₦airaland Forum

How much should a man earn monthly before considering marriage?

Timileyin Akinkahunsi

Men are usually seen as breadwinners, especially in Africa, and as such, men are expected to have a stable source of income before getting married due to the responsibilities that come with marriage. Saturday PUNCH asked a cross-section of Nigerians how much money they think a man should earn monthly before considering marriage and here are their responses

N50, 000-N100, 000 – Olayemi Segun Ajiku

In my opinion, a man should earn nothing lower than between N50,000 and N100,000. With this amount, I believe he will survive as long as he lives within his budget and sets his priorities right. Although with this amount, his state of residence has to be considered. We cannot compare someone who resides in Lagos to a man that lives in Ibadan.


Secondly, when a woman knows what a man earns; it is easy for her to decide if she wants to spend the rest of her life with him or not. Also, she will know how much support the man will require from her.

Thirdly, a responsible man without a steady income shouldn’t think of marriage. He won’t have the capability to shoulder his responsibilities as a husband and a father, especially when children come into the picture.


Ideally, a man should cater for everything in the home but if he is lucky to marry a good wife, she won’t hesitate to support him whenever it is necessary.

I’ll recommend N50,000 – Ishaya Mungopark Maishara

Here in Abuja, I’ll recommend N50,000 because of the situation of the economy. Marriage is like a journey to the point of no return; one has to be very careful before taking the decision to get married. First, there should be an understanding between the man and the woman. To create this form of understanding, financial matters need to be discussed.


It is important for a lady to know how much a man earns before marrying him. It matters a lot because this is a lifetime agreement and the individuals involved should know where they stand before getting into it.

N20,000 to N50,000 is okay – Richard Idigbogu


Richard Idigbogu

I don’t believe there’s a statutory amount a man should earn before considering marriage. If I am to mention an income range, I’ll say between N20,000 and N50,000. This issue has made a lot of young men to choose to remain single for too long. The question is: “What kind of marriage do you want?” You may be earning an amount as small as N20,000 monthly and still get married; although, the marriage will not be as glamorous as that of a man who takes home a huge sum of money every month. Ladies, on the other hand, are not helping matters. I know a lady who said if a guy doesn’t earn at least N150,000, he should not consider coming close to her for marriage. Six years down the line, she’s still single and frustrated.


From N50, 000 upward is fine – Abodunrin Olatunde Oyeniran


A man that earns N50, 000 monthly is financially ready for marriage. A woman should consider how much a man earns before accepting his marriage proposal. A man should have a stable income before thinking of marriage; money is important in marriage. A man should cater for rent, food, school fees of the children, and other family obligations. A Yoruba adage says, “There’s no half man, its either you’re a man or not.”



No specific level of income should be considered – Gaza Danladi


Gaza Danladi
We all have choices to make. Deciding to build a life with someone isn’t something everyone can handle. Marriage is a team work but still we all have standards. However, understanding prospects is important. There aren’t enough eligible bachelors to go round, so if a woman finds one with prospects, it won’t be a bad idea to consider him. Fela Durotoye (motivational speaker) once said when he got married, the bathroom of the house he lived in was so bad that most times, his wife had to go shower at her parents’ place. Look at where they are today. Finance is important in marriage and whether you can put up with what will be available to you in marriage is something to give thought to.



Personally I do not think there is an amount a man should earn from his 9-5 job or business venture before getting married. The reason is that if we set a yardstick, there are many in the society who will never meet up, and it will be absurd or unfair to say such people should never get married.

N100, 000-N150, 000 – Afolakunmi Awoyemi

A man who has a paid employment should earn at least N150, 000 before considering marriage. If he runs his own business, he should earn at least 100,000 monthly before considering marriage. The amount a man earns is very important because no woman wants to suffer. When children are involved, they need to attend good schools and live a stress-free life. Things are not easy but everyone wants a comfortable life. A man who doesn’t have a steady income shouldn’t even think of getting married at all because the couple needs to consider how they will survive. A woman can support her husband if his income is unstable for some time. However, I won’t advise any man to go into marriage without a steady income.



Considering the bills, N800, 000 – Aduke Gold


Aduke Gold
It is difficult to mention a figure, especially in an unstable and unpredictable economy like ours. However, before a man considers marriage, he should have multiple streams of income.

Giving an amount or figure may not equate to the responsibilities that will later surface in the future but if a man has multiple streams of income, he may use one to balance the other. Before accepting a marriage proposal, what a man earns should be considered by the woman. Marriage is reality, not abstract. You need to open the box and check before you go into it.

As a single lady, I spend close to N100, 000 monthly on myself and I am not even living large. If a man wants to perform his full responsibilities in this economy, considering house rent and other bills, he should be earning at least N800, 000. I am not saying I am waiting for that type of man, but considering the bad economy, I need to set the records straight.

Considering the economy, he must have a stable income – Ukeh Ngozi Anita


Ukeh Ngozi Anita
Marriage comes with responsibilities; a man should have a stable income before considering marriage. I do not mean he must earn N100,000 or N1m monthly, no; I’m not saying he must have a car or a house in his name, no. All I am saying is that the man must have something he is doing that brings in money for him regularly. A man should know that the responsibility of the house is on him, and the woman will support him. Most ladies, including me, have set a standard that we want for marriage and we have our reasons for that but our reasons should not be coated with greed or selfishness. A man that is lazy or doesn’t have any source of livelihood should not get married because the children might suffer.

N300, 000, if they want to live in Lagos – Adeola Dosunmu

Marriage is desirable to many, not all. While some people believe in patching things up with the hope that better days are ahead, some will never settle for any form of ‘management’. Before getting married, a man should consider these factors: If he wants to share the burden of household expenses with his wife or not, the kind of apartment he wants to live in and if the rent will still be affordable after they start having children.

Using Lagos as an example, a man that wants to start a family should earn at least N300,000 monthly. And even with this, he won’t be able to afford an apartment in some areas in Lagos.

It should be N150, 000 – Oketola Deborah


Oketola Deborah
What a man earns depends on the nature of his job. A man should be able to get a decent accommodation and put good food on the table. So talking about how much a man should earn, I will say at least N150,000.

The amount of money a man earns is important; no woman wants to suffer. If a woman knows how much her husband earns, she would know the limits of her demands and trust him more.

UyaiIncomparabl:
[s]Like 500K is ideal. Last last 200K. I did not come to this life to suffer.

When is my O.B.O/Ned Nwoko/Dantata/Dangote arriving naw? [/s]

Preshy561:
5million a month

chinchonglee:
Madam carry ur fat body go find work

UyaiIncomparabl:
K

UyaiIncomparabl:

ibkayee:
Standards of living will vary so you're going to have a bunch of significantly different numbers flying up and down this thread lol

Dunno what arrangement he plans to have going on with his wife concerning contributions, but realistically probably at least whatever amount can comfortably cover all basic living necessities month to month.

Ideally, rule of thumb is to also have about 6 months worth of your annual savings tucked up somewhere if possible.

Iamgrey5:
Mine is 5000 naira for Ibadan

ibkayee:
An hour?

Iamgrey5:
A month

ibkayee:
Let me just love you from afar then

Iamgrey5:
No i am going to fight for this love like Cheryl Cole

ibkayee:
iamgrey5

You've always come across as one of those deliberately humble guys who go out of their way to not appear as rich, successful, smart etc as they really are by the way lol

To me anyway

Won't be surprised if you're one billionaire's son

ibkayee:
iamgrey5

You've always come across as one of those deliberately humble guys who go out of their way to not appear as rich, successful, smart etc as they really are by the way lol

To me anyway

Won't be surprised if you're one billionaire's son

Thegamingorca:

CaptainMitch:
Preshy561 I know say na this kind thread you go like

Iamgrey5:
Wow

Thanks for all the compliment

I am deeply flattered oh

I am no billionaires son oh

But thanks

ibkayee:
You too to some extent...hmmm