Brenton and Mirlanda Beaufils are a millennial DINK couple who spend their disposable income on vacations, but regularly talk about starting a family.
Courtesy of Mirlanda Beaufils
Brenton and Mirlanda Beaufils, 32 and 31, are living the good life.
The Dallas-based millennial couple is the epitome of DINK energy, relishing their "double income, no kids" lifestyle and finding new and creative ways to make use of their disposable income each month.
"Last weekend, we went to Neiman Marcus and bought ourselves some fun stuff," Mirlanda told Business Insider in a May interview.
The couple brought home a low six figures in 2023, according to financial records reviewed by BI. Mirlanda works as a real-estate agent in Dallas' hot housing market, while Brenton focuses on property management. In addition to their day jobs, the influencer couple creates YouTube content for their 1.3 million subscribers. Brand deals and social media promotion help pad their pockets, tax records show.
The social media-savvy Beaufils said they first started seeing people talking about DINKs online earlier this year, and the couple resonated with the sudden surplus of videos featuring mostly millennial couples sharing the perks of having two incomes and no kids.
"It's a positive part of our life," Brenton said of the couple's current child-free status.
Thanks to their influencer status, the Beaufils said they regularly receive discounted or free trips in exchange for producing content. Whether they're vacationing in Italy, honeymooning in Jamaica, or cruising on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean voyages, the couple knows their jet-setting lifestyle is only possible because of their DINK status.
Courtesy of Mirlanda Beaufils
"With Italy, we literally got invited a week before and were able to go because we didn't have to stay home and help someone with homework or take someone to school the next day," Mirlanda said.
The Beaufils said they see their DINK status as a way to "make our life our own" for the time being. They also have nieces and nephews they can visit whenever they need a family fix, the couple said.
"We feel like not having kids and being able to save a lot of our money gives us the flexibility and the ability to be able to go to restaurants and travel wherever we want," Mirlanda said.
But just because they enjoy being DINKs now doesn't mean the Beaufils don't think about giving up the lifestyle one day. There are potential drawbacks to being eternal DINKs, the couple said. They worry about what their future would look like without a family of their own.
"Without having kids, when you grow old, you don't have that support. You have to pay for caregivers," Mirlanda said.
The Beaufils said they regularly talk about starting a family — conversations partially spurred by the surge of comments and questions they get from followers asking about their family plans.
"We get asked about kids every day," Mirlanda said. While the couple's followers are typically supportive, Mirlanda said she has received some online negativity from those questioning why she hasn't "given" Brenton a child yet.
"With so many changes in today's age, I don't think you worrying about my uterus should be the biggest problem," she said.
In a July video on the couple's YouTube channel, Brenton and Mirlanda answered questions from followers and discussed their plans for having kids one day, including potential names and parenting techniques. Mirlanda said in the video that the couple constantly receives questions about why they "don't want kids."
"Who said we didn't want kids? We never said we didn't want kids," Mirlanda said in the video. "I guess it's because we're old, and they're wondering why we don't have kids yet."
"We're not old," Brenton quipped back.
The couple told BI they are perfectly happy taking their time, stoking their savings, and ensuring that when they do have kids, they do it right.
Courtesy of Mirlanda Beaufils
"Even though we're in our 30s, we don't feel like we're in a rush to do anything," Brenton said.
The couple, who currently lives in an apartment, said they want to be homeowners before having children.
"Having a kid in a one-bedroom is not something I'm dreaming about," Mirlanda said.
The couple said they think millennials are more conscious about the decision to start a family than past generations, considering both the financial and emotional work required to be a good parent.
In the meantime, the Beaufils said they're perfectly happy to keep having fun.
"I'm very content with the way my life is," Mirlanda said. "We're not going to rush just to appease the older generation, which has no idea what's happening anymore."
