Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Yes, my husband's earning potential was a huge factor for me. I met and married him during his cardiology residency. At that time he made 50k and had another 50k in debt for buying luxury clothes too small that he ended up discarding. No savings, no family money.
After residency he passed his exams only after years of trying, so he was unemployed or underemployed for years. Then he couldn't stick around at any job for even a year.
It's been a struggle and constant careening from one crisis to another. Result: financial insecurity.
I worked part-time after having kids and needed to go back full-time.
So were your plans to stay home? Bc that seems like you filtered for high income but didn't pan out?
PP here. Yes, as a matter of fact, I consider it best for the children to be home with the them until they are two years old and then work part-time at least until they turn 6. And I feel strongly about choosing a husband who is on board and enables what is objectively best for the children. For this I would have been willing to sacrifice a part of my own earning potential and career progress.
Anonymous wrote:I married for love. I did have some of the same questions as you OP when my DH and I were getting ready to get engaged because he was never going to be a super high earner (he is an academic).
At first things were uncertain and difficult (we also had to move a lot for his career early on), and I wondered if I made a mistake not going for one of the other guys who I could have dated in my 20's living in NYC.
I chose my husband because he is an AWESOME PERSON who I truly love and respect and who treats me excellently and who I trust in a very deep way.
Now that things have stabilized for us and the really difficult stuff is gone (at least for now - life is crazy after all), I am happier than anyone could be even though we are not rich.
It is easy for me to remember now why I didn't date some of the guys back from my 20's - they were SELFISH (high earners often are). They wouldn't have been attentive to my emotional needs and they wouldn't have helped with kids. I knew intuitively I guess that for me this was not going to fly.
When you choose a partner there are various things to balance. Money is one of them yes but it is not everything.
if you actually love your fiance, you might want to discuss the possibility of your both moving to a lower cost of living area. That can go a long way in feeling financially secure and not having to deal with constant financial pressure in life.
Anonymous wrote:If you want to marry for money, do it. Nothing wrong with that need or desire, just be honest. I have plenty of friends that would have NEVER married my spouse, I married him when he made 40 k a year. It sucked but I married for love. Yes it would be wonderful to be rich but honestly, I have every thing I need, he makes 160K now, I work part time because I need an outlet from kids/home. Life it good. A lot of my married for $ friends are miserable. Some are loving life. Its a crap shot.
If yes, than by all means, marry into a more financially secure situation.Anonymous wrote:OP, I empathize. I have questioned the same thing... my fiance makes 115K which is objectively good, but my ex right before him was a VP I-Banker easily bringing in several hundred K a year, and I broke up with him.
I am going to a top-10 business school next year for my MBA and I am concerned it will hurt my relationship given the earning potential of the people I will meet there...
I just keep reminding myself that money doesn't buy happiness. I focus on gratitude and progressing my own career.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Yes, my husband's earning potential was a huge factor for me. I met and married him during his cardiology residency. At that time he made 50k and had another 50k in debt for buying luxury clothes too small that he ended up discarding. No savings, no family money.
After residency he passed his exams only after years of trying, so he was unemployed or underemployed for years. Then he couldn't stick around at any job for even a year.
It's been a struggle and constant careening from one crisis to another. Result: financial insecurity.
I worked part-time after having kids and needed to go back full-time.
So were your plans to stay home? Bc that seems like you filtered for high income but didn't pan out?
Anonymous wrote:I went on 4 dates with a woman when we were in law school. On the fourth date she told me that she wanted to SAHM. I told her that while I appreciated her honesty, I could not move forward with our relationship knowing her motives. I have not spoken to her since she dropped out.
Anonymous wrote:Yes, my husband's earning potential was a huge factor for me. I met and married him during his cardiology residency. At that time he made 50k and had another 50k in debt for buying luxury clothes too small that he ended up discarding. No savings, no family money.
After residency he passed his exams only after years of trying, so he was unemployed or underemployed for years. Then he couldn't stick around at any job for even a year.
It's been a struggle and constant careening from one crisis to another. Result: financial insecurity.
I worked part-time after having kids and needed to go back full-time.