How to raise a family on only $380,000 a year

I recently came across a short article in which the female half of an early-30s DINK (dual-income, no kids) couple in Charlotte, North Carolina, outlined their finances.

They make a combined income of about $380,000 per year. They have no debts other than a $450,000 mortgage, which they expect to pay off in the next seven years. They’ve accumulated $1.1 million in savings, to which they add about $8,000 each month. Other than gym memberships and an occasional dinner out, they rarely splurge.

‘People can’t have kids if they can’t afford a house,’ they say. Really? Are renters rendered sterile? I was unaware.

Baby bust

“I love our life together,” she says. The only thing missing? Children. They definitely want them, but have chosen to wait until they “feel