Is economics the key to a successful marriage?

A new book delves into the complicated logistics of mastering love and marriage by treating your relationship like business

Economics can be a powerful tool to making your relationship a success by fusing the fields of business and relationships, according to a new book.

Spousonomics, written by Paula Szuchman and Jenny Anderson, works by applying economic principles, such as the allocation of resources and the end goal of achieving the best results, to common conflicts in marriage.

‘In your marriage you have a very finite number of resources – limited time, energy, money, love and patience,’ says Anderson. ‘A lot of marriage is about figuring out the allocation of those things and fighting over what feels like an imbalance to each person.’

The book instructs us to utilize British economist David Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage, which says it is not efficient for you to take on every task, only those you’re relatively better at.

‘In every company, everybody has their role, what they’re good at,’ continues Szuchman. ‘Not everybody can do everything because that would be completely inefficient, so the way businesses operate is through specialization.’

The authors propose holding back for 24 hours before picking a fight over something that has made you angry. About 90% of the time, you’ll find you don’t want to quarrel over that issue after all.

The book also explores the importance of making time for sex, how to survive the boom and bust periods and the necessity of working together.

Spousonomics - Or How To Mazimise Returns On The Biggest INvestment Of Your Life, by Paula Szuchman and Jenny Anderson is published by Bantam on Thursday for £10.99.

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