Rich couples but no children

Americans Natalie and Keldon Fischer live with their two dogs in a Seattle apartment with a huge savings account and travel every month.

“I really enjoy the DINK life,” says Keldon, a 30-year-old software engineer.

They have no debt other than the mortgage on their apartment. Each earns hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Last year, they traveled once a month, to Italy, Mexico, Thailand and Finland.

The lifestyle they pursue is called DINK, which stands for "dual-income, no kids." Although it is not a new trend, more and more couples are going public instead of keeping it quiet to avoid public criticism like before.

Natalie Fischer, 25, a full-time content creator, said being DINK means they have a lot of freedom, time and money. She is ready to have children but is first focused on building a net worth of $1 million by age 30.

“I knew that when I had children, I would have to take on more caregiving responsibilities and work less,” she said.

Keldon and Natalie Fischer, with their dog. Photo: WSJ — Keldon and Natalie Fischer, with their dog. Photo: *WSJ*

Videos promoting the DINK lifestyle have garnered millions of views across social media platforms. Most feature couples announcing that they don’t want kids yet, so don’t ask; they probably never will, and that childless life is wonderful.

From DINK, the lifestyle is expanding to DINKWADs (couple with dog), SINKs (single income, no kids), DINOs (similar to DINK) and even DINKY (dual income, no kids).

Michigan State University psychology professor Zachary P. Neal, who studies childless adults, says the lifestyle used to be stigmatized with views like “selfish, self-absorbed, gambling with the future, too career-oriented.” But today, DINKs are more open and growing in numbers.

“When more people start publicly identifying as childless, it helps create a more open and welcoming environment,” says Neal.

In a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, 44% of 18- to 49-year-olds said they were unlikely to have children, up 7% from 2018. Reasons included economic setbacks, concerns about the state of the world, and simply not wanting to. Many young people are waiting longer to have children than previous generations.

Brenton and Mirlanda Beaufils. Photo: WSJ — Brenton and Mirlanda Beaufils. Photo: *WSJ*

Brenton and Mirlanda Beaufils, both in their 30s, have been together for more than a decade and say they are often asked if they plan to have children. But they aren't ready to give up their flexible DINK lifestyle.

For example, on a trip to Las Vegas, they partied by the pool, dined at famous restaurants, visited casinos, completely lost track of time until they fell asleep at 5am.

And when Brenton, 32, who works in property management, was offered a new job that required him to move to a new city in just two weeks, the couple moved from Boston to Dallas in just one week.

“We go wherever the wind blows. We like that about our relationship,” said Mirlanda, a 30-year-old real estate agent.

In Dallas, people around them were constantly curious and pressing them about having children. But Mirlanda, who wanted to be a mother someday but was in no rush, countered: "Are you willing to babysit for me? If you can't, don't ask me again."

Norelle Marquez used to imagine having children around the age of 24 or 25. But lately, the 26-year-old no longer sees them in her future.

The professional photographer and her husband, Robert Marquez, a 28-year-old Marine, are debt-free and have a stable budget for their Dallas family. “Being DINK is pretty comfortable,” she says.

Norelle Marquez and her husband. Photo: WSJ — Norelle Marquez and her husband. Photo: *WSJ*

Norelle appreciates the DINK lifestyle that allows her to provide for her family. Her mother raised her and her brother on her own, so she recently gifted her a washer, dryer, flooring, a car, and more.

When she shared the quirks and joys of being a DINK, she received a lot of support. "TikTok has reinforced my resolve to be a DINK and know that it's okay."

Robert added: "Family doesn't have to be blood related."

Ultimately, whether or not to have children is a reversible decision. “We’re all DINK (two income, no kids) or DINKY (two income, no kids) at some point in our lives,” says Holly Hummer, PhD, of Harvard University.

Bao Nhien (According to WSJ )

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