There is a common idea held by society that when two people get together after 7 pm that it is a date. This misconstrues relationships into being things that they are not and affects friendships. Two people can meet after 7 pm who are friends to catch up and have a good conversation without it being a date. Here are seven reasons why any two people can meet up after 7 pm and it is not a date.
Work Gets In The Way So It’s The Only Time
One person may work long hours and they are not able to meet with their friends any other time of the day. Since they are busy with work and finishing what they need to do in their life, 7 pm works the best for the two friends to get together.
Friends Can Get Together Anytime
There are twenty-four hours in a day. Friends can meet anywhere at any time to have a conversation. 7 pm does not change the nature of the relationship. Time is an accidental cause while friendship is intrinsic. People can be hang out with friends after 7 pm without it being a date.
A Conversation Over Dinner
There are people who enjoy food who are known as foodies. These friends may want to visit the hot new restaurant in town and 7 pm is generally when restaurants are the busiest so it is the best time to get the complete experience. They can also try the menu and enjoy each other’s company. Again, not a date. Two friends who like good food.
A Conversation Over Drinks
Cocktail lounges and speakeasies are making a comeback. The best ones don’t open until 5 pm. Depending on the time of the week and schedules, 7 pm or later works best for two friends to meet to enjoy a well-crafted cocktail by a master mixologist.
Good or Best Friends
The friends who are willing to work with their friend’s schedule to meet later in the day most likely are good or best friends. They enjoy hanging out with each other and share enough mutual interests that they can have a great conversation anywhere and at any time of the day. The time of day does not dictate when friends can and cannot go out to a place to hang out.
Evenings Are More Interesting
Mornings and afternoon get together with friends often mean meeting for coffee or maybe a quick drink somewhere during happy hour. Those can both be great, but evenings and nights are when cities come alive and people start to have fun at bars and restaurants. After 7 pm is when people start to cut loose because they can finally relax after their day and have fun! This is when popular bars and night clubs start to get customers and it is a time for when friends can get together for a fun night.
Friendships Do Not End After 7 PM
Again, the time and the place where two people decide to meet after 7 pm does not dictate that it must be a date. The time could have been decidedly upon randomly or it could have been planned by the two friends for the above reasons. Excuse me, but I have to meet a friend for cocktails and it is after 7 pm. It is definitely not a date.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City explains the Christian concept of being single and how the Bible offers a theology of singleness. Pastor Keller describes how this is a unique worldview. Christianity is set apart in that it was the “very first religion or worldview that held up single adulthood as a viable way of life” (Hauerwas, S. 1991).
Theology Of Singleness
Western civilization idolizes individualism and self-realization and views marriage as something to get after reaching a certain point in life. Marriage becomes a means of self-fulfillment and an idol. Eastern civilization idolizes the family and makes everything revolve around it. Family becomes an idol. Christianity uniquely views singleness because there is no obligation to get married. Marriage is understood as a temporary earthly institution until the second coming with the new heaven and new earth. For singles who choose to get married, marriage is a sacrament meant to be an act of service. Christianity drastically changes both how marriage and singleness should be viewed by its followers. It also emphasizes that marriage will never give you everything you seek in life, which a person can find in Christ. This view is different from the world’s, of which Christians are called to be set apart from the world while remaining in the world.
Singles are not freaks until they get married. On the contrary, singles have a vital role in society, the church, and the family of God. Christianity’s understanding of singleness is unique because it acknowledges that being single is excellent. Singles can focus on God without being distracted by an earthly husband or wife. During the early church, widowed people would have to get married again to be cared for, but this view of singleness allowed widows to find a home in the church. Christianity says that it is okay to be single. Being single is a viable option. After all, Jesus and Paul were both single. Jesus, the perfect human being, was single and unmarried.
Paul is straightforward in 1 Corinthians 7 that a spouse can become an idol, and marriage can be made into something selfish. This upends marriage because relationships are supposed to be about service instead of self-fulfillment. In contrast, being single allows you to develop friendships and serve others. Singleness is a great gift. It frees single Christians from wanting to please their husband or wife instead of seeking to please the Lord. Christian singles should seek to grow closer to God and pursue God instead of finding a spouse to fulfill them on earth. Singles should not be pressured to get into relationships or to get married because Christianity offers an alternative worldview and a theology of singleness that makes it alright to be single in a world of couples.
Christian singles must be aware of the theology of singleness that the Bible teaches and that Paul articulates in 1 Corinthians about being single. Christians should seek to become closer to God. The single life offers that opportunity since a spouse and marriage can become idols and means of self-fulfillment instead of God. Single Christians must recognize this as they decide if they want to get married by realizing that Christianity teaches it is good to be single.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
There are many reasons why singles should be thankful not to be in a relationship or married this holiday season. You get to enjoy the holiday season alone, with friends, or with family. It is up to you how you want to celebrate the holidays. Here are ten reasons why being single during the holidays is great and why you should be thankful that you don’t have a significant other this holiday season.
Save Money
One of the great things about single is saving to prepare for your future or for that gift that you want to give yourself this Christmas. If you were dating someone, you would have to buy them a gift this Christmas. Depending on the person who you are dating, that gift may be expensive along with the other gifts that you have to buy for both your family and their family this Christmas.
Avoid Family Fights
Holidays. The time once or twice a year where families come together and have family fights. As a single, you can choose if you want to go home to participate in this annual event or find a way to celebrate in the city that you live in.
Don’t have to Buy Gifts for a Significant Other
Gifts often cost money. There are things that you have to pay for from student loans to rent to food each month. The cost of gifts cut into the money that you can put towards those necessities that will provide you more freedom once they are payed off or you are prepared to move towards the next step in your adult life.
Kiss Anyone Under the Mistletoe
Another fun reason to be single during the holidays is that you don’t have to only kiss your significant other under mistletoe, if you had one. You can kiss anyone who is under the mistletoe with you at Christmas parties this Christmas. Get practicing now and get some under the mistletoe this holiday season.
Christmas Parties
Christmas and holiday parties are everywhere! You can hang out with friends who are hosting a party. You can visit a bar or club that is having a party. This is a great chance to explore your city, try new places, and enjoy the festivities of the holiday season.
Learn to Make Eggnog
Real eggnog is a punch. It uses a couple different types of liquor, milk, sugar, and ice cream. It is creamy and delicious. Learn how to make it this holiday season and show it off to your friends at your next holiday party. You will become everyone’s favorite friend during the holidays after you learn to make traditional alcoholic eggnog. It is that delicious.
Stay Home or Travel
No significant other. Check. Family. Sure. You’re an adult so you get to decide where you want to spend your holiday. You could stay home in your city or go visit your family. You could also travel and explore the world during the holidays. It is your Christmas, You can decide where and with whom you want to spend it with on your own terms.
Relax
Christmas time can be hectic. It is fine to choose to relax and stay inside with a hot cup of cocoa (spiked is optional). You can watch your favorite tv shows, read, or work on projects that you have meaning to finish but never got around to finishing on time. Relax from the holidays.
Free from Couples
The single life offers freedom and flexibility. Being is a couple means restraint and unadaptable. As a single you are free from couples, except for friends and family who are couples. But you are free to do your own thing because you are not dating and are uncoupled! You get to decide how you want to celebrate the holiday season on your own!
Free from Obligations
Besides any family obligations if you go home for Christmas, you are free from holiday obligations. You are able to spend the holiday exactly how you want. You can go to as many or as little Christmas parties as you want. You can be happy during the holidays or you can be a Scrooge or Grinch this season. It is up to you since you have no holiday obligations, you can plan how to spend Christmas.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
There are many reasons why people are single. Some love being single. Some really just want to be in a relationship. For singles who desire a relationship; but who are currently single, they are single by circumstance. There is nothing wrong with being single and those are single by circumstance should wait until the right person comes along to date again.
Being single is often portrayed as being sad and lonely by the media and society. The single life’s values include independence and flexibility. Those who are single by circumstance can use the single life as a time of personal self-discovery, to learn more about themselves, and to prepare themselves for a future partner. While you are single, learn to take care of yourself and how to do basic home essentials from shopping to cleaning the house. This and other basic life skills that will better prepare you to assist your partner with household chores.
Those who are single by circumstance should take the opportunity of being single to learn more about themselves and go on life journey of self-discovery. The journey of self-discovery will allow singles to learn more about their likes, dislikes, and their life values. After you know what those you, you can determine if you are ready and find a compatible partner and want to no longer be single. This journey of self-discovery will help single prepare to find a compatible partner and they will know more about who they are as a person and mature in preparation for a potential life partner. Embrace your time as a single and prepare yourself for the one. Ultimately “the one” does not exist.
Soulmates are a myth. There are no soulmates. It is best to invest in yourself. If you choose to eventually date and marry, recognize that there is no perfect partner or spouse. “The one” is an illusion.
The single life provides flexibility and freedom. Singles can travel and explore the world while they are single by circumstance. Singles can also save, invest, and develop their professional skills to be able to provide for a partner and possibly a family. The single life is a great time to gain confidence and to build social skills so that you can talk and read nonverbal signals well from potential partners at social events. For those who are single by circumstance, take the opportunity and single life values to grow and mature in preparation for dating and finding a partner.
Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with being single and singles should not feel pressure to jump back into the dating scene. Those who are single by circumstance should be patient, focus on their career, and develop themselves and enter the dating scene only when they are ready and able to commit to a potential partner. Until that time comes, singles should enjoy the single life and not view being single as a negative life experience. Being single has plenty to offer and those who are single by circumstance can take advantage of all that the single life offers while single.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Headed home this Thanksgiving? Don’t fret if you’re single. We’ve got a survival guide on how to feel less pressured by your family interrogations. Remember that it is okay to be single. If your family is understanding, you will be just fine, if not, it’s time to pull those adulting pants up. Ready? Here we go!
Step 1: Plan Your Trip Home
Make sure wherever you travel this season that you are prepared to make a safe journey flying or driving home. On your prep list, make sure to have plans to be with your family most of the time, and to also call up your neighborhood friends so you can catch up and take a break from being at home too much.
Step 2: Stand In Your Truth
If you are single and reading this, be proud of who you are. Make sure that you are comfortable with yourself as you are, and that you don’t let anyone make you feel bad for being single. Student loans, self-discovery, and taking time to mature before getting in a relationship all factor into a patient single person. You should never rush to date someone, especially if you aren’t ready. Don’t let anyone push you.
Step 3: Combat Interrogations
Most millennials are single anyhow, and it is a different world today than it was for your grandparents and parents. You may need to remind your family of this, and also let them know that there are pressing economic factors of why most millennials are single. You may feel like you are at a debate, just take a deep breath – it will be over shortly.
Step 4: Take A Break
This is where planning to see your neighborhood friends comes in handy. If you’ve having a tough time adjusting to being back home and getting slack for your relationship, then call a friend. You can go for coffee, watch football, see a movie, or go for a walk.
Step 5: Workout
While this may seem counter intuitive, working out during the holidays will both keep you in shape while people are eating their 2nd’s and it will boost your endorphin’s – this will make you feel instantly better. Look great, feel great, and hey – be great. Look sexy while you are doing it, and be proud of your single self.
Now armed with knowledge, you will feel prepared to go home and be with your family as a secure single person. Feel proud of who you are and flaunt your stuff – you’re not tied down and you are as free as a bird to do as you please.
Stay securely single this holiday season,
Danielle
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Thanksgiving dinner is the first holiday dinner that singles will have to go to this holiday season where family, extended family, and friends will ask you questions that are on all of their minds. Why are you still single? When was your last relationship? Why are you not dating anyone? When are you going to have children? While people are single for different reasons, there is nothing wrong with being single. This is a conversation recipe for how to respond to your family and friends interrogating questions about why you have no significant other.
Why Are You Still Single?
Directions: You are single because you found that the single life has much more to offer compared to when you were dating x, y, or z. In fact, you don’t see why it is a problem. Why are you asking me why I am single, you are not asking them why they aren’t divorced yet or how their marriage is going?
Recipe Variations: You are taking a break from relationships right now. You are content being single and have found that it better than dating. Or, you are single by choice and are not interested in ever getting into a relationship. You respect their choice to stay married, get divorced, live with their partner, etc; why can’t they respect your choice to remain single?
When Was Your Last Relationship?
Directions: Insert the number of years since your last relationship, now describe the values of the single life and how you have found them to benefit you while being in a relationship constrained you from achieving your potential. You can also say how you enjoy being single and you don’t know when your next relationship will be, you may be on a break, or that you have no interest in dating anyone.
Recipe Variations: You can point out that singles are on the rise, millennials are delaying marriage, and relationships can be overrated.
Why Are You Not Dating Anyone?
Directions: Describe that the need to date and to become a serial dater is a repercussion of society’s dating industrial complex. There is no need for people to date to be in romantic relationships when friendships can actually be more worthwhile. The need to always date has driven people into a relationship hysteria and to not recognize that the single life is worth living. You are enjoying your time being single and being able to focus on developing yourself instead of having to take care of someone else.
Recipe Variations: Pick the dangers of dating and online dating, especially in light of all the recent sexual assault and abuse scandals. Consider adding a generous dash of sass, spice, or sarcasm about the dating industry and people always being in relationships as you want.
When Are You Going to Have Children?
Directions: You can say that you have never asked about their sex lives and whether or not they planned to have their children or if they are considering having more. How is this an appropriate question?
Recipe Variations: This is one of the more direct and uncomfortable questions to be asked, you are welcome to retaliate to the question as you think is best. The response range can range from a jalapeno to ghost pepper, dependent upon the context and tone of the person who asked it. There is nothing wrong with being childless. It is fine to be single and childless.
These are four short and easy conversation recipes to guide you through those awkward questions that family and friends love to ask singles at Thanksgiving. Please use a generous dash of the ingredients and spices of your choice when responding to each question as the circumstances require. Turn up the heat and watch these questions burn in flames.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
The church has a problem. The first and most important problem confronting the church is that Millennials are not going to church. The second problem is that singles now are the majority of the population. Although singles are now the majority, the church continues to treat single congregates as inferior to married churchgoers.
The church must separate itself from secular society. However, the church and Christians have failed at this on many social issues by simply defaulting to what society and civil law says is right. The same is true for the church when it comes to singles. Society pushes singles to date and then cohabitate, if the couple doesn’t marry. This has created the dating industrial complex. The church is guilty of joining society’s bandwagon by making singles feel uncomfortable for not being in a relationship or being married in the church. This can be seen by the church’s emphasis on the importance of marriage— to the point that it is an idol—and having church singles groups that are essentially places for Christian singles to find someone to date. There are two ramifications for the church not having a theology of singleness and devaluing singles. First, by defaulting to relationships and marriage as the only option, the church and Christians have accepted secular beliefs about relationships and marriage that goes against what the Bible teaches. This would not be the case if the church taught a theology of singleness and Christians were aware of it when it came to modern society’s beliefs about relationships and marriage. Second, singles are leaving the church because the values of the single life are not acknowledged and singles are unwelcome by the church. If the church wants to reach out to Millennials and the single population, the church must recognize that singleness is good and have a theology of singleness.
The church treats singles by either dismissing them or suspiciously looking at singleness as unnatural. By dismissing singles, the church is banishing singles from the church. This means that the church is also disregarding what the Bible says about singleness. For Protestants who follow the tenet of Sola Scriptura, this is a problem. For the Catholic and Orthodox churches, this can include Tradition with what the Bible says about singleness being good. If the church does dismiss singleness, then it will continue to views singles with suspicion. This is a result of Christians elevating marriage where it has become the church’s Golden Calf. The church looks upon singles suspiciously because they do not meet what it means to be a true Christian because they are not married. This is an instance where the church and Christians have been influence by secular society and completely ignored the Bible. The consequence of this for the church is that it has forgotten singles in its pews, disregarded what the Bible says about singleness, and is a part of the secular world instead of being set apart from it. The church should have a theology of singleness and make Christian singles feel welcome again at church.
The church historically acknowledged that singleness was a righteous and holy state. This was based upon both Scripture and history. Christ says in Matthew 19:12 that there are three reasons why people are single, “For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” There are those who have been single from birth. There are those who have been made single to serve man and are unable to have children. There are those who have chosen to devote their singleness to God. The third version is found in church’s that have holy orders and religious vocations. There are many Bible passages that address singleness, but here are three:
1 Corinthians 7:7-8
“7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.”
1 Corinthians 7:26-35
“26 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.”
The main points that Paul is addressing to the unmarried in this section are threefold (26-35):
- Those who marry will have worldly troubles (26-28).
- The existence of the universe does not depend upon marriage (29-31).
- Singleness provides an opportunity for undivided service and attention to the Lord (32-35).
1 Corinthians 7:38
“38 So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.”
By making marriage an idol and demanding that all singles marry, the church has forgotten Paul’s message in the Scriptures about singleness that can be summarized as:
“I wish that all were [single] as I myself am… I want you to be free from anxieties… [and be] anxious about the things of the Lord… [to] secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.”
This is a quick survey of what the Bible says about singleness. The church should have a theology of singleness and welcome singles in the congregation. The church has a long history of having a positive view of singleness, but singleness is now negatively viewed and portrayed by the church as an oddity of life. It is not an oddity. It is Biblical and a way to devote oneself to God without the distraction of an earthly husband or wife. Who are you going to serve when it comes to singles, society or God? Christians must remember that “they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:18).
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
The holiday season is the time of year where you may travel to see family or visit a significant other’s family. The bottom line is that the holidays bring on additional expenses when you are in a relationship. Here are five ways being single during the holiday season saves you money.
Money
It is no surprise that the holidays push for people to buy their friends, family, and significant others gifts. Seasonal holiday jobs appear during this season so that people can make an additional income to spend on gifts during the holidays. This holiday season save money instead of spending it on a significant other.
Travel
Travel is another major expense during the holiday seasons. Depending on your work schedule and your relationship with your family, you may not be able to or want to go back home for the holidays. While your family may be understanding, a significant other would put more pressure on you to visit their family during the holidays so that you can meet their family. The cost of going home during the holidays or visiting a significant other’s family include transportation to and from airports food and drink at the airport terminal, and flight tickets. There should be no pressure to travel during the hectic holiday season and being single gives you the opportunity to make your own decisions about where you want to spend your holidays.
Dining Out
Relationships are expensive, especially dating relationships, because you have to pay for another person when you dine out. It is no longer a meal and a drink. It is now two meals and two drinks. Food and drink quickly add up when going out. But if you went home with your significant other for the holidays, they want to take you to their favorite places in their city. This means that you will need to include additional money in your holiday budget to dine out with your significant other. However, by being single during the holidays, you only have to pay for yourself when you go out. If you want to save money, you can cut back on going out and put it towards gifts or put the money that would originally go towards dining out into your savings account.
Gifts
Gifts can be expensive depending on what type of gifts you like to give people. If you have a significant other who you want to impress at Christmas, you may buy them some nice jewelry or bottle of their favorite spirit. While some families want to cut back costs of gifts by doing a white elephant gift exchange, you may not be so lucky with your significant other’s family. Being single means that you can save money again by having to get gifts for your one family instead of for a significant other and their family too.
Holiday Parties
Holiday parties start around Halloween and peak during New Year’s, but won’t end until after Valentine’s Day. That means you may be go to parties with friends or a significant other at least once for each holiday. Depending on the type of party and where it is located, parties may require purchasing tickets in advance and events for holiday parties can get expensive. Instead of being pressured to go to holiday parties and spend money that you really don’t want to because of a significant other, embrace being single this holiday season and go to holiday parties that you want to or save money by not going to any parties.
These are the five most common ways that you will spend money during the holidays. If you are single and are not obligated to visit a significant other’s family this holiday season, be thankful because not being in a relationship is saving you money. Is being single during the holidays starting to look better now? Happy holidays and enjoy being single this holiday season!
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
There are many reasons why millennial women marry later in life. It could be due to the fact that women now, more than ever, have more opportunity in the workforce to create their fortunes. It may also be true that alongside the ambitious women are those with student loan debt. It could be possible that one of the reasons that women work so hard is that they want to make something significant of themselves and they want to be financially free. These are some of the reasons that influence single women remaining single longer and delaying marriage, which is the new trend.
With opportunity knocking at the door and financial freedom around the corner, women have began to blaze down the career path with relentless passion. Student loan debt is on the rise, and so is the cost of living. Women’s rights are also more liberated than ever, thanks to progressive women in history. Women who now have the opportunity to work more in higher and more advanced positions, and make a really good amount of cash flow to lessen and eliminate the burden of student loans.
With our minds preoccupied, marriage and family are far from our minds. It is true that some women want a family and aspire to be good mothers, but it is also true that that is not the only option available for women. Go after what you want. Start that business, work three or more jobs to pay off your debt, learn new skills that make you marketable in the marketplace.
Marriage used to be a union of economic security for women in previous generations, but now that is not the case because Marriage Rates Are Plummeting:
“The median age at first marriage is now 27 for women and 29 for men — up from 20 for women and 23 for men in 1960… Today an unprecedented portion of millennials will remain unmarried through age 40, a recent Urban Institute report predicted. The marriage rate might drop to 70 percent — a figure well below rates for boomers (91 percent),”
What’s more is that having student loan debt does in fact delay marriage. Here are the stats about student loans:
General Student Loan Debt Statistics
- Total Amount of Student Loan Borrowers: 44 million +
- Total Outstanding Student Loan Debt: $1.41 trillion +
- Average Federal Student Loan Default Rate: 11.8%
- Average Number of College Grads with Student loan Debt: 60%
- Average Debt Per Borrower: $27,975
- Average Debt Per Graduate: $16,723
- Average Debt Per Graduate Student: $57,600
- Average Debt Per Borrower at a Public School: $26,828
- Average Debt Per Borrower at a Private School: $30,281
- Department of Education’s Estimated Profit Over Next 10 Years: $127 billion
With student loans as a burden, and an economic climate of opportunity, it’s no wonder that women are taking advantage of having a career oriented life. To pay off your student loan debt and have a career you once could have only dreamed of, you can literally life the life you desire. Career oriented women are smart because they choose to make the most of their time developing into the best version of themselves.