My husband and I are mid-thirties. I think the only hopes of us retiring “ahead” in this part of Southern California are 1.) middle class family wealth transfer and 2.) remaining childless. As it is, almost 2/3 of our liquid savings is inheritance.

That 2/3 is more than double our retirement accounts combined (one of us spent years in a low paying field that requires a degree, the other went the PhD/post-doc route; our retirement accounts are a little anemic). Naturally, we have no pensions — but one of our four parents has a public pension, life-time medical coverage including spouse, and a successful career after retiring from the public sector. So that’s a bright spot.

I think instead of children, we’ll have two aging parents with no savings to care for. Even though I don’t have baby fever, it makes me sad that children seem like a luxury around here and that retirement looks so practically and psychologically bleak for at least one set of our parents.

It makes me seriously think of moving back to the Midwest, but San Diego is the most affordable area right now with industry relevant to the PhD.