Couple Veronica Ochoa and Jamie Watson cycle along the Vancouver seawall on February 19, 2024. It was featured in the Globe and My DINK special feature.Jennifer Gauthier/Globe and Mail
More and more working couples are choosing not to have children and instead investing their money in themselves. These dual-income, childless couples (commonly referred to as DINKs) are saving hundreds of thousands of dollars by not having children, which opens up a world of freedom. With birth rates declining around the world, it’s no surprise that number is increasing. As of 2021, Canada has 1.9 million DINK households, up from 1.7 million in 2012.
Childless couples have more flexibility in shaping their lives because they don’t have to pay or save for all the expenses associated with children. For them, owning a home near a good daycare center or school may not be as important. They may put their careers at more risk, decide to save money for retirement, or choose not to purchase life insurance. But DINKs also face unique hurdles. For example, how to prepare for retirement without support from adult children and how to navigate a legal system that assumes that children are in charge of property.
On April 24 at 1 p.m. ET, Globe and Mail reporter Salman Farooqi will ask reader questions about a feature on how childless couples in Canada spend their time and money. I plan to answer. Salman spoke to several DINK couples across the country about why they decided not to have children and how it shaped their lives and financial decisions. Some people go on regular luxury vacations, while others aim to be mortgage-free.
You must be a subscriber to ask a question or leave a comment, but registered users can still view questions and answers. To submit a question, sign in to your Globe account, scroll down to the comments section of this article, and submit your question.
How is this couple preparing for retirement? How did the decision not to have children affect your family and work life? What are the differences in economic power between DINKs and those with children? Find out the answers to these questions and more on Wednesday.
