I had a very interesting conversation today with my friend. She is an upper level executive who is in the last stages of divorcing her husband of 11yrs. Child custody, support and dividing up the finances have already taken place. Her soon to be ex has already purchased a home they have been living separately for the last 5mos. All that is left is the final signing and filling of all legal documents. I say all of this because she has already started a new relationship. I talk to this friend on a daily basis about the trials and tribulations of being single. She has been with her husband for a total of 15yrs and although they struggled financially early on, their combined income at the end of their marriage was close to 200k.

She now finds the lack of income has hit her hard in the pocket book. Although she makes close to six figures and is steadily climbing the corporate latter, she has always had her eye on the ball when it comes to money. She definitely makes enough to cover all her expenses but with a failing or should I say failed economy we all find ourselves living in, she has had to make major cutbacks to a lifestyle she had become accustomed to living. Gone are the indiscriminate shopping sprees, bi-weekly trips to the hair and nail salon. Don't get me wrong, she's not feeling sorry for herself or wants anyone else to feel sorry for her. In the grand scheme of things she knows she's doing better than most and at the same time still wants to reward herself for all the hard work she has put into getting where she is in life. Which brings me back to our conversation today.

The statement of the day was "me and "new boyfriend" should just get married because the economy is so bad." I know she wasn't serious.... We've been good friends for over 20yrs and between the two of us, she is more leveled headed and less impulsive. But this comment got me thinking about implications if she was serious and truly felt that marriage to a man she just started dating was her only salvation from financial destruction. Of course as a good friend I would do my best to talk her down from such craziness. Although this guy seems like a good fit for her coming out of a relationship with a man who lacked the emotional warmth she needed, marriage for any reason, even for love at this stage is not an option I would encourage.

As a single, never married, childless woman who is self employed and struggling through this retched economy, I can see the temptation of such a union. I have toyed with the idea on occasion with a long time male friend that I dated on and off for 10yrs. But reality sets in and I easily pushed that thought out of my head. Would any of you consider a marriage of convenience? I have a twice married and divorced aunt who swears that a woman should only marry for money. Her reasoning is love can't pay the bills but a man with healthy bank account can. I've found many women of her generation believe this to be true partly because they had few career choices and opportunities that my generation and those below me now enjoy. But with the new economy we are now facing, is that option back on the table? I don't know. I guess it is a question a woman can only answer for herself.

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