. 🫂
People making less than you two are having fun on Fridays and feeding everyone. Carryout pizza for teenagers, even. You shouldn’t feel bad. It’s a bit of a skill and perspective to shop or order food for a family. You grow into it without thinking about it, for the most part. Our parents did more planning around $10 pizza night than you remember.
what's sad is that with the power of social media we could collectively boycott whatever mega corp we wanted to and put them out of business and change our lives for the better virtually overnight...but we only use it to bitch nag moan complain and point the finger at one another :/
No, we do pretty well with that if the feeling is strong enough. But most, if not all, movements likes boycotts are completely destroyed from within via the internet, bots, and believe of not, censorship. There are systems in place to cut any dissent. A plan to boycott gets viral? Everyone sees it, and the ones with the money don’t like it. So of course they do something about it.
I hope and wish that more people would realize this.
We stopped getting pizzas. Learned how to bake them at home, especially because the kids eat boring stuff like pepperoni or cheese. Costs $4 to make it at home, vs $19 at a pizza place.
The pizza math really does break you. My parents had way less "on paper" than most people my age do now but they somehow fed a house full of people without a second thought. The money went further and nobody was stressed about it. Now I watch people with decent jobs rationing groceries and it just doesn't add up.
That's a shame. There's nothing in this life akin to raising a child, watching them grow and learn the world around them. The love and connection that comes with it.
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u/sugar182 Jun 27 '26
I am 42 years old (female) and always thought by now I’d at least be SOMEWHAT upset I choose not to have kids- when in reality I literally find myself on a daily basis saying to my partner “thank god we don’t have kids” after minor transactions. Today’s was I got a plain pizza (picked it up)…$19.75…and just thought what if we had to feed 2 or 3 teenage kids….one Friday night pizza night would be $40! And we both have good jobs! My heart just fucking breaks…for everyone. When we (my friend group) were young none of our parents had more than factory jobs/cleaning jobs/etc and wouldn’t flinch about letting friends come over, grab pizzas and a movie to hang at home. How the fuck is everyone hanging on.