Ah, to be affluent and not have a care in the world. Luckily for a select few, this is the case. However, there are many marriages out there that see just one breadwinner in the family, and this person supports the family in its entirety with no problem. In some cases, in exchange for rearing children and tending to the house, as well as the husband, in the role of homemaker, wives receive an allowance. This money is theirs to spend however they please, and typically it’s spent on personal upkeep (clothes, hair, makeup, etc.).
So, what happens when the breadwinner stops fitting the bill? Most stay at home wives and mothers either have no college degree or have a degree that hasn’t been put to use in a number of years due to tending to children for so long. Without significant work experience in their particular field, it’s hard to gain a substantial resume, which in turn means no ability to provide income for themselves. Quite the enormous catch-22 from our point of view.
Back in the Work Force
This very situation occurs more than you would think; just ask Margaret, who after 27 years of marriage, had her husband demand that she find work on punishment of being cut off. This request came out of the blue and wasn’t because her husband was suddenly struggling in the cash-flow department either, which would be half way understandable. One can imagine that in her mid 50’s and never having a professional career in any field, the struggle that ensued was immense.
Divorce Forces Life Changes
Naturally, the only work that Margaret was able to obtain, which was the “team leader” at a box store, didn’t come close to fulfilling the lifestyle she was used to, or any kind of lifestyle for that matter. The result was that Margaret was fed up and decided to file for a divorce. Due to the fact that her husband was unwilling to support her, she decided to completely change her lifestyle, in every possible way. Margaret ditched the husband and horrible job for a (slightly) better job and a life that was all her own.
Post Divorce Life
Margaret now lives a comfortable lifestyle, well within her means. It’s a little mind blowing to know that something as trivial as an allowance (which is a conundrum in and of itself) caused such a downward spiral in this marriage. Perhaps it was for the best, now Margaret is free to be her own person. Her children are fully grown, and now she can live the life that she sets out for herself.
Divorces happen for the strangest reasons. Some surprise us, and others just begin to seem like the norm. When it occurs however, embracing it with a level head is always the more sensible route to travel.