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I will post before I finish reading as I feel this way....
Couples have the advantage. Yes, maybe food or clothing, etc. is doubled, but you will still only have one mortgage/rent payment, one heating/electricity/cable bill.
I often think if I had someone to share those expenses with (roommate not an option here) how much better I would be doing financially.
They have much more flexibilty to move to a new better income location;much cheaper.
not really, most places require a lease and have huge penalties to break them.. and its very expensive to rent on a month to month basis not to mention exposing yourself to a landlord who may choose to raise rent each month
I would say couples have the advantage financially but the downside is that if they ever divorce then usually their financial situation is ruined and they are MUCH worse off than any single.
Couples who both work only have an advantage if they are successful living on one income and saving the second. It's very difficult to avoid the temptation to bump up your lifestyle.
I say couples or those living with roommates have the advantage.
Living by yourself may be easier and with less expenses since its only one person to consider. But if you were able to cut your rent/housing payment in half by living with another or others, you would have more money in the bank.
However, I am not considering kids at all in my thoughts since I don't have any.
Singletons, especially those who rent, have more flexibility today, which is a great economic advantage. Once you have a partner with second career and a house, it's very difficult to pick up and go somewhere else for work if necessary. A spouse may simply not be willing to leave a job, or may be unable to replace a good job in another place. A house, especially, is like pouring concrete around your feet. At sale, the transaction costs alone can amount to tens of thousands of dollars. And, kids? Oh, my.
I think it depends. As a single, childless adult, for example, I could easily live with roommates in wacky attic apartments, eat ramen noodles 5x a week to save for a vacation and so on. As a mom to a young child, I have higher standards for some things--although I'm certainly frugal minded. BUT, I'm also more inclined to consider ways to save knowing that someone else depends on me. I think that may be the key in an attitude shift. As a single adult, I was frugal because it was fun and allowed me to do all kinds of fun things, like lots of travel, that I "shouldn't" have been able to afford on my income. I didn't save much for the future. I DID have greater flexibility in terms of housing and how much or little I could work.
As someone mentioned, being married isn't necessarily a safety net. A spouse with out of control spending can ruin your joint finances.
Singles have a much greater ability to move to a new city to find employment, increasingly necessary in these economic times. Also a much greater willingness to take split shift jobs, which may be the only ones available. The disadvantage is no one to stop you from making bad choices.
Both sides are represented here. Couples can live more cheaply, but singles (unless they're tied down by a mortgage) can move to better employment more easily.
I will post before I finish reading as I feel this way....
Couples have the advantage. Yes, maybe food or clothing, etc. is doubled, but you will still only have one mortgage/rent payment, one heating/electricity/cable bill.
I often think if I had someone to share those expenses with (roommate not an option here) how much better I would be doing financially.
Only if both are kicking in for expenses. I always seem to end up with deadbeats. My boyfriend recently moved in and wants to start contributing to the bills in AUGUST. WTF.
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