The Two-Income Trap

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Been reading a lot about this upcoming book (excerpted here) that talks about how two-income families can't get by these days.

USA Today article
Newsweek article, companion piece.

Lots of stuff in there that's scary, especially since I may buy a house with my boyfriend in a year or two. I totally question the whole conventional wisdom of buying a house anyway, although I'm not sure of a better way to build equity either.

teeny (teeny), Monday, 15 September 2003 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Here's the stuff that really gets me, since I'm already child-phobic:

. Rather, the people who consistently rank in the worst financial trouble are united by one surprising characteristic. They are parents with children at home. Having a child is now the single best predictor that a woman will end up in financial collapse.

Consider a few facts. Our study showed that married couples with children are more than twice as likely to file for bankruptcy as their childless counterparts. A divorced woman raising a youngster is nearly three times more likely to file for bankruptcy than her single friend who never had children. (from the excerpt)

...so what to do? ... Don’t have kids. A drastic choice, but you’ll have more options on where to live. Good public schools are now for the moneyed class. (from Quinn's commentary in Newsweek)

teeny (teeny), Monday, 15 September 2003 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

D'oh!

nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 15 September 2003 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Good public schools are now for the moneyed class.

this is the factor
that might keep us forever
here in Madison;

everywhere else
more affordable, house-wise--
but the schools are "eh"

Haikunym (Haikunym), Monday, 15 September 2003 16:52 (twenty-two years ago)


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