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Parents trying to balance raising happy children while also preparing for retirement<\/a> are increasingly grappling with difficult financial tradeoffs, especially when it comes to choosing between saving for the future and paying for meaningful family experiences and activities.<\/p>\n One such parent, who said they were in their late 30s with two young children, shared on Reddit<\/a> that retirement contributions had been reduced<\/a> to the minimum employer match so the family could focus on vacations, swim lessons, 529 college savings plans and other childhood experiences.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are basically all in on our children having the best childhood memories as possible,\u201d the parent wrote.<\/p>\n Don’t Miss:<\/p>\n Many Parents Said Retirement Has To Come First <\/p>\n Many commenters quickly pushed back on the idea of sacrificing retirement savings too heavily for experiences during childhood.<\/p>\n Often repeated throughout the discussion was that children can borrow money for college, but parents can\u2019t borrow money for retirement.<\/p>\n \u201cNot becoming a burden on adult kids<\/a> in retirement is the best gift possible,\u201d the original poster later acknowledged after reading through the responses.<\/p>\n Commenters shared personal experiences helping aging parents who failed to save enough for retirement. Some described paying for housing, assisted living, funeral costs or covering basic bills for elderly parents later in life.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople will be happy to loan your kids college money,\u201d one person wrote. \u201cNo one is loaning you money to die comfortably.\u201d<\/p>\n Trending: Investors are moving beyond traditional IRAs\u2014using self-directed accounts to access real estate, crypto, and alternative assets<\/a><\/p>\n Others argued that many expensive childhood experiences aren\u2019t nearly as important to children as parents sometimes assume. Camping trips, board games, bike rides and simply spending time together came up repeatedly as examples of memories kids often cherish more than costly vacations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve spent thousands taking them to Europe,\u201d one parent wrote. \u201cThey still remember more fondly the times we camped for 35 bucks a night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTime spent with kids is the best gift,\u201d another commenter added.<\/p>\n Several parents also warned against trying to \u201ccatch up\u201d on retirement savings later in life. They said waiting too long to save for retirement can make it much harder for your money to grow over time.<\/p>\n On the other side, not everyone believed parents should aggressively prioritize retirement at the expense of family experiences.<\/p>\n Some commenters said childhood goes by quickly and argued there is value in spending money on travel, activities and shared experiences while children are young.<\/p>\n See Also: You don’t need a large trading account to trade futures at scale\u2014here’s how traders are entering evaluation programs to qualify for funded accounts<\/a><\/p>\n One parent said they intentionally worked less and spent more time with their kids, even if it meant saving less for retirement in earlier years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe traveled a lot and made lots of great memories,\u201d the commenter wrote. \u201cBest of all, our kids are happy and we have a great relationship with them. I wouldn\u2019t change a thing for a larger 401(k) balance.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, even many of those commenters emphasized moderation. Parents discussed choosing cheaper vacations, buying used cars, limiting expensive extracurriculars and avoiding lifestyle inflation.<\/p>\n In response to the answers to their post, the parent said the thread had been \u201ceye opening\u201d and confirmed they planned to shift priorities more toward retirement savings<\/a> moving forward.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess I just needed to hear the obvious,\u201d the parent wrote, \u201cto spend time with them as much as possible and to make sure not to become a burden when they are adults.\u201d<\/p>\n Read Next: Retirees With $1M+ In Savings Are Rethinking Their Tax Strategy \u2014 Here’s Why Some Are Turning To Specialized Advisors<\/a><\/p>\n Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market <\/p>\n Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, professional financial guidance, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.<\/p>\n Rad AI<\/p>\n RAD Intel is an AI-driven marketing platform helping brands improve campaign performance by turning complex data into actionable insights for content, influencer strategy, and ROI optimization.<\/a> Positioned within the multi-hundred-billion-dollar digital marketing industry, the company works with global brands across sectors to improve targeting precision and creative performance using its analytics and AI tools. With strong revenue growth, expanding enterprise contracts, and a Nasdaq ticker reserved under $RADI, RAD Intel is opening access to its Regulation A+ offering, giving investors exposure to the growing intersection of AI, marketing, and creator economy infrastructure.<\/p>\n Arrived<\/p>\n Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100<\/a>. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.<\/p>\n Lightstone<\/p>\n Lightstone DIRECT gives accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily real estate opportunities backed by a vertically integrated operator with more than $12 billion in assets under management and a 40-year track record.<\/a> With more than 25,000 multifamily units nationwide \u2014 including significant exposure to low-supply Midwest markets where rent growth has remained resilient \u2014 Lightstone is positioning investors to benefit from tightening housing supply, strong occupancy trends, and long-term rental demand. Through Lightstone DIRECT, individuals can co-invest alongside the firm, which commits at least 20% to each deal, offering exposure to professionally managed multifamily assets designed to generate durable income and long-term appreciation beyond the traditional stock market.<\/p>\n AdviserMatch<\/p>\n AdviserMatch is a free online tool that helps individuals connect with financial advisors based on their goals, financial situation, and investment needs<\/a>. Instead of spending hours researching advisors on your own, the platform asks a few quick questions and matches you with professionals who can assist with areas like retirement planning, investment strategy, and overall financial guidance. Consultations are no-obligation, and services vary by advisor, giving investors a chance to explore whether professional advice could help improve their long-term financial plan.<\/p>\n Accredited Debt Relief<\/p>\n Accredited Debt Relief is a debt consolidation company focused on helping consumers reduce and manage unsecured debt through structured programs and personalized solutions<\/a>. Having supported more than 1 million clients and helped resolve over $3 billion in debt, the company operates within the growing consumer debt relief industry, where demand continues to rise alongside record household debt levels. Its process includes a quick qualification survey, personalized program matching, and ongoing support, with eligible clients potentially reducing monthly payments by 40% or more. With industry recognition, an A+ BBB rating, and multiple customer service awards, Accredited Debt Relief positions itself as a data-driven, client-focused option for individuals seeking a more manageable path toward becoming debt-free.<\/p>\n Finance Advisors<\/p>\n Finance Advisors helps Americans approach retirement with greater clarity by connecting them to vetted, fiduciary financial advisors who specialize in tax-aware retirement planning<\/a>. Rather than focusing on products or investment performance alone, the platform emphasizes strategies that account for after-tax income, withdrawal sequencing, and long-term tax efficiency\u2014factors that can materially impact retirement outcomes. Free to use, Finance Advisors gives individuals with meaningful savings access to a level of planning sophistication historically reserved for high-net-worth households, helping reduce hidden tax risk and improve long-term financial confidence.<\/p>\n Immersed<\/p>\n Immersed is a spatial computing company building immersive productivity software that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens inside VR and mixed-reality environments.<\/a> Its platform is used by remote workers and enterprises to create virtual workspaces that reduce reliance on traditional physical hardware while improving focus and collaboration. The company is also developing its own lightweight VR headset and AI productivity tools, positioning itself in the future-of-work and spatial computing space. Through its pre-IPO offering, Immersed is opening access to early-stage investors looking to diversify beyond traditional assets and gain exposure to emerging technologies shaping how people work.<\/p>\n Image: Shutterstock<\/p>\n This article Parents Wonder How Much To Spend On Childhood Memories Vs. Retirement Savings. Some Say Not Becoming A Burden Later Is ‘The Best Gift Possible’<\/a> originally appeared on Benzinga.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Parents…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":472722,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[152799,114,149550,268,85,46,266,267,4861,6300],"class_list":["post-472721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-529-college-savings-plans","tag-business","tag-childhood-memories","tag-finance","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance","tag-real-estate","tag-retirement-savings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}