Here's my situation,

my wife and I live in a tiny one bedroom, basement apartment. Our bills equal to around $2k a month. Which include food, gas, prescriptions, etc... I work full time making only $28k a year. My wife makes only $17k a year. She thinks we are ready to start trying for a baby, i'm not convinced. I just think that looking at our finances we simply cannot afford it. Just our current expenses is almost my entire gross yearly income. Especially with cost of living going up but pay rates not.

I love my wife and love to make her happy, but this is something I need tips on how to discuss my concerns with her. She is always saying then "let's compromise". But I don't think there is a compromise. You either have a baby or don't. The only thing I can really offer her is to say let's wait six months and see where we are at financially before we start tossing around the idea again.

But there's a problem, her family. They have a differently philosophy and keep whispering in her ear. My observations are they believe when your body says have a baby, then have a baby regardless of the situation.

Now my wife has two sisters and one brother. Both her sisters have followed this family philosophy. One lives at home with her parents with a adorable 2 year old. The other was living at home with a 4 year old, but has now since estranged herself. From what I gather her two sisters are in constant financial hardship and their relationships with the fathers are unstable at best. I have repeatedly used her sisters as a example of what poor family planning can do. But it just goes through one ear and out the other.

So please help me, I need a struggling parents perspective, woman's perspective, or something.