by Natalie Ivanov

Created on: January 27, 2010

The impact of women earners on lifestyle within the family unit

Having a woman earner in the family unit can impact on the lifestyle in a number of ways.  It could have a positive impact in the sense that with today’s economic situation, a family unit requires more than just one income in order to survive.  The cost of living has gone up substantially over the last couple of years and has become very difficult for a single “bread winner”.  More and more people are being made redundant as the Companies can no longer afford their overheads thus resulting in people getting laid off.  When there is a woman earner it is a help especially if the man is the one that gets retrenched, at least then you still have the security of another income, so all is not lost.

Should the man of the family unit be fortunate enough to have a really secure position in the company that he is employed, and the salary he earns is substantial enough to maintain the needs of the household, then whatever the woman earns would be residual income that can be saved for that special item the family has always needed.  The family will then be in a position to afford other things, such as luxuries, holidays, new furniture and other items that perhaps they would not have been able to afford before.

In some instances, a woman earner could have a negative impact as some men’s egos get in the way.  The man wants to be the provider, and when the wife begins to contribute financially to the family unit, he may begin to feel unworthy or inferior.  Men can be strange creatures sometimes. 

Some men may even take this as an opportunity to take a back seat and let the wife support the household.  Some men think that this is the perfect opportunity to follow their dreams or hobbies or perhaps to even start their own businesses.  They believe that their wives can support the household on the income they are earning, so there is no need for them to make too much of an effort.

If the business is not successful, the wife still has to carry the burden on her own to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, amongst other everyday expenses.  In this day and age, one needs financial security and it should be agreed by both spouses how the finances should be taken care of.  If the business is not flourishing then alternative arrangements or efforts should be made in order to meet the financial commitments.  The responsibility should not only be on the shoulders of one of the spouses as it may result in financial strain thus resulting in marriage difficulties.

A marriage and all the responsibilities within the family, is a two way street.

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