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Marriage - Your Cost-Benefit Analysis.

Started by Armyknife, September 21, 2009, 02:09:23 PM

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Barrister

Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

crazy canuck

Quote from: C.C.R. on September 22, 2009, 10:29:34 AM
Quote from: crazy canuck on September 21, 2009, 04:37:44 PM
Quote from: Malthus on September 21, 2009, 04:31:19 PM
But it is true when a person is single as well.

Yes but in that instance you are only paying for your own increase in standard of living.  When married you are paying for that increase for one other person who cannot pay for the increase based on their own income (keeping kids out of it).

From a solely "Dollars and Cents" angle I agree.  Over the course of our thirteen year marriage I have clearly brought home more money, yet my wife has historically outspent me in Discretionary Expenses (an Out-Of-My-Ass Guesstimate would be at a 3 to 2 or 4 to 3 ratio).

That being said, though, there are other factors involved with the delicate intricacies of maintaining a 2+ person home that transcend the scope of pure finances:  namely, Chores.  Cleaning, cooking, laundry, necessary errands (grocery shopping, etc), dishes, yardwork (if necessary) -- and this isn't even including what's invoved once you add children to the mix.

In my own situation, the disparity in monetary income has been more than offset by the reverse disparity in who does Household Chores, leading me to personally feel that the extra money that I have brought into the marriage has been an excellent investment towards Free Time that would otherwise be spent on less savory endeavours...

I agree.  Thats why I said in my first post that if you are looking at marriage from a strictly financial cost benefit analysis you ought not get married.

There are of course a whole host of other reasons to get married (and stay married) and that is why I have been happily married going on 19 years.

Malthus

Quote from: crazy canuck on September 22, 2009, 10:48:02 AM
I agree.  Thats why I said in my first post that if you are looking at marriage from a strictly financial cost benefit analysis you ought not get married.

There are of course a whole host of other reasons to get married (and stay married) and that is why I have been happily married going on 19 years.

The cost of a maid, cook and shopper *is* a dollars-and-cents cost-benefit issue.  ;)
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane—Marcus Aurelius

crazy canuck

Quote from: Malthus on September 22, 2009, 10:55:05 AM
The cost of a maid, cook and shopper *is* a dollars-and-cents cost-benefit issue.  ;)

In a quantitive sense it is.  But definitely not in a qualitative sense.  If I was rich enough to have household staff for example it would not be the same thing.

MadImmortalMan

Quote from: Brazen on September 22, 2009, 09:20:59 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on September 22, 2009, 09:12:55 AM
I will give you Ed Anger's marriage checklist. If I had Visio on this system, I'd make a flowchart

1) Is she smart? If yes, then continue

2) is she good looking? Is her Mom good looking? If Yes, continue

3) Does she nag? If yes, ABORT. No? Keep going

4) Will she sign a pre-nup? Yes? Keep going

5) Does she tolerate you quirks? Yes, keep going

6) Likes sports? Yes? JESUS TAPDANCING CHRIST, GET HER A RING.
Interesting. So I don't make another mistake, could you advise on a marriage checklist for women plzkthx.

1: Do you want to change him? If yes, ABORT, if no, return to "1".

"Stability is destabilizing." --Hyman Minsky

"Complacency can be a self-denying prophecy."
"We have nothing to fear but lack of fear itself." --Larry Summers

Malthus

Quote from: crazy canuck on September 22, 2009, 11:15:49 AM
Quote from: Malthus on September 22, 2009, 10:55:05 AM
The cost of a maid, cook and shopper *is* a dollars-and-cents cost-benefit issue.  ;)

In a quantitive sense it is.  But definitely not in a qualitative sense.  If I was rich enough to have household staff for example it would not be the same thing.

Heh, doesn't necessarily mean having staff - though it isn't really all that unaffordable (you are richer than I and *I* have had staff; even my parents, who are poorer than I, had a live-out maid in several times a week, and a guy to cut the grass).

Think of it in terms of "eating at home vs. at restaurants all the time".
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane—Marcus Aurelius

crazy canuck

By staff I mean people that take care of all the household chores that we otherwise do.

We already have a maid and a chap that does the yard. :P

Malthus

Quote from: crazy canuck on September 22, 2009, 11:24:02 AM
By staff I mean people that take care of all the household chores that we otherwise do.

We already have a maid and a chap that does the yard. :P

*Sigh* I miss Anya. She did all the chores, everything. Like a chunky Ukranian Mary Poppins.  :(
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane—Marcus Aurelius

Brazen

I recommend cohabiting with a chef, then the partner IS the staff  :thumbsup:

CountDeMoney

Quote from: merithyn on September 21, 2009, 08:26:55 PM
A.) I've never given you shit for not being in a relationship. On behalf of the women of the world, I thank you for it daily.

Goddamned right you do.

QuoteB.) I have a wonderfully working marriage right now. It's 4.5 years along and stronger now than ever. In fact, it's lasted nearly as far along as my last marriage,

Don't use the term "last marriage" when "first marriage" is much more appropriate and less misleading about your inability to maintain relationships, mkaythxbuhbye.

Caliga

Quote from: Brazen on September 22, 2009, 11:26:55 AM
I recommend cohabiting with a chef, then the partner IS the staff  :thumbsup:
^_^ You'd love me, baby.
0 Ed Anger Disapproval Points

garbon

Quote from: Caliga on September 23, 2009, 06:58:23 AM
^_^ You'd love me, baby.

I'm so not sure who to defend.  On one hand we have gas station food but on the other we have british food. :(
"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.

frunk

There is no winner, only gastro-intestinal distress.

Brazen

Quote from: Caliga on September 23, 2009, 06:58:23 AM
^_^ You'd love me, baby.
[gordonramsay]You may think you're a cook, but you're no chef[/gordonramsay]

derspiess

Quote from: garbon on September 23, 2009, 09:08:01 AM
Quote from: Caliga on September 23, 2009, 06:58:23 AM
^_^ You'd love me, baby.

I'm so not sure who to defend.  On one hand we have gas station food but on the other we have british food. :(

Zing!
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall