Choosing to Prosper

CHAPTER 6About My Rich Husband

The idea of having a rich partner goes beyond money. They should be rich in values, character, and integrity.

“You never want to marry a liability, and you never want to become a liability on any man.” Of the few pieces of dating and marriage advice my dad gave me, this was the one that stood out the most. He also told me, “It doesn't matter how rich the man you marry is, you want to always be able to stand on your own two feet.”

Just to be clear. I did not marry a rich man. My husband and I have built our wealth together. And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with marrying rich, that description, “she married rich,” is typically used in a way that minimizes any accomplishments that a woman has. Or, it attributes everything that she has accomplished in life to the man she married. Of course, I've experienced this firsthand, specifically when it became a topic of discussion after my 2018 Money magazine feature that highlighted my $100,000 savings story casually mentioned that I lived in New Jersey with my twins and husband, who is a physician.

Of all the interesting points highlighted throughout the article, I was surprised to find that it was this casual statement that caused the most ruckus. It wasn't the fact that I had achieved a big savings milestone or that I had done it in three and a half years, or even the savings tips and strategies I shared. Instead, it was that I was married to a physician that caused so much contention for ...