Overr here, from a financial perspective, kids are INSANELY expensive. The media (toys, tv, movies, clothing, etc) and our government (school costs, taxes, regulations, esp college costs) have leveraged people's natural desire to have children against those people. Wanna have kids? You're going to be broke unless you make a very large salary.
I keep being told how cheap kids are by some people, but seeing the financial reality it goes like this:
"My husband has a fine, comfortable job making 75K a year! We have two cars and a house, let's have a kid!"
Me: (more nicely than this) As your financial advisor, I advise you to make double what you are now and then consider it.
Them: Well it's our decision
Me: Ok.
Them 12-18 months later: Barely able to afford house repairs, have to trade down to one car, and the "free" parent has to greatly consider getting a job because these people finally realize that schooling and giving kids opportunities costs a HUGE amount of money.
Me: Can't say I told them so, but I watch their happy, healthy lives go to shit as they are ground down under the weight of their new responsibility.
I know this sounds horrible and terrible and all sorts of bad things, but this has been the de facto standard in everyone around me who I've seen have kids. Thing is? THEY KEEP HAVING THEM! Suddenly they have 3 or 4 kids, no saving for retirement or college, and are locked into "family life". For a while this is nice... until the kids hit school age and the bills start piling up.
From what I've seen, I recommend that people NEED to be making at least 50K PER PERSON in a family. If you're making 100K you're pretty much ok with two people. 150K? Ok, you can have a kid and give them what they need to get by in the world. Want more? You better work your buns off or you're looking at a grim future.
This is just my opinion, but sadly i've found it true more times than I'd like. I'd like to think everyone can have kids, but the financial reality these days is that you'd have to be crazy to do so without a lot of backup cash or a cushy job.