I love how the average person making $40-50k per year allegedly spends $5k per month. That's $60,000.

I would normally call that out as a flaw in the research, but considering people these days, it's probably the truth.

That was my first thought, too. Even so, assuming annual rent of around $15,000 and an additional $30,000 or so of spending, that works out to each single person spending around $45,000/year. How much are people saving?

The stats nerd in me is asking what the median spending is, not the average.

oh. COMBINED. wow.

I have waaaaay more disposable income than my married friends. Gotta buy those kids clothes, school supplies, medicine/doctors appts, vacations at Disney. Even without kids there seems to be a whole lot of spending going on among married people. I live a simple life, nothing too extravagant, do what I want and have lots left over. I'm sure two can live a somewhat cheaper than one but that's not always the case.

You live a frugal life, but most people don't.

Most married people serve as a brake on the other's I deserve this silly treat impulses. The ones who don't are usually doomed.

True. Financial incompatibility has been cited by many sources as the leading cause of divorce.

No. All things being equal, that IS the case.

It's called "economies of scale." Although most of the effect can be attributed to cohabitation (one vs. two cable bills, one vs. two phone bills, etc.), the effect is still very much real.

This isn't really news. One thing we've lost sight of in our culture is that marriage really isn't about romance, its main benefits are practical.

If more people realized that maybe we would have a lower divorce rate (which I agree is a reason currently not to get married).

One other thing is the way which our culture, even in NYC, is still geared around the expectation that everyone will get married. For example, a single person really won't save that much by not eating out. Groceries are sold in family sized alotments, so someone who is single will inevitably wind up throwing out alot of spoiled food. There are alot of small things like this that add up. And of course there is the matter of having two incomes paying one rent.

However, children really does wipe out most of this advantage, particularly if you want to send them to college.

Btw, the gay marriage push may be more for the practical and legal benefits than the fuzzier reasons usually cited.

Completely agreed. My parents always taught me that marriage was a practical arrangement for saving money and/or raising children, and I didn't notice until I was an adolescent that everyone else seemed to view it as some sort of romantic triumph. No wonder the divorce rate is so high if people get into marriage expecting they'll feel all mushy and new-lovey forever. Not that they new-lovey feeling isn't awesome, it totally is. But it never lasts forever no matter how good your relationship is, and if you're always looking for it you'll never be satisfied in the long term.

not only are we better with money, but married people live longer healthier lives too, and are more likely to have feelings of satisfaction in life. singles only have to look out for themselves. it may be fun for awhile (it really is!) but as a lifestyle being a single adult is kind of sad. unless you're a narcissist, that is, then it's great because you get to spend all your time with your favorite person!

are you fucking serious?

very insightful point, thank you for your esteemed contribution to this discussion.

I!ll agree with hotstepper....being single for me is fun but not all the time, being married was satisfying with some problems....my pov is if you are family oriented get married and stay married if you are very independent NY and several other cities are a great place to be single with or without money.

Does this study include homosexual men?

WOMP WOM!

Single or Married......you can`t take it with you, ask King Tut, so spend it and have fun. You never know when you will end up under a bus.

single or married...you never know when you'll be unemployed, so it probably a good idea to learn how to save a little cash -- unless you like the idea of moving back in with your parents.

As for the $14,000 savings a lot of once married men quickly find out you can lose your mind as well as plenty of money being married!

As a married-single, that's about how much we spend per year. It's inexpensive when you stop trying to impress each other and start saving for retirement. Maybe when we're 50 and retired we can have that kind of budget.

Still much less than we'd spend by ourselves. Absolutely.

"According to Bundle data, from July 2009 to June 2010, the typical 26- to 35-year-old single female and single male earning between $40,000 and $50,000 in New York City spent a combined average of $5,255 a month, not including rent or mortgage."

... That means someone making at most $50,000 a year is spending $63,060 BEFORE rent? Are single people accumulating $13,060 of credit card debt every year AND living with Jimmy McMillan's landlord? Those numbers make no sense.