September 22, 2008
Couples weigh the costs of energy bills and family planning
A survey by Thebabywebsite.com has found that the impact of the sudden increases in food prices and gas and electricity bills is causing couples to have a rethink on whether they start a family. The survey which sought the views of 3,000 couples found that over 35% of those polled said they would have to place a hold on their family making plans whilst 30% commented that they would not start a family, especially since the credit crunch was continuing to have such a negative impact on household finances.
One fifth of respondents said they would take the drastic measure of terminating a pregnancy if their finances meant they were in a situation where they believed they would not be able to afford the cost of bringing up a child. Many couples stated that the difficulty of obtaining a mortgage and the massive hikes in energy prices would mean that they would not be able to cope with everyday living costs.