it's good to have plans. But they all go out the window when the wife and kids come along. I'm not saying there is no upside to having kids. Just all those spur of the moment things are dead. you can't just take off when the mood strikes you, you can't quit your job and try something new without significant suffering, you have to pay for a larger apartment or house so your disposable income is disposed of nicely. But at the end of it all you willingly make these sacrifices, and you wrap yourself in the solace that you've done your best for your family, and they are better off today than they were yesterday.