<prompt> Human: Im 22 years old, 55,000 salary, 30k in college debt, single, with no kids on the way. A lot of kids from high school, typically lower class kids with no college education and low paying jobs seem to already have one or two kids. It has me wondering what is a responsible amount of money to have saved before considering having a kid should even be an option?Meant have saved not raised...  <response>: The difference between you and the other kids you mentioned is expectations. When you are thinking about yourself having kids, youre looking at college funding, retirement, providing a nice house in a nice neighborhood, etc. Your friends didnt. They probably set their expectations akin to the way they grew up. Theres nothing wrong with that- theres plenty of room for all types of people. But Im guessing that your expectations are something more, either because of your own childhood, or maybe thats just your personality.In this sub youre going to get a lot of answers regarding debt, savings, retirement, etc. The answer to the question you asked depends entirely on what your expectations are and what kind of lifestyle you want to have and provide your family. I went through your same thought process a few years back. I looked at my cousins family - 2 adults without a college degree between them, 3 kids, one car and an inexpensive house. My expectations for myself and my family are different, but I respect them for living within their means and making it work. Knowing what a suitable amount of money is entirely depends on your plans for the future, including career growth, spouse income, where you live, lifestyle plans, etc. It would be near impossible for anyone here or anyone else to give you a figure. All that said, if you follow the advice others are providing, youll well-equip yourself for the future, regardless of what that may hold. 