One should not marry for money

Marriage for Money: Is it the Right Choice?

Marriage is an arrangement between two people who intend to form a family and live happily ever after. Women used to stay at home doing domestic chores and caring for their children while their husbands went to work to pay for the family. Parents have urged their daughters to marry in order to make someone care about their financial needs (Swensen and Trahaug 939).

A Shift in Priorities

However, times have changed, and parents are now urging their daughters to work and not be dependent on their husbands for financial support. They consider being self-sufficient as an important aspect of life since husbands should never play the role of a father to their wives. A home should have two people earning to enable sufficient income in case of a misfortune. Therefore, it is wrong for women to marry for money, as they should consider other important aspects such as companionship, love, and family establishment.

The Importance of Love

When individuals decide to marry, they should do it for love and not money since love is the source of other commitments. For instance, love can be considered luxury since when one marries for love; most of other needs in life are always met. For instance, a husband that loves his wife will always ensure that she has food, clothing, shelter, warmth, and other personal needs (Swensen and Trahaug 939). Marrying for financial gains may not be satisfying to the couple including the woman due to inadequate commitment to issues related to love. Although a husband should ensure that his family has enough financial resources, a woman should not consider money as the main factor to determine a marriage partner. Other psychological needs are achieved due to love that exists between the couple.

The Role of Companionship in Marriage

Lack of love in a family union leads to problems such as many cases of divorce, marital violence, and child abuse among others (Diener and Biswas-Diener 120). Without love, it is not possible for a couple to sit and plan for their future and that of their children. Women should not just focus on wealth when selecting their marriage partners since it can be very disappointing. Nowadays marriage is based on love and romance and if it dies, people are likely to divorce regardless of the amount of wealth a man has. Money is important in a family but it should not be a factor to consider when one wants to start a family with a man (Zelizer 817). Although factors such as procreation, financial security, and companionship are important in marriage, love can bring more happiness to a family. Women should consider their feelings about the men they want to spend the rest of their life with and start a family. Without love, several troubles can merge such as fights, domestic violence, and other family issues. People without love may never respect one another, leading to chaotic relationships. Children need attention, and parents have a role to play to ensure that all their physiological needs, including love and care, are met (Swensen and Trahaug 939). Women should not base everything on the financial success of men and ignore other important aspects of life when planning to love. The husband and wife should contribute to the well-being of the family to make sure that harmony prevails. In this case, it is wrong for women to marry because of money.

Marrying for Money: A Selfish Decision

Marrying someone for money is quite selfish since it leads to betrayal, especially when the money diminishes. Although people need money to survive, getting into a relationship for money can be very disappointing. Companionship should be a major consideration since marriage is about a lifetime relationship with or without money. Although a woman may want to live a good life, it should not be at the expense of her companion. If the two are working and earning an income, they should all contribute to the family budget and share responsibility. Having a companion to share ideas, sorrows, and other daily issues is more satisfying than focusing on the amount of money a spouse has. True friendship is necessary in a family union, with or without money (Smock, Manning, and Porter 680). This means making a decision to marry due to financial gain is not right since it can be quite disappointing. Couples entering into a marriage union should strive to be financially independent to support the family. Focusing on their relationship and resolving any issues that arise in their union is more important than focusing on monetary gains. Several other factors may determine the choice of a marriage partner, but companionship plays a big role in ensuring that the couple remains united.

Building a Family with the Right Intentions

People should not marry for money and wealth but should focus on establishing a family. In this case, there must be a good intention for starting a relationship and settling together. The wife should have some goals of marriage, which will enable the family to stand in times of turbulence (Smock, Manning, and Porter 680). A goal is anything that one wants to happen, especially in the future. Although money plays an important role in future plans, it should not be the only focus by people planning to get married. No marriage relationship is perfect, but couples can discuss and sort out issues if their reason for living together was to have a successful family and not because of money. Marital harmony can be threatened by several factors, including the love for money and wealth (Lanchester 8). If one of the couples just married to get material things, he/she will never see the need for fighting for love or establishing the marriage. A successful marriage needs mature individuals committed to the achievement of personal growth and development. Although it is not possible to have a perfect marriage, pursuing life goals of having a united family is a great idea. A couple should always focus on engaging in fun with their children to create a united family. Being together and sharing individual likes is better than having lots of money. People should marry the persons they admire and those they can learn from instead of focusing on the property they own. Helping each other to grow and sharing values, plans, time, experience, and laughs. Getting children and bringing them up responsibly is more important than focusing on what one spouse can offer in terms of money. Individuals that only care about money in marriage can be associated with greed and selfishness, which is not good for a healthy marriage. Divorce cases are on the rise, contributed by a lack of marriage commitment (Lanchester 8). For those who enter marriage with the aim of receiving money from the spouse, they are not committed to raising a stable family. Most cases of divorce are due to a lack of agreement as the partners have their different goals. Money is important and necessary in any family, but couples should not base every argument on it. Marrying for money is not the right idea for any couple.

The Importance of Love and Companionship

It is wrong for people to marry for money since the decision should be based on the desire to share life with someone. Human beings are social creatures requiring attention from others, and living a single life may become quite boring. It is a good idea to share happy and sad moments together with someone one loves since it is quite fulfilling (Swensen and Trahaug 939). After enjoying single life for several years, it is right to have a partner and raise a successful family with love and care. Some things such as hanging out with friends lose meaning after some time, and an individual has to settle down. However, doing it for money makes life meaningless since it cannot help one to feel complete. Life can also be defined as a game of stages, and marriage is one of them. Once mentally prepared to get to the next stage, making a decision to get married for money is wrong (Galvin, Braithwaite, and Bylund 8). Instead, one should focus on getting a partner to share life with and move on with life. Focusing on money is like commercializing marriage, which can destroy the couples’ happiness. Marriage is a special stage in life, and every person should dream of having a happy marriage. In many communities, it is a tradition that people should get married at one point in their lives and focus on raising a family. As long as couples are committed to sharing the rest of their life together, money should never be a cause of concern. The two can work to provide for the family instead of one trying to rely on the partner for monetary gains. Many times, money issues are the cause of disagreements and should be handled carefully. Societal norms are very important, which shows that money should not be a reason for couples to keep on arguing every time. Marriage helps couples to mature as they develop trust, commitment, and faith, making them feel more responsible. A woman gets emotional security if the relationship is stable due to the man’s commitment to having a lifetime partner. Children also find comfort in a marriage that is not rooted in a desire for money.

In Conclusion

Marriage should be for life, and people should never take vows if they are not in love, not aiming at having a companion, or not ready to start a family. Marrying for money and other material things is not the right choice for couples. Men and women should strive to live a quality life by contributing equally to the financial needs of their family. Some psychological needs are achieved due to love that exists between a husband and wife and not because of financial success. Lack of love in a family union can lead to issues such as divorce, marital violence, and child abuse, among others. Individuals should not marry for money and wealth but should focus on establishing a happy family. In this case, couples must have a good intention for starting a relationship and settling together. The wife should have some goals of marriage, which will enable the family to stand in times of turbulence. A goal is anything that one wants to happen, especially in the future. Money is good since it enables people to sustain a quality life, but it should not be the main factor when one is choosing to marry.

Works Cited

Diener, Ed, and Robert Biswas-Diener. “Will Money Increase Subjective Well-Being?.” Social Indicators Research 57.2 (2002): 119-169.

Galvin, Kathleen M., Dawn O. Braithwaite, and Carma L. Bylund. Family Communication: Cohesion and Change. Routledge, 2015.

Lanchester, John. How to Speak Money: What the Money People Say-And What it really Means. WW Norton & Company, 2014.

Smock, Pamela J., Wendy D. Manning, and Meredith Porter. _x0093_Everything’s There Except Money_x0094_: How Money Shapes Decisions to Marry among Cohabitors.“ Journal of Marriage and Family 67.3 (2005): 680-696.

Swensen, Clifford H., and Geir Trahaug. ”Commitment and the Long-Term Marriage Relationship.“ Journal of Marriage and the Family (1985): 939-945.

Zelizer, Viviana A. ”The Purchase of Intimacy.“ Law & Social Inquiry 25.3 (2000): 817-848.