My spiritual director told me he thinks I’m called to marriage. I’m currently finishing up my BA but I wonder how much I’d need to make to support a family.

I’ve looked at the MIT Living Wage Calculator but their estimates seem extreme. They say that a family of 5( with one parent at home) would need an income of around 86k. Is this accurate? I want to have a large family but worry about finances.

Honestly, don’t worry too much about it. I make way less the MIT chart says, and we get by. I have 4 kids, soon to be 5, with the oldest being 7. When things have gotten tight something has always come up that has gotten us through. Last year some side work almost miraculously fell into my lap that allowed me to make $5k cash in 4 days. There have been multiple examples like this in the last few years. Go without entertainment and certain comforts, live frugally, and most of all trust in the Lords provision. 

Pay more attention to married Trad men who are doing it...and less attention to things like the MIT calculator. Those figures are crazy in my experience. They say each child costs a million dollars to raise to 18. News to me! I have 9 kids.

In my 25 years of experience of raising a family, these are items that can keep you in debt

1. Catholic private school - if homeschool is not doable for you, then prepare to go into debt or finding additional means of income, especially if you send them away to board. For a few years I had $30K private school annual bill. Let's just say you don't always get what you paid for.
2. Eating out
3. Man has no clear career direction, no savings, any debt. The man should be well established in his career: no school/credit debt, homeowner, savings, etc. 
4. Not living near relatives - you will find yourself in situations that will hit your finances harder since you don't have family nearby. Even an unexpected plane trip could cost you $1000.
5. Not marrying a thrifty wife. My wife finds way to make things go farther but I wished she would use coupons.

Lots of variables, and one to pay close attention to is cost of living in different parts of the country.

God will provide. What you NEED, not necessarily what you want. And going back to that discussion on Human Respect -- God won't shield you from having to be humble -- pick up (perfectly good) things being given/thrown away, accepting donations, hand-me-downs, etc. Why would God shield you from an opportunity to practice such an important virtue?

My wife and I intentionally lived below our means for many years, basically "pretending" we were poorer than we were, at least according to the world's standards. What I'm saying is: if you decide debt is not an option, you seem that much "poorer" to the average Modern. If you need to have a few thousand cushion and no debt, you say "I'm broke" or at least "We can't afford that." but for most people that would mean their credit card limit has been reached!

But yes, those worldly "calculators" and foolishness that passes for wisdom -- that's an obvious attempt to discourage and propagandize Trad Catholics from having the family and children God would send them.

I've seldom made more than $50K annually my entire LIFE -- just 3 years did my income exceed that. We have 9 children and acreage (not in the boonies either). My only "secrets" have been: debt-free lifestyle, diligence (hard work), frugality, and maybe the natural brains/talent that got me a $50K-ish income without college. We don't even know what a cut-off notice LOOKS LIKE from any of our utilities. We have lived a frugal and debt-free lifestyle from the beginning.

I credit Thomas A. Nelson for teaching me about the true nature of money, debt, the JQ, etc. when I was a young teen during catechism classes. I realized that if I wanted to live like no one else (wife staying at home, having a large family, etc.) then I'd have to do something different than the average Joe. SOMETHING would have to give. Either I had to win the lottery, or do something else to set myself apart. You don't get to be "special" just because your Mom loves you. Everyone has that. You need to have something going for you, something different, that says that YOU get to be the lucky guy whose wife gets to stay home, and raise a much larger family than most. Frugality and consistent living below-my-means was that "something different".

A young couple really has to treat it like a war, a game, or something along those lines. You have to be wise as serpents. Be clever, find ways to fix things, save money, do with less, and what not. You have to put some effort into it, but it's WELL WORTH IT.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of choosing a GOOD, VIRTUOUS, FRUGAL woman for your wife. That's got to be a huge cross for many guys -- you work hard slaving for the man, and she spends on on "stupid s****". So many modern women do, including many Catholics and even Trad Catholics I'm sure. Too many clothes, shoes, MAKEUP, Jєωelry, travel, and countless other ways to fritter away your resources. Yes, a frugal, down-to-earth woman is a HUGE blessing, and MORE THAN MAKES UP for lots of perfect figure and symmetrical face. I'm saying "If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife..." Choose a woman that isn't so hotly contested for. She'll keep you happier, take better care of the household and children -- you'll be much happier in the end, trust me. Looks fade.

God provides differently for each person. Some he provides brains. Some, skills. Some, luck. Some, family and/or friends. Some, inheritance. Some, ambition/drive/a good career. Some, diligence. At any rate, you're not going to starve if you trust in God and do His will. Just be prudent. God gave you a brain and a body capable of X amount of work and diligence. Use that TIME and ENERGY wisely to arrange your life rationally and intelligently. Be a human, not an animal.

God will provide. What you NEED, not necessarily what you want. And going back to that discussion on Human Respect -- God won't shield you from having to be humble -- pick up (perfectly good) things being given/thrown away, accepting donations, hand-me-downs, etc. Why would God shield you from an opportunity to practice such an important virtue?

My wife and I intentionally lived below our means for many years, basically "pretending" we were poorer than we were, at least according to the world's standards. What I'm saying is: if you decide debt is not an option, you seem that much "poorer" to the average Modern. If you need to have a few thousand cushion and no debt, you say "I'm broke" or at least "We can't afford that." but for most people that would mean their credit card limit has been reached!

But yes, those worldly "calculators" and foolishness that passes for wisdom -- that's an obvious attempt to discourage and propagandize Trad Catholics from having the family and children God would send them.

I've seldom made more than $50K annually my entire LIFE -- just 3 years did my income exceed that. We have 9 children and acreage (not in the boonies either). My only "secrets" have been: debt-free lifestyle, diligence (hard work), frugality, and maybe the natural brains/talent that got me a $50K-ish income without college. We don't even know what a cut-off notice LOOKS LIKE from any of our utilities. We have lived a frugal and debt-free lifestyle from the beginning.

I credit Thomas A. Nelson for teaching me about the true nature of money, debt, the JQ, etc. when I was a young teen during catechism classes. I realized that if I wanted to live like no one else (wife staying at home, having a large family, etc.) then I'd have to do something different than the average Joe. SOMETHING would have to give. Either I had to win the lottery, or do something else to set myself apart. You don't get to be "special" just because your Mom loves you. Everyone has that. You need to have something going for you, something different, that says that YOU get to be the lucky guy whose wife gets to stay home, and raise a much larger family than most. Frugality and consistent living below-my-means was that "something different".

A young couple really has to treat it like a war, a game, or something along those lines. You have to be wise as serpents. Be clever, find ways to fix things, save money, do with less, and what not. You have to put some effort into it, but it's WELL WORTH IT.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of choosing a GOOD, VIRTUOUS, FRUGAL woman for your wife. That's got to be a huge cross for many guys -- you work hard slaving for the man, and she spends on on "stupid s****". So many modern women do, including many Catholics and even Trad Catholics I'm sure. Too many clothes, shoes, MAKEUP, Jєωelry, travel, and countless other ways to fritter away your resources. Yes, a frugal, down-to-earth woman is a HUGE blessing, and MORE THAN MAKES UP for lots of perfect figure and symmetrical face. I'm saying "If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife..." Choose a woman that isn't so hotly contested for. She'll keep you happier, take better care of the household and children -- you'll be much happier in the end, trust me. Looks fade.

God provides differently for each person. Some he provides brains. Some, skills. Some, luck. Some, family and/or friends. Some, inheritance. Some, ambition/drive/a good career. Some, diligence. At any rate, you're not going to starve if you trust in God and do His will. Just be prudent. God gave you a brain and a body capable of X amount of work and diligence. Use that TIME and ENERGY wisely to arrange your life rationally and intelligently. Be a human, not an animal.

This is very well said.

I was making 35K when I got married in 2000.  Between second jobs, side gigs, God always provided pretty much exactly what I needed at any given time ... literally not a penny more some of the time (as sometimes found myself digging change out of couches to buy something I needed).  My brother got married making about $12 an hour in 1993.  Both of us, along with our wives, always refused to use NFP (despite my brother getting pressure form his father-in-law), welcomed whatever children God wished to send us, and God has provided.  When my brother was about to outgrow his little apartment, and wasn't sure how they'd handle his third child in that tiny space, a little investment he had made in a penny stock mysteriously took off, and he made enough to buy his (very nice) house outright.  I've found (or, rather, God found me) one job after another that I wasn't really qualified for but that I grew into, so that I'm doing very well now.  Somehow, with a degree in Greek and Latin, I'm now a Software Architect (have a job title of "Chief Architect") ... and most of my skills were honed when I was 10 years old teaching myself how to program in BASIC on an old Atari 400.  Computers were really expensive, and my Dad was never one to spend any money, but for some reason he bought this computer for us on impulse (something he never did).  Little did I know, until 20+ years later, that this impulse buy would affect the rest of my life from a material standpoint.

Bottom line.  If we trust God and do His will, He'll provide what we need.  I've never heard of anyone in the US dying of starvation.  People always help.  There are always charities.  And of course our tax dollars pay for public assistance that can be had.  This is proper public assistance ... not the kind where people refuse to work and want to sponge off the public, but for families who've hit a hard time here or there.  We're in a different time now, of course, than the American dream era, from the 1950s on, where anyone who graduated High School could get a job that sufficed to raise a family.  I grew up next door to a man who could barely speak English, but who got a job at an aluminum factory.  He bought a house next door to ours, raised a family, and retired with a million-dollar pension ... but probably could barely add 2+2.  He just had to work, and he did.  But even though that era is long gone, God still takes care of us and will provide.  He asked us to welcome children in our marriage, and if we do so, He'll take care of what's needed.  There's no guarantee, of course, and we could always end up starving to death one day ... if / when things get worse ... but all of that is still completely under His control, and He has good reasons for it all.

I recall one time when my wife was upset about a $20 bill she had misplaced, and she was getting all bent out of shape over it.  I told her, "It's only money.  God takes care of us."  No sooner had I finished the sentence, when the doorbell rang.  It was someone who had borrowed $20 I had forgotten about, there to give me the money.  I closed the door, turned to my wife, and handed her the $20.

Very wise advice. I've found that the worst things that have happened to me have been due to my own distrust in Providence. I may have lost a job out of zeal that supported us well, but Providentially, things are working out now to continue to provide for our needs with my new wage being close to that of my old. Our move south is lining up well, I have more money coming from my separation benefit, a job lined up, home pre-approval, and even moving our possessions can be piggy-backed into my father-in-law's company-provided moving benefits for their move. There's even a Byzantine Catholic church a reasonable distance from where we're looking to move.

Seek first the Kingdom, trust in God, and He will provide temporally if it is best for our souls.