Present! I do housework, and I do it exceptionally well! The joys of living on your own!

Well said. Perhaps one might call it pride or ego. Some might call it bringing up. Some males are brought up that way in view that they should be the sole or main bread winner. These are the types of males that feel intimidated amongst successful women. Heard of the term "Penis envy"?
It is something along those lines.

I've been brought up similarly but without the pride part. Perfectly OK if the woman is more successful or earns higher wages. This is because in the long term, it is the child that benefits. Don't care which parent's ego is inflated or care that who thinks what. People can say and think all they want, but the important thing is the family has a roof over their head, clothes to wear and food to eat. It matters not whom brings home the bread.

Luxury as one mentioned has somehow been 'downsized' to 'necessity'.
Of course different people have different values.

How many would deem fine dining as need or necessity?
How many would agree that eating out is luxury or necessity? (Even eating out has various levels be it mamak, chinese restaurants, fast food,)

My parents used to live from hand to mouth with practically 0 cash leftover to save. Did they get a divorce or separate? Nope. They chose to get married even in poverty.
With love, hard work and determination, they made it.

That may be your opinion, but I'm with Hawkie on this. I personally know of a couple whom started out living in squatter houses, who now are decent off. They married young after coming back from university. Early day's of marriage life, after paying rent for their house, they didn't even have money to purchase furniture for it. Food? Bread for at least one meal a day.

Money is everything? In their 30+ years of marriage, not once have they quarreled (if any at all) about money.

I say it is more the individual, how much importance each individual places on materials be it certain lifestyle or certain objects, how this said individual perceives their status and self-worth. There are people that draw self-worth and status from things
When you take away these things, suddenly there is a huge gap and they feel left out, social outcast, the misfit.

These are the people that quite likely will say, "I need xxx amount of money in order to be happy"

This post has been edited by Tatsumaki: May 12 2009, 12:52 PM

Whoa, whoa easy now. I didn't mean to say we don't need any money at all. I quite a realistic person. I agree, food needs to be put on the table, roof needs to be put over the head and clothes on the back. I'm more taking a lifestyle point of view.

Fine dining versus normal restaurant
standard sedan car versus continental car
periodic holidays versus kid's education fund
a pair of shoes costing RM 950 versus RM 150
a bag costing 875 versus 200
Oshkosh or Baby Guess versus morning market/night market baby clothes
baby stroller RM 1200 Mc Laren versus carrying

I'm mulling on those two points. Both IMHO hold water. I can see moorish's point in the light of the maternal instinct that women have. Am I far off to say that a woman would only think of bringing a child into this world once she is fully contended that her family will be enough to provide for this child until this child is able to fully stand on his/her own feet? (not walking, but in a independent way)

And again, the old dead horse, different women have different yardsticks of 'provision' (Let's not go there, let the horse rest in pieces)