ORLANDO, FL (Ivanhoe Newswire) — America’s birthrate hits its lowest point in more than a century. Some blame it on infertility, others say the state of the world is causing couples to think twice about having children. Then there’s another group of young couples that want the lifestyle a childless household brings with it. They’re called dinks and they’re trading parenthood for luxury vacations and impromptu date nights.
Are you a dinker? Dinks are dual-income couples with no kids. Thousands of couples are going viral, sharing their choice to opt out of parenthood.
A study by Pew Research Center found that 44 percent of non-parents aged 18 to 49 said they were not likely to have kids ever! That’s up by seven percent since 2018. The main concern? Cost.
Last year, the Department of Agriculture reported it costs 292 thousand dollars to raise one child from birth to 17. If you have two children, that’s more than half a million dollars, and that doesn’t even account for college. However, experts warn your decision may cost you more in the long run. In fact, you lose cashing in on the annual child tax credit and your decision will also impact later life care. The average cost of a U.S. nursing home is now 2,432 dollars a month. Five years for one person adds up to more than 145 thousand dollars.
Experts say that although dinks stand to save a quarter of a million dollars for each child they decide not to have, they still need to save and invest wisely to afford help in their senior years. The reality is, you can dink if you plan carefully and remember that not all decisions are final. Young dinks can always consider children after enjoying their luxury vacations and shopping sprees.
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Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer and Editor.
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