The 'Spousonomics' Guide To A More Blissful Marriage (PHOTOS)

Here's a brain teaser: What do economics and your marriage have to do with each other (beyond figuring out where all your money goes every month)? The answer: A lot. At its core, economics is the study of how people, companies, and societies allocate scarce resources. Which happens to be the same puzzle you and your spouse are perpetually trying to solve: how to spend your limited time, energy, money, and libido in ways that keep your marriage thriving.

In "Spousonomics: Using Economics To Master Love, Marriage, And Dirty Dishes", we apply economic principles to resolving common conflicts in marriage. Did you pack on some pounds right after saying "I do"? That's moral hazard at work. Do you bicker endlessly over who packs the dishwasher better? You're figuring out your comparative advantage. And how about the marital bedsprings? Still bouncing? If not, it's time to refresh your memory about sex and the laws of supply and demand.

Here are 8 tips to manage the microeconomy of your marriage and make it a little
more robust.

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Go to the Gym

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Probably not the first thing you feel like doing, but you know what's really not romantic? Using marriage as an excuse to get lazy. Recent studies show that married people exercise less than singles do, and in our own survey, 56% of married people said they'd put on weight since the big day. We slack off in other ways, too: 46% said they were less affectionate with their spouses, and 54% said they wish they were having more sex--yet they don't seem to be doing anything about it. Thinking like an economist, marriage is a moral hazard, a situation that encourages people to behave irresponsibly because they know they can get away with it.

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Probably not the first thing you feel like doing, but you know what's really not romantic? Using marriage as an excuse to get lazy. Recent studies show that married people exercise less than singles do, and in our own survey, 56% of married people said they'd put on weight since the big day. We slack off in other ways, too: 46% said they were less affectionate with their spouses, and 54% said they wish they were having more sex--yet they don't seem to be doing anything about it. Thinking like an economist, marriage is a moral hazard, a situation that encourages people to behave irresponsibly because they know they can get away with it.

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I already knew that! Great tip!

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Comments

[KIVPossum]

10:31 AM on 02/17/2011

Our spousonomics works pretty well. She hates domestic chores, detests cooking, and is disgusted by dirty laundry. I enjoy doing them. I hate paperwork, so drop the daily invoices, receipts, cash, time cards on the table, and she magically converts it into a reasonable accounting of our businesses.

But the thing that keeps the homefires burning is variety - sex isn't just for bed, you know. Parks, cars, apartment stairwells, boats on the river, cave monasteries, construction sites, private rooms at restaurants, and the occasional taxi.

[Kellybelle22]

12:25 PM on 02/18/2011

Cave monasteries? Taxis?

You live a much more adventurous life than my husband and I do., KIVPossum. We've got to start getting out more. . . .

[KIVPossum]

03:05 PM on 02/18/2011

:) Those are just the ones I thought would have a chance of being posted. Our goal is to find an accomodating hot air balloon pilot

[Derek Lantin]

09:54 AM on 02/17/2011

Sir

I sometimes find it hard to believe that people have nothing better to do than make (and publish) surveys.

I feel that for two economists to be advising us about sex is almost as absurd as having two bankers advise us about prudent banking practices.

Sincerely, Derek Lantin. http://dereklantin.booksabuzz.com

[KIVPossum]

11:22 AM on 02/17/2011

It is necessary to spam us with your book sales in every post?

[AnonWizard]

02:16 AM on 02/17/2011

So, for one guy, he does the dishes, mows the lawn, and everything else, and ... nothing.
For another couple, it works. Gee, maybe every marriage has a different dynamic going on, and even different dynamics going on at different times, and instead of reading that so-and-so on Huffington Post who I don't even know thinks that maybe if I do the dishes more, I'll have more sex, I should actually have a conversation with my wife and find out what is going on with her, and then deal with what comes up.

[AllyCat7]

01:11 AM on 02/17/2011

I'm not married yet, but these were great. And make total friggin sense. I keep telling by current boyfriend about the housework/booty payoff and he doesn't buy it. Wait til we get married lol

[noob1]

12:28 AM on 02/17/2011

Women respond well to ripped abs, getting in shape solves this issue either way, eh?
http://surfpoet.com

[rjaxone]

10:40 PM on 02/16/2011

"Hey, honey > where's the dishwashing detergent...."

[flashpants]

08:49 PM on 02/16/2011

Doing the dishes: that's a laugh. My wife works full time and so do I and we have 4 kids, 3 of them are in high school. I cook, I clean, I do laundry, I fold and put away too. It doesn't do spit for me. I train at the gym like a college football player, 7 days a week and for a 50 yr old dude I am in decent shape. All I get are complaints that our marriage is broken. Try spending sometime with me and treating me like a real person, better yet, like a spouse, not a roomate.

[AllyCat7]

01:12 AM on 02/17/2011

Wow. You sound perfect. Tell your wife an H P user thinks she is lucky and should be grateful.

[KIVPossum]

10:17 AM on 02/17/2011

With 3 kids of high school age you or your wife shouldn't worry much about cleaning and laundry.

[ninetailedfox]

08:41 PM on 02/16/2011

My dishes dont have sex thank you.

[LynnyC]

08:09 PM on 02/16/2011

I can't believe they are encouraging going to bed angry. If i go to bed angry, my dreams continue the fight and I am peeved when I wake up.

If you really can't calmly discuss issues and resolve them before bed, then you shouldn't have gotten married. Marriage is all about talking things out and compromise, and they suggest sleeping on it hoping the problem will go away? NO! Don't do that. It wont go away, and when it comes up again you will be sorry that you didn't finish the fight before because now it is an ongoing issue that will eat at your marriage.

[AllyCat7]

01:17 AM on 02/17/2011

I go to be angry sometimes..or, rather, on "pause". Not all fights can be solved right away. And some people can think more clearly after they've cooled down, which also reduces the instances that someone will say something mean while angry. Not to mention that people like me need a lot of space/silence after arguments in order to collect our thoughts and recharge. Everyone is different, I guess. My current boyfriend is more like you. He always wants to hash things out no matter how angry or tired we are. It drives me nuts lol

[calicanuck]

08:09 PM on 02/16/2011

She washes, I dry and put away...works for us, and seems to work especially well when there are hockey games and the intermissions are 15 minutes.

The sex...umm well, you caught me on a bad day. Maybe I should take washing duties for a while.

[timekiller25]

07:53 PM on 02/16/2011

Am I the only one that does not get these charts? I just have no idea what any of these are supposed to be...

[ThePeacemakers]

08:20 PM on 02/16/2011

"In "Spousonomics: Using Economics To Master Love, Marriage, And Dirty Dishes", we apply economic principles to resolving common conflicts in marriage..."

They applied "economic principles."
(laugh track)

[pjordan52]

07:39 PM on 02/16/2011

Works for me with my wife. Now if could just get her to cook dinner more often so there would be more dishes it would be perfect.

[Mack Wingett]

07:34 PM on 02/16/2011

No correlation. If chores and sex have any linkage in a relationship, that's not a relationship. It's an employer:employee agreement. If you have to do something to get something you can get for free, you've got a peach of a wife. That's like me not paying the mortgage and mowing the lawn because she doesn't tell me she loves me.

[ProudToBeVeryLiberal]

07:11 PM on 02/16/2011

A man who's clean, neat and willing to do house chores definitely scores points with me. Now, finding a straight one with those qualities might be a little harder... ;)

[signgrrl]

07:19 PM on 02/16/2011

which is more important, sex or the clean house ?

[ProudToBeVeryLiberal]

07:25 PM on 02/16/2011

Ideally, it wouldn't be an either-or dilemma... ;)

[Peppers Dad]

04:43 AM on 02/17/2011

Behold, there came the sounds of crickets from the East....

[jcarterla]

06:32 PM on 02/16/2011

I live alone and have never seen a correlation. Maybe it is the dishpan hands.