Love Don't Cost A Thing

Single ladies want you to put a ring on it, according to Beyoncé. But writer Josh Clark at How Stuff Works suggests that, at least financially speaking, maybe you should think twice. Here, Clark breaks down the nitty gritty of whether marriage is itself a good investment.

In 2008, Clark says, the average price of marriage – the ring, gown, ceremony, honeymoon, the whole shebang – cost about $28,000. Add to that the cost of "a bigger place to stow all of your wedding presents." The average cost of a house these days? About $300,000. And let’s not even talk about the cost of kids.

On the other hand, Clark says, if you’re 25 and decided to invest $35,000 — a little more than you would spend on your wedding -- in an IRA that earns 9 percent annually in interest, you’d be looking at $1.26 million at retirement age.

So should we all just chuck that age-old idea of matrimony? Financially speaking, the answer is clear. But Clark’s argument leaves out one important factor: You can’t put a pricetag on love.

Photo courtesy Mihai Bojin via Flickr.