I need a solid answer when a household is an extended family, two jobs, two kids, and still struggling. Ready go!

a lot of income goes to rent (or mortgage) and raising kids, so rent what you can afford and don't rush to have kids. if you're going to college now, you should have more income later. i waited until my forties to raise kids and buy a house.

We're living by bare means, trust me. We also came to the conclusion of "If we don't have kids now, we're going to miss our opportunity."

well there are a lot of job openings now, with many companies afraid of losing more employees. why not apply to a few places and see what you get? any reasonable offer is a bargaining chip with the employer you have now.

It's shifting up that's the problem. For example, my wife is trying to find a job that will take her Master's so she can start building that up to get her PhD. The issue for her is the classic "You need experience." - "But I don't have experience..." -- "Then go get some..." -- "... But that's why I'm here. Your ad said '5 years experience preferred.'" That kinda horse rubbish.

has she checked out the PhD graduate stipends in her field? some are amazingly high.

She needs to be accepted into a university first. University says she needs more experience in her work.

different schools will have different requirements. are you willing to relocate?

Fortunately, our situation is slightly better than that :P

You’re a really smart person, I agree with and respect your opinions and values. Great rational thinking on part of political and economic matters. Thumbs up dude (:

Most women can't have kids into their 40's though. Then they end up spending tens of thousands on IVF treatments because they waited too long.

oh right. i'm not recommending that for everyone. it's just what i did.

Yeah, we hit 30 and stopped and assesed our situation. It was 2017.
"Can we do this?"
"It'll be rough, but we'll manage."
"What happens if we don't?"
"Doc is already saying that it only gets harder to have kids from here on."
"Do we want kids?"
"Yes."
"How long will it take us to accomplish our goals for financial safety to have kids?"
"8-12 years, give or take."
"Too long."
"I agree, let's have kids - if we put it off just a little bit, we'll keep putting it off and putting it off. Let's just do it."

So you're a year younger than my foster son! I decided to not add to the human plague, but instead just provide a stable home for someone who never spent an entire school year in the same place.