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In 2002, my household income was $51,413. In 2006, my household income was $117,217. This 128% jump was accomplished without changing jobs, without getting a promotion, and without working overtime or moonlighting. So how did I pull off this economic miracle? I got freakin’ married.
If you’re not married, the best way to grow your income is to get married. Here are the income statistics on various household types from a recent Census Bureau report.
| Household Type | 2016 Median Household Income |
| Married Couple | $87,057 |
| Male Householder – Children, No Wife Present | $58,051 |
| Male Householder – No Children, No Wife Present | $41,749 |
| Female Householder – Children, No Husband Present | $41,027 |
| Female Householder – No Children, No Husband Present | $30,572 |
In 2016, an unmarried dude with no kids was making 48% of what a married couple was making. An unmarried dudette with no kids was making 35% of what a married couple was making. The economic benefits of marriage are impossible to deny. And it really should come as no surprise. A household with two working adults should on average out earn a household with one working adult.
Still doubt the income-boosting power of marriage? Consider this. I took the group household income statistics from the same Census Bureau report above and combined them with the group marriage statistics from a Pew Research Center report. Here are the results.
| Race/Ethnicity | 2016 Median Household Income | Percentage of Adults 18 or Older Who Are Married |
| Asian | $81,431 | 61% |
| White | $65,041 | 54% |
| Hispanic | $47,675 | 46% |
| Black | $39,490 | 30% |
Asians are twice as likely to be married as blacks and Asians have double the household income of blacks. Hmmm…I wonder why. Take note, groovy freedomist, Asian Americans are kicking ass. And this is largely the case not because they’re out-hustling other races and ethnicities—although there’s certainly an argument to be made for that—but because they’re out-marrying other races and ethnicities. Again, the evidence is incontrovertible. Groups with a higher affinity for marriage have higher household incomes than groups with a lower affinity for marriage because marriage has a profoundly positive effect on household income.
Life Is the Ultimate Group Project
Excuse me for a moment while I allow the Evil Mr. Groovy to vent. I don’t understand the aversion to marriage that so many Americans have, especially when you consider that our education system is so enamored with group projects. Well, life is the ultimate group project. Think about it. If you have a goal that is resource intense—buying a house, putting kids through college, saving for retirement, etcetera—wouldn’t that goal be a lot easier to achieve with the help of another person and the additional resources that he or she can bring to the table? I mean, c’mon marriage-phobic people. Get your minds right. Life is hard enough. Why go through life with one income, one brain, and two hands when you can go through life with two incomes, two brains, and four hands? What are you…insane?
How to Choose an Awesome Spouse
Sorry for that. Every once in a while the Evil Mr. Groovy must be let loosed upon our civil playground. This is the Good Mr. Groovy now, and while I fully appreciate the income-boosting power of marriage, I also appreciate why so many unmarried Americans are wary of the institution. I’ve watched enough episodes of Forensic Files to know that signing a marriage certificate can be the equivalent of signing a death warrant.
So let me introduce an important caveat to the number one Groovy way of hacking FI. If you’re not married, the best way to grow your income is to marry a kind person who isn’t in thrall of stuff and is willing to work hard and sacrifice for important, mutually-agreed-upon goals.
“Okay, Captain Obvious,” I hear your anguished mind bleating. “How exactly does one find such an awesome spouse? The divorce rate clearly indicates that this is no easy task.”
Man, this is a tough question. And I’m clearly not an expert. In short, my best advice is this: look for someone whose core attitudes and behaviors bespeak of substance rather than flash; look for someone who wants to be your hero—forever. To show what I mean, here are some of the notable attitudes and behaviors that helped me realize that Mrs. Groovy was a keeper.
- I had a crappy car when we first started dating and she didn’t care.
- She didn’t get her nails done.
- She was perfectly happy shopping in thrift shops for clothes.
- She didn’t want me to buy her a diamond engagement ring. She wanted to use a diamond ring passed down from her grandmother to announce our pending nuptials.
- She loved spending time with my grandparents.
- She had a passion for learning and self-improvement (we did meet in grad school, after all).
- She never criticized me for making less than most of our friends and family.
- She was always encouraging whenever I was doing something constructive; that is, she never complained about my absence or inattention if I was doing a home-improvement project, learning something new, or helping someone out.
And soon after we were married, more evidence of Mrs. Groovy’s commitment to Team Groovy emerged.
- She wanted us to save more.
- She brought the teachings of Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, and David Bach into our lives.
- She preferred celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, pseudo holidays (e.g., Valentine’s Day), and major milestones at White Castle or Carvel rather than fancy restaurants.
- She was willing to brave the horrid commute from Long Island to Manhattan in order to make more money.
- And she was willing to do something extreme in order to improve our financial well-being (e.g., uprooting our lives and moving from high-cost New York to low-cost North Carolina).
What qualities should one look for in a man? The same. You want a man who understands that consumerism is soulless and that sacrificing for you and the team you form is the epitome of manliness. You want a man who…
- Can control his temper.
- Isn’t afraid of work. Nothing is more pathetic than a lazy man.
- Has hobbies and interests but will gladly sacrifice them in order to pursue important financial goals.
- Understands that big-time athletes are grown men running around in costumes. They aren’t “heroes” to be worshiped.
- Can say no to mommy and his friends.
If you come across a man who fails to exhibit these qualities, especially the first two, run. That fellow isn’t marriage material, and the odds of him becoming marriage material are poor.
Final Thoughts
Like savings, marriage is a tool to advance your FI journey. But unlike savings, marriage can come back to bite you if you choose the wrong partner or fail to nurture the union you form. So marriage isn’t a foolproof tool. And what if marriage isn’t your thing or isn’t feasible for a variety of reasons? So I understand the reluctance of the FI community to make marriage a standard arrow in the FI quiver. But, man, when a marriage is healthy, nothing fortifies the soul better or makes the drive to FI easier.
Okay, groovy freedomist, that’s all I got. What say you? Is marriage something the FI community should advocate more openly? After all, the 9.9 percent certainly have an affinity for marriage. Or should I keep my twisted notions of marriage to myself. Let me know what you think when you get a chance. Peace.
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