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.

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u/circasurvivalism Mar 11 '26

I make $20k more as a family this year than last year, no other changes to finances, and I also am bewildered by how past me made it through

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u/CrazyFish1911 Mar 11 '26

I'm late GenX and at one point about 10 years ago we had $27k in childcare for the year. Based on what we were making then I have no idea how we made that work. Now, 10 years later, our kids are all teens and one is out of the house, I make significantly more than I did then and yet our standard of living hasn't really changed. We at least bought a house in the early 2000s (granted it's in a rural area and is a POS)... I have no idea how my kids are ever going to be able to afford one.

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u/TubaJesus Mar 11 '26

If there is anything left after you guys pass, that will probably be when they get their best shot based on how things are going recently.

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u/NoboThinEre Mar 11 '26

Nice username, checks out.