The Financial Benefits of Marriage

My friend worked a full-time job in finance for three years while also filming 35 weddings each year on the weekends. Why? So his wife could go to Registered Dietician school. Now, he runs a creative agency and she sees virtual clients, with a team of two under her. They bring in a substantial dual income with no student loan debt to pay off. 

My pastor’s wife worked full-time while my pastor went to seminary for two years. Now, he pastors a large church in Los Angeles, while she lives her dream of spending every day raising their four daughters. It was a tag-team method for them both to self-actualize.

I delayed getting married for years, in part because I waned to get my career in order before I did. As Kanye once said, “Just wait ’til I get my money right.” We did. When my wife and I were getting pre-engagement counseling, and talking with friends about the matter, I realized there was a flip side of this coin. There can be great financial benefits to being married. 

My friend’s wife is not a classically ambitious person. She would rather spend time investing in friends and family than careers and crypto. If she wasn’t married, she would have taken out huge loans to make it through school, or held a job to pay for school. But then there would be not time to see friends and family. In my opinion, it wouldn’t have happened. If she wasn’t married, I don’t think she would have made the sacrifices. 

There is no other relationship like this in American culture. A roommate might float your rent for a month or two if they’re a really good friend. But you’d get the boot soon enough. A sister or an aunt might lend you a few thousand bucks if you really needed it. But they’d expect it back eventually. A spouse, on the other hand, is a built-in teammate that can fully invest in your future, as you fully invest in theirs. 

Now that I’m married, I’m experiencing the financial benefits in a different way. Since my wife is working full-time right now, and covering our base expenses, I can be a little riskier. I can invest in long-term projects and hunt for freelance “whales.”

I just wanted to share this line fo thinking because it was a big paradigm shift for me. I hope the end of the year is wrapping up nicely for you!