15 February 2006
by Elisabeth Ozdemir
Is there a link between getting married and making money?
When all is said and done on Valentine's Day, people who are in love think, "What could be the next best thing?" After many months of lavish spending and nagging from his date, a man has to face the end of dating, if not right away then soon. Since getting into a relationship is like starting a business, it's time to talk about marriage. Everyone must take chances. Everyone has to put money into something. It's important to remember that economists look for investments that can be seen and touched. Economists will never be able to measure emotional investment.
Why then do people get married? In western societies, it has become common for people to live together without getting married. What's the economic reason behind getting married?
Professors at Ohio State University asked about 9,000 people from the baby boom generation (those who are at least 50 years old) about the financial benefits and costs of getting married. The study found that getting married has a positive effect on a person's social and financial status compared to staying single. For example, a person's personal wealth goes up when they get married. This information can also be looked at in a different way. Why? Because when you get married, your income and property also become your partner's income and property. That's one reason why it's good to face the altar. Marriage law is the only thing that makes a man and a woman legally married. Think. What could the details be that Hollywood stars argue about when their marriages end?
When they do get married, couples will have more money to look forward to. As more and more people move from rural areas to cities, the price of residential property goes up every year. It is likely that the prices of basic things like food and clothes will also go up. And if the marriage leads to at least one child, the costs will go up by three times. Serious affairs with other people were not a part of the study.
The research also shows that the economic benefits of marriage are higher for people who marry a "winner." A "winner" is a partner who is smart and capable, but not necessarily rich. That's a contrast for someone who marries someone who didn't finish high school or who has some kind of disability.
