Influencers Are Repopularizing The 'DINK' Trend But Experts Warn Against It

The days of parents and a set of 3 kids being the ideal family arrangement are behind us. Instead, apps like TikTok and Instagram are making room for DINKS, an acronym for households with double incomes and no kids.

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What is 'DINK'?

Working couples who haven't had children are dividing the internet by bragging about their infant-free lifestyles, including splurging money on Costco shops, date nights and luxury vacations. The term 'DINK' - which means 'dual income, no kids' - has gone viral on TikTok and Instagram as more and more couples opt out of having babies.

DINK videos, which have over 33 million views on TikTok, showcase the lifestyle of kid-free married couples每 from travelling the world to parenting pets to spending $100 on candy, because why not?

But why is it getting so popular?

It has been re-popularized by online influencers amidst red-hot inflation, high childcare costs and broader economic uncertainty. But as much as Gen-Zers and millennials are embracing the word "DINKs," they didn't come up with the term.

Boomers have been using it for decades, as noted in the 1987 TIME article 'Living: Here Come the DINKs.' The piece points to the cost of raising a child to age 18 as almost $100,000 at the time. That number is now closer to $310,000, according to Brookings Institution analysis of data from the US Agriculture Department.

Trend is taking over the internet

Newly-wed Kate Anderson asked her 105,000 TikTok followers: 'Why is nobody talking about being DINKs?' As @engelthang on TikTok, Anderson gained nearly 100,000 followers by posting "dink vlogs"〞 videos showing her and her husband's daily life. One of her most popular videos is a date-night run to Costco. "We don't have kids to feed, but we've got lots of money to spend on goodies," she says in a video with more than 1.5 million likes.

Anderson, a 30-year-old newlywed based in Minnesota, makes content for other couples that feel pressure to have kids after marriage. "There's not a lot of discussion for other lifestyle choices available for couples who are newlyweds," she says. "I was really surprised at how aspirational some people found it. They'll tell me, 'Yeah, that's my dream life.'"

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Among other influencers purporting the values of a child-free lifestyle is Hilary Bowles. Bowles shared one video of herself and her partner on holiday in Bora Bora, with the caption: 'In our married, travel the world, pre-kids, dual income era.'

In another, she posted a clip of herself opening a Chanel shopping bag in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - followed by a montage of her enjoying luxury vacations on boats, beaches and safari parks with her husband. She sarcastically captioned the video: 'You're 30, you should be having kids.'

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Many on the internet have responded positively, vocalizing their hopes to mimic the lifestyle.

the little DINKS (dual income, no kids) trend on tiktok is how I aspire to be.

〞 lo＊ (@nerual____) January 21, 2023

I always thought I would want kids eventually, later in my life but ever since I saw a tiktok of a DINK (dbl income no kids) couple I＊m starting to think that＊s more the life for me. Why do I let tiktok invade my thoughts like this

〞 Kennedy (@kennadamss) January 21, 2023

What studies say?

Last year, the financial management site Mint Intuit found that the cost of raising a child to the age of 17 had ballooned to $292,017 - hooked on figures from the Department of Agriculture. The estimate was based on a middle-income family of four and is before any college costs are accounted for.

The study found 29 per cent of that money came from needing a bigger property. A married couple with two children and an income of $104,127 before tax would mean $84,685 over 17 years. The second highest expense was food which accounted for 18 per cent - or $52,263 - out of the family budget.

Meanwhile, according to the data, childcare and education set parents back around $46 723 on average, and transportation cost $43,802. Healthcare, clothing and miscellaneous expenses were also accounted for.

A study by Pew Research Center in 2021 found that 44 per cent of non-parents aged between 18 and 49 said they were not at all likely or not too likely ever to have children - up by 7 per cent since 2018. Couples cited financial concerns among their reasons for staving off the decision.

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What experts say?

But chartered financial consultant Bill Ryze points out that couples often fail to consider the Government support that comes with having children. "Currently, the Child Tax Credit is a maximum of $2,000 a year for a child below 17 years," Ryze said. "So, while raising a kid is expensive, at least you are eligible for a refund. Without kids, your tax refunds will be lesser than they would have been with kids."

IRS figures show the average American family receives $3,600 a year for each child under the age of six and $3,000 for those aged 6-17. Ryze added that those without children may be less focused on their finances. As couples stand to save nearly $500,000 by refusing to have two children, Ryze warned it was 'prudent' they find a suitable investment for this money to save them during retirement.

But the biggest crunch point comes from elderly social care fees. Parents can often rely on their children to look after them in later life and help out if they need extra care for conditions such as dementia. Those without children risk having to move into a nursing home for support as they age. The average cost of a US nursing home is now $2,432 a month, according to data from SeniorHomes. Five years in residential care for one person would cost $145,920. It means those who choose to forgo children must plan carefully to make sure they have enough money to shoulder these fees.

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According to Surya Bhatia, managing partner, Asset Managers, the biggest trap is to overspend. "Typically, a household with children or other dependants is able to save 20-30%. Couples with no kids have the potential to save way more than they spend, but often they save about 10-15% of their income," he said.

Biju Dominic, a behavioural science expert and chief executive officer FinalMile Consulting, said this is human tendency. "People in general don't have the ability to think too much into the future. But I find children to be the driving force that gets people to think and plan for the future," he said.

"Most dink couples tend to live in the present. I find most of them conditioned to believe that they will always be able to make money in the future so most of them end up with a high-end lifestyle," said Mrin Agarwal, financial educator and founder director, Finsafe India Pvt. Ltd.

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"When you have kids, in the absence of a Will, the law of the land takes over, and you have rules around succession. But when you don't have children, it becomes important that you specify the manner in which your assets should be divided," said Priya Sunder, director PeakAlpha Investment Services Pvt. Ltd.

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