nevermind the mess

I know what you're thinking.  Having kids saves you money? Are you crazy? What about diapers? What about college?!? On parenting websites, you'll find calculators that let you add up exactly how much money it will cost just to get through your baby's first year of life. I plugged in some numbers, and gasped when I saw the total of just under $7000.00. That's a lot of money, especially considering that we we are also going to be short one income for that year. The  latest estimate  for rearing a child until college age is a whopping quarter of a million dollars. I'm assuming that's for upper middle-class people who actually do silly things like calculating the costs of being alive. Yes, having kids costs money. But guess what? So does  not  having kids. Don't believe me? Think of all the things you would be spending money on if you didn't have a living breathing money pit at your feet. Last-minute weekend getaways, eating in fancy restaurants, and...

Since last June, we've viewed at least 22 houses. Countless hours have been spent on Zillow zooming in and out on homes in great neighborhoods with beautiful landscaping. I've wasted away dozens of precious sleep hours (we have a nine-month-old who still won't sleep through the night), googling terms like escalation clause,  agonizing over whether our current offer would be accepted. During waking hours, I find myself daydreaming of our daughter having her own room, so that my husband and I can finally resume our marital relations without an audience. Our finances are in order, our loan has been pre-approved, and we have an agent who is professional and experienced.  We've made four separate offers on four different homes. We've waived all contingencies. Offered above asking price. And still nothing. Why can't we get a house?!? Because we live in San Diego, and my husband, a high school math teacher, might as well be working at Burger King because his yearl...