Is it worth being married?

Today marks a new beginning, the first day of 2026. I find myself thinking seriously about marriage and whether raising a child is realistic in this generation, especially with my current income of about NTD 60,000 per month after tax.

When I look at my finances honestly, I know my resources are not abundant. Raising a child means endless expenses—food, childcare, school fees, and extra tutoring. Just imagining these costs already feels heavy. It’s hard to feel confident about the future when everything seems to require more money than I can comfortably afford.

I also think about marriage. If I were to marry, there seems to be an unspoken rule that the man should earn more than I do—maybe at least NTD 100,000 a month—to live a stable and comfortable life. But a higher income often comes with higher expectations. His family might expect regular visits during Lunar New Year and every major festival. There would be family gatherings, preparations, cooking, and gifts. If someone in his family became ill, I might be expected to take care of them, too. These responsibilities feel overwhelming when I imagine them becoming part of my everyday life.

Then there is the question that troubles me the most: the future. If I raise a child and they grow up, will they take care of me when I am old? In my mother’s generation, children naturally carried the responsibility of caring for their parents. But in this generation, shaped so strongly by the internet and individual freedom, nothing feels guaranteed anymore. People are no longer expected to sacrifice their lives for their parents, and I don’t know if it is fair—or realistic—to expect that kind of devotion.

Thinking about all of this, I feel that marriage and having children are no longer simple life milestones. They are complicated decisions filled with uncertainty, responsibility, and quiet fear. At the beginning of 2026, I don’t have clear answers—only questions that stay with me longer than I expected.