I can identify with the wish for a financially worry-free life... So does my boyfriend. He would like me to get rich, so he can lounge around playing video games all day. He jokes about finding a rich woman and keeping me on the side. I tell him it's only a matter who finds a suitably rich person first.

Does this mean that men and women are equal, when both fantasize about marrying rich? It might, still, be slightly easier for women... But that won't last another generation.

It seems as if while women discover the satisfaction of a job well-done, men find they have a longing for freedom from work. Which means, we've become very much like the other.

I was right there with ya until that bit about living the high society life. I most definitely would not want to do that.

I don't think there's anything shocking about hoping you'll fall in love with a rich guy... wouldn't it be nice to have love and not worry about money?

It's not always what it seems though. I've dated guys who had very little but needed very little. I've also dated guys who make three times what I make and they're still living paycheck-to-paycheck.

@Catherine: ALL of my BFs have joked that they're waiting for me to get rich, to my credit I think. They all think they're catching me "on the way up." I hope they're right!

This is an interesting post. Especially since I would love to work my tail off for money while my fiance stays home and takes care of the house. He would never allow something like that to happen since although he may like video games, he likes money more.

@Catherine: you are so right about women. I relish in doing a stellar job. But my fiance relishes in making that money. In his mind we're in a constant salary competition. I've been winning for a while now but it actually motivates him to do better. Funny how love works.

Wow, thanks everyone for your comments! This is one of my first articles and I'm very happy to generate a response.

@Catherine: I think it is a lot more acceptable for women to fantasize about marrying rich because of the classic Darwinian argument that women are looking for stability and a provider to care for their children. For men, it is a lot less socially acceptable and that is why they do not voice it as often as we do (or maybe they do not even let themselves think that)...maybe all of that is about to change, but more in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. In Russia, I see girls all the time whose sole purpose in life is to find a "lucky" marriage.

Another thing that scares me is that I am not always looking for the satisfaction of a job well-done. Maybe I need to find what I really love doing first?

@jrandom42: Yep, but at least I would be covered in diamonds :-).

@jrandom42: Well, the idea is to marry a guy whom I would actually love and thus not need a prenup/divorce. I doubt I would ever tie the knot with someone JUST for money.

I blog about charities. The charity-cupid connection was the topic of my Valentine's day posting in 2006.

http://www.wheremostneeded.org/2006/02/valentine_tip_c.html

I don't think you can find Mr. Rich Right just by volunteering. You have to address a Really Big Idea and pursue it so vigorously that you become identified with the issue in the mind of the opinion-setting public (that is, media and grant makers). It doesn't have to be national; enough local media and grant-maker attention in one of the larger cities will get the attention of the wealthy local eligibles.

It works just like your experience with Dimitri, whom you weren't attracted to until he landed a job in an exotic location. But you have to take it up several notches beyond being a bank employee to attract the big money players.

Happy hunting and let me know if it works out for you.