Earn & Invest 712. Will Kids Break the Bank? w/ Bryce Leung and Kristy Shen
Mar 2, 2026
Bryce Leung, co-founder of Millennial Revolution and practical FIRE investor, and Christy Shen, personal finance writer and co-author of Quit Like a Millionaire, share parenting finance perspectives. They challenge the myth that kids must be expensive. They cover travel hacks, secondhand bargains vs safety buys, investing small for future child costs, worldschooling, and how financial independence buys time for family.
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Airport Hotels Became A Travel Lifesaver
- Christy says their biggest childcare splurge has been airport hotels when traveling with an infant.
- They started using airport hotels to avoid miserable arrivals and sometimes pay out-of-pocket despite points strategies.
Higher Income Drives Child Cost Averages
- The USDA/Statistics Canada child-cost averages are inflated by higher-income choices rather than fixed necessities.
- Christy notes richer households spend more on housing, toys, activities, and lifestyle inflation, so averages overstate baseline costs.
Use Flexibility To Lower Childcare Bills
- Use remote work and flexible schedules to cut childcare costs by shifting care responsibilities.
- Christy notes pandemic-driven remote work lets parents reduce paid daycare needs and increase the earnings–savings gap.
