If you're not ready to marry or don't want to get married then don't. It's unfair to the person who marries you if you had no intentions of living the married lifestyle. Too many people think they can blend the two worlds but end up divorced. Worse when kids are involved.
You also know what my midwest cousin also says? He says that most failed marriages have a common denominator and that is the finance part. If only people have affordable housing but keep the pay that they have right now in the bay area, I'm sure that they will have knocked out one outs when it comes to the divorcee game.
For example, if hmongrock were to live in the bay area, he would of been a divorcee.
He's living in Wisconsin, probably an area where his house cost him for pennies and so he can afford to work for min wages, part time and call it a success. This is probably what my cousin be talking about. You don't need much to survive in some areas in the country as housing is so affordable.
Like some cities in ohio or baltimore city where 40K can get you a house. Holding all else constant, 40k is like buying a car so it is like I can afford to buy a 40K house every freaking year that I'm still working. Work for 10 years, 10 houses so then, I'm a real estate tycoon.
Sometimes I do wish I have families that lives in such places. I'll make the money in cali but pumps the money over there so they can built up my enterprise. Then I'll retire early after the foundation is build and done. Basically, I can retire in half the time vs working and hustling in an area that is tougher for most people to come through.
I will make another thread with another point by my midwest cousin. Thank you reading.