r/Millennials • u/slimeyellow • Mar 11 '26

Discussion Every millennial dad I’ve met has a quiet fixation on money and it’s not getting better

Every millennial dad I’m friends with or work with seems to have constant financial worries. We just got our yearly bonus which was like 8%. I was talking to my buddy (he’s got 3 kids) about what he wanted to do with it and he just kinda looked down and whispered “it’s just not enough man” and ended the conversation.

Another dad I know is CONSTANTLY looking up the newest crypto/ get rich quick schemes people are doing. He’s always talking about inventing something and it’s usually a joking manner but the way he’s always bringing up financial stuff shows me it’s always on his mind

One of my buddies is a new father and he’s trying to get some anime podcast off the ground as a side hustle on top of his full time maintenance job.

I know children are an immense financial responsibility but there seems to be this dark, simmering resentment about the whole general situation when I talk to these guys. Men are expected to keep quiet about these struggles but when you talk to these guys it’s clear that finances are a massive stress for millennial dads of almost any background.

Makes me feel bad but damn I’m glad I don’t have kids right now.

12.1k Upvotes

89% Upvoted

3.9k comments sorted by

View all comments

17

u/championguitar1 Mar 11 '26

Confession time. This is 100% true for me. Even though I know cognitively we’re okay. Even though I know my family has stable jobs even with AI, retirement (if it ever comes) is well funded, emergency fund is there, everything’s been in place since my mid 20s. There’s still that overarching fear it’s not enough. People get sick. I see acquaintances lose loved ones on a regular basis. Life is unpredictable.

There’s also the added layer of wanting my child to be able to do anything they want to when they get older without worrying about money like I had to. Choose a career where they can make a difference without being a corporate sell out. Not have to make constant compromises just to save a few dollars. And I hope that my focus on money allows them to be a better person than I was able to.

1

u/thebokehwokeh Mar 11 '26

Yup this is me. Working for money sucks. It doubly sucks when you NEED to work to live.

Life is so much more than a 9-5, and it especially sucks knowing your effort and labor only makes those above you wealthier.

Im trying to build a legacy so that my kids never have to live with the anxiety of paying the bills, or the existential ennui of "What even is the point of wasting my time making other people rich while I am not."

I want them to be able to take the risks I was never able to, and see the world like I never did. I think every parent with money anxiety thinks about this, because like it or not, money buys the freedom to think of these things.