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"Financially independent" can encompass myriad income levels, however, depending on other variables.
I was financially independent when I was 23 and a journalist making just shy of 20k a year. I lived independently, within my means, sans roommates, and selected my geographic location and housing and set up my budget according to my available income. I created a situation where I could afford to live on what was standard for an introductory-level position in my field at the time, because that was what was required if I wanted to work that particular job.
Good then I used the right term. Because in a date that's what I would expect. Not much, but don't want to hear about your late cell bill or inference of green card, because I have had both in less than 2 months of OLD.
I still personally believe that spending and saving habits and willingness to live within one's means, specifically, are more precisely the cause of divorce, not simply "money," and I think that overall, these are by far the more important factors at play in the equation than income level alone.
Agreed. But you won't get to marriage, if you are accustomed to (and happy with) an income level and habits that the other cannot sustain.
Unless your income level can easily float that other person, anyway, without any change in standard of living. Or, if it is worth it to you to adapt your lifestyle according to different goals within the relationship - in my household, we've mutually agreed to do it a number of times, due to things like career changes and related moves, having a child, one or the other of us going to grad school FT. Speaking from personal experience, we were certainly happy with our household income level when we were both working FT, but we're also happy with the adjustments we've made to work on other personal goals. People in serious relationships and marriages DO adjust their standards of living, over time, as need be, depending on their overall priorities and life goals as a couple. Income is a factor, but it's not the only one. It's very dependent upon the couple, and their individual goals and values.
Unless your income level can easily float that other person, anyway, without any change in standard of living. Or, if it is worth it to you to adapt your lifestyle according to different goals within the relationship - in my household, we've mutually agreed to do it a number of times, due to things like career changes and related moves, having a child, one or the other of us going to grad school FT. Speaking from personal experience, we were certainly happy with our household income level when we were both working FT, but we're also happy with the adjustments we've made to work on other personal goals. People in serious relationships and marriages DO adjust their standards of living, over time, as need be, depending on their overall priorities and life goals as a couple. Income is a factor, but it's not the only one. It's very dependent upon the couple, and their individual goals and values.
I never said it was. Really was just answering the OP. But it certainly can be enough of a factor that 2 people don't marry.
Agree. If that's the overall attitude (i.e. "I'm going to have to decrease MY personal standard of living, because your income doesn't pull the kind of weight necessary for you to contribute enough for us both to live at the standard to which I'm accustomed,") it's unlikely that the relationship would progress to the marriage stage. That's a major difference in priorities, and like any other, dating is the time to find that out and base decisions on whether or not there's a future from there.
What?
Why would you have to decrease your standard of living?
Why wouldn't whatever they made be an additional source of $$?
I looked at my wife's salary as a bump UP to mine. You people do realize that it does not cost twice as much for everything just because there are two people, right?
One person making $100k + one person making $50k does not equal 2 people living at $75k lifestyle.
There are some posters here who say a person's income doesn't matter or shouldn't matter in dating. Yet almost all articles written about divorce cite financial difficulties/differences as a cause for divorce.
Shouldn't it be mean that income will be a factor when dating? Unless you end up dating a frugal introverted person having a relationship involves money. It makes sense that income would matter.
...
Not quite.
It's not how much you earn it is how you spend it. A frugal person with a modest income could be reasonably close to being millionaire over time while a millionaire who is not wise with his money could be deep in debt.
And then there's the potential increase in income (better education or promotions) and the potential decrease in income (due to unemployment).
Why would you have to change your habits? Outside of the normal things you do once you become a couple?
If a person likes going on expensive trips or fine dining - they might either have to foot the bill for the person who can't afford it or adjust their lifestyle.
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