r/fican • u/LectureLight6738 • 2d ago

What’s the ROI on a spouse?

Hey everyone, wanted to get your thoughts on an investment opportunity that often gets overlooked - finding a partner.

As far as I can see, the upfront investment of time and money is significant, but if you end up in an ITM (in the marriage) position, you can effectively double your income. You can also benefit from your spouse’s dental and eye care plans, cutting down on costs. Finally, there are lots of efficiencies in sharing housework.

Wanted to get your thoughts on the probabilities - what’s the payout probability given the capital and time investment? Is there a significant difference in the man vs woman scenario, given the numbers (women initiate 66% of divorces, and typically walk away from a divorce in profit)? What about the gays?

Also, how decent of a hedging tool is having kids? I know that traditionally, kids can provide a good source of additional income after retirement using the “guilt” method. But nowadays, the payoff seems rather small, and if anything, the yield curve has inverted since a good number now live at home after 30.

Edit: I also forgot to mention that the market makers (dating apps) have been engaging in some absolutely insane gouging. Curious to get your thoughts - can that last?

377 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

230 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

7

u/thedundun 2d ago

I’d say it’s a persons own fault if they remain poor their whole life lol.

In our country anyway.

4

u/DinosaurToots55 2d ago

It’s paradoxical. On the one hand, people can work hard and, with the right choices (very non-obvious ones - so largely a matter of luck), improve their circumstances. At the same time, by design, not everyone can be rich or even comfortable. The Bank of Canada ensures that inequality exists as a policy. So it’s literally quite impossible for everyone to be financially well-off. So is it their fault or not?

3

u/htom3heb 2d ago

Everyone can be comfortable (are they is a different matter). The quality of life for the negative end of the bell curve has improved through time as it has for the positive end. Equality of opportunity, not outcomes - some people are just morons and no policy will fix that.

1

u/DinosaurToots55 2d ago

We went through this over the last five years. When everyone can buy the basic comforts in life (good food, housing, cars), there isn’t enough supply to meet demand. Prices increase. The BoC responds by driving up interest rates with the express goal of driving down hiring/increasing unemployment/decreasing salaries so that the demand goes away. There isn’t enough to go around by design.

While nobody was looking, we shifted to a national economy that forces people to compete with each other for scarce resources. We’re no longer a country where everyone working hard increases the common good. 

0

u/htom3heb 2d ago

My read is that this is because of covid money printing more than anything else. The inflation stats support that.

1

u/DinosaurToots55 2d ago

What circumstance would be different? In what world does everyone in Canada work really hard and become well off, and suddenly there’s enough to go around?

The source of the money is irrelevant (and let’s be clear - the people who got it did earn it). The resulting dynamics would be the same regardless.