That’s what I mean: horses for courses. But it also depends on what you mean by “financial independence”. It seems obvious to say that I’ve found that outgoings are as bigger a determinant of independence as income. Oh, and I married a partner who sees status as a function of freedom more than money. And that helps a lot.

To add to that, an old friend married someone who’s main priority in life is to own a brownstone in Brooklyn. And their expectation engenders a fairly high degree of marital tension. The partner comes from a background in which, I’d guess, you show status by owning expensive property. And that’s a high barrier to happiness because earning that sort of money is not easy unless you’re willing to trade off a lot of your time.