Could not Afford Them if I had them

“[name withheld]can not wait till I have a wife of my own, and kids of my own, but unfortunately I could not afford them if I had them….
This was recently posted by a friend from high school to a message board I belong to and it immediately struck me. The guy posting this is white, christian and just finished college. It wasn’t that the post was unexpected by this friend, what shocked me was how much he believed in it.

Two problems strike me about this post. The first problem is the notion that a wife (partner) and children are property who must be provided for by the man. The fact that this friend cannot “afford them” reduces his hypothetical spouse and children to helpless property, like a pet or house.
This outdated, seemingly almost quaint notion reeks of a man who feels like he’s not getting the privilege he thinks he’s due.
The other problem I have with this post is the perception that this friend doesn’t have enough money to meet a partner because that’s all that matters. This friend is a nice guy who deserves to meet a nice partner who cherishes him. I worry that his inability to value a woman for anything other than her ability to put a meal on the table and run around pregnant hampers his ability to get a date more than his financial position.
Posts like these make me shake my head in wonder. I don’t even comment on these because it’s counter-productive.