======= ======= ====== ====== ====== ===== ==== ====== ====== ===== ==== ======= ======= ====== ====== ====== ===== ==== ====== ====== ===== ====
While our parents were married homeowners with two-and-a-half kids by their mid-twenties, our generation hasn’t quite made it there yet. Most of us are still renting and haven’t even thought of kids because we’re not married, In fact, most of us aren’t even close. If you’ve somehow managed to find a significant other in a technological sea of catfish, chances are that you’re still not getting married, at least not at any point in the foreseeable future. While it’s been debated that it’s because of our opposition to commitment or extended young adult phases, the results are in, and the sad fact of the matter is that we’re not getting married because we’re all freaking broke.
Although 40 percent of boomers and 32 percent of Gen X-ers tied the knot between the ages of 18-30, when it comes down to millennials, that number decreases to a sad 20 percent. The biggest reason we’re not getting married at the ripe young age of 22 sadly comes down to student loans – with 70 percent of us borrowing an average of $37,132 for higher education, buying dinner for our 100 closest friends isn’t exactly the most feasible while we’re in our 20s. This was confirmed with a survey conducted by the American Student Assistance group, in which 29 percent of millennials said they weren’t getting married yet because of their high student loan debt burden.
As someone in a three-year-long relationship, I can certainly attest to this. While my parents and grandparents are bothering us to stop “living in sin” at Thanksgiving, our decisions to go to graduate school (as well as our low student incomes and high student debt levels) are holding us back from making the financial decision to tie the knot anytime soon. Sure, we could probably foot the cost of a ring, ceremony, reception, and honeymoon… if we weren’t throwing a combined monthly four figures at student loan debt that our parents simply didn’t have to deal with.
Sure, it sucks – especially when you see your high-earning peers or those with no college debt tying the knot – but at least we know we’re not alone in our money struggles. We’re all in this together – you know, except for all of those pharmacists and nurse anesthesiologists you see getting engaged. Screw those guys. The rest of us are in this together, okay? .
[via LearnVest]
Respond
Steph W.
Steph W. is a new Master's degree graduate with an intern's salary and six-figure taste. She realizes her expectations far exceed reality, so she spends her days pinning away Loubs she pretends are in her physical closet instead of her virtual one. Her hobbies include attempting to trapping her boyfriend into marriage before he finds out how insane she is and pretending that Black Box wine tastes as good as the kind she could afford when she was gainfully employed. Send her tips for getting out of student debt at recruitchairtsm@gmail.com
@therecruitchair
This whole article is a lie because I scroll through my Facebook everyday and see a new engagement or marriage.
Was just going to say that. Clearly the people who did this study didn’t ask my Instagram feed.
Between student debt being forgiven, Will buying a 5 figure ring, and Grandex still paying you for articles i don’t know if i believe this.
I am buying no such ring, Banker. I’m fairly certain I’ll end up losing money on Scaries shirts if that’s any indication of my business acumen.
It says sold out on the site, how do I buy one, or five?
Gotta appeal to a broader market and a higher paying clientele
You have to spend money to give the appearance that you make money.
Perfect, at Christmas when my family asks why I’m not married I’ll blame it on my grandparents for sucking up all my money through social security.
If any of them are in wheelchairs just roll them outside and claim you are “trimming the fat”
Yeah, I’m not always single because I put in zero effort to find a serious relationship and I’m a borderline alcoholic, it’s because I don’t make enough $!
Girlfriend just told me she expects 3 carats. 2026 wedding date people, mark your calendars.
Run
If your going to get married eventually you guys should just go to the courthouse get married now, don’t tell anyone, and use the tax benefit to save up for your “real” wedding.
I can’t remember the exact quote or who said it but if you wait for the perfect time to get married when everything is lined up exactly how it should be then you’ll never get married. Downvote me if you want but he Act of getting married costs almost nothing.
You’re kinda missing the cultural shift in how marriages are done now, chief. Thanks to different cultural factors, such as wedding shows, a booming wedding industry, advertising, people are fooled into believing that you need to tie the knot in style. And tying the knot in style costs an absurd amount of money. When you have an (ex)girlfriend tell you that she’d never accept a cheap or cheap looking ring, come back and tell me once again that the act of getting married costs almost nothing.
Also curious on what cheap is considered. We talking a 2-3k halo ring with tiny center stone or are we talking anything less than a 1 carat diamond is cheap?
Anyway, if she would say no because of the ring she isn’t worth marrying anyway. You can always upgrade it later. Talking about the ring here.
how cheap? like ring pop cheap?
Do you not know the difference between a wedding and getting married?
via GIPHY
You’re missing my point entirely. Weddings have gotten incredibly expensive but what I’m saying is that the actual act of getting married, like going to the courthouse and getting married is very inexpensive. I know several couples who have done it that way and then had a ceremony when they could afford it.
The act of* dammit grandex