"My sister married a spartacus, and what did it get her? Ha! I looked around and found a Pissantacus."
Posted on 09/01/2006 6:00:41 AM PDT by Mr. Brightside
Womenn: Money more important than looks in a man
By Jennifer Hill Thu Aug 31, 9:44 PM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - Women regard healthy finances as more important than good looks in a man, according to a survey on Friday.
Almost half (45 percent) said a healthy bank balance is more significant than physical attractiveness in a potential partner, according to National Savings & Investments' (NS&I) latest quarterly savings survey.
Just 22 percent of men, however, rate finances above looks in women.
A salary of almost 50,000 pounds a year is demonstrative of male financial success, according to women.
Men need to earn at least 49,247 pounds a year before women consider them successful and wealthy, the study found. And more than one in 10 women would only consider a partner to be successful if they are earning 100,000 pounds or more.
Men were found to have lower expectations, saying they would deem women earning 42,147 pounds to be successful and wealthy.
On the savings front, women expect their men to have an average of 24,281 pounds in savings -- compared to 20,335 pounds in reality -- while men are happy with savings of 15,143 pounds among women, much in line with an actual average of 14,167 pounds.
Dax Harkins, senior savings strategist at NS&I, said: "Finances form a very important part of relationship dynamics and this is reflected in the expectations people have, both in terms of salary and savings levels. Maybe people do believe they can buy happiness after all."
Despite marked differences in expectations, 64 percent of those questioned agree that financial security is important to the success of a relationship.
Kate Maycock, from Relate, said: "Feeling financially insecure will put some strains on a relationship.
"These latest figures bear out that two people are unlikely to exactly agree on what is a healthy nest-egg and what is a financial crisis.
"Accept that you will not change your partner's attitude to money, but that the two of you can come to an agreement on how you will manage your differences and plan your saving."
The research also found that regular savings are on the increase. Average monthly savings were 87.85 pounds in the three months to end-July, up 8 percent on the year.
This savings rate -- equal to 6.8 percent of average income -- is second only to a high of 89.11 pounds recorded in autumn last year.
Around 54 percent of the population put money away each month. They are saving 174.50 pounds a month -- a 10.3 percent increase on this time last year.
Good One Ping
It derives from biology and a cultural frame of reference. It's a given that women around the world have an innate desire for economic security to guarantee their offspring a better life. Women from the Third World find American men highly attractive because even an average wage earner can offer her children a much better chance in life than almost any man in her native country. The problem in the USA comes from American television and its portrayal of upper middle class lifestyles as the norm. When a young woman watches TV all of her life, there is no way she is going to feel satisfied living in a small apartment with a young man who is just starting out - she feels cheated. And she will look to trade up at the earliest opportunity, because the cultural pressure to do so is just too strong.
I'm not sure the problem is fixable at this point. It's just a reality - smart men and women will realize what they are being pressured to do and try to make their own decisions, dumber people will just the the culture choose for them.
My wife makes more than me. I'm a male ho!
What is the best aphrodesiac? -A sizable bank account
What compound eliminates sex from a relationship? -Wedding Cake
Conversely, how many men would hop in the sack (and perform) with Helen Thomas if she were a billionairess?
How does this apply to women who marry their, more or less, high school sweethearts, who had NO incomes when they met? Did she encourage the guy to make a good income so he could keep her? or doesn't she care about the $$$$?
Just askin'.
What happened to Paul Denton?
I think that once-common scenario is very rare these days. And when it does happen, you usually see the protagonists on Jerry Springer a couple of years later. ;)
LOL. And to think I though it was cause I can guzzle a beer while standing on my head. ;o)
Women by the "bling."
Well, being an engineer, my wife certainly knew that fame and fortune were not in the cards.
Don't know - he vanished a while back. About the same time the WWI flying ace and her crew walked the plank.
Wow! Talk about mercenary! British women know what they want to five significant digits. 49,246 pounds just won't do. Must be a class thing.
My bank account approaches a 0 balance every month. I am 60 years old so I won’t claim to be really great looking - but I seem to have no trouble attracting good looking young women.
Oh. The story was from LONDON (Reuters). That may explain it.
I think that would only impress your drinking buddies.
I'm one of the high school age romance survivors (he was 17 and I was 16), 'course we've been married 25 years with NO kids and it WAS a long time ago. (They should add/subtract kids to/from the equation.) I've also been blessed with a great guy.
"My sister married a spartacus, and what did it get her? Ha! I looked around and found a Pissantacus."
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