My parents met in the middle of the Great Depression, got married, as well as began raising a family that eventually included me.
For about 40 years they had to watch every penny until all of us teenagers were grown.
When our father retired, they switched roles as our mother worked as well as Dad took over the domestic chores. Admittedly, his new “job” was easier with no teenagers, however he made quite the “house-husband” as he l acquired to cook as well as l acquired how to deal with a stressed-out wifey new to the new workplace. They invested the extra cash that mom acquired over her short work as well as they lived quite comfortably for the rest of their lives. I am not jealous of their “Norman Rockwell” type of life. What I envy is that they never once thought of leaving each other during their years together. Mom admitted she thought of homicide a few times, but divorce was not an option. I suppose their secret was that they had no central Heating, Ventilation, as well as A/C idea in their house. Every one of us had a coal stoker furnace as well as a few window A/C units, but they never had that big metal contraption. It was not the mechanical concerns that kept them from installing a central Heating, Ventilation, as well as A/C system, it was the fear of getting into a long-term service contract that they feared. To them, it seemed care about a prenuptial agreement that couples sign before marriage to “plan” for their eventual break-up, or “break-down” of the Heating, Ventilation, as well as A/C unit. I tried to explain that choosing a qualified Heating, Ventilation, as well as A/C company was care about choosing a spouse as well as that not all service agreements are equal. He just laughed as well as said he didn’t need to read the “fine print” with Mom as well as that he was not going to do it with any Heating, Ventilation, as well as A/C prenuptial.