Wives Who Refuse To Do This For Their Husband Have Much Better Marriages, According To Harvard Researchers
Miljan Zivkovic / Shutterstock A recent Harvard study found that wives who don't have to manage all the household chores alone often have better, stronger marriages. In fact, the results showed that the happiest couples spent money to outsource housework, such as hiring a cleaning service or ordering food delivery.
Another night of arguing about who does the dishes, who folds the laundry, and who takes out the trash. These may seem like common debates that most couples have, but it turns out this could be what's hurting your relationship the most.
Women who refuse to do all the household chores feel more satisfied in their relationships.
Researchers reviewed data across multiple studies, using almost 40,000 participants. They analyzed various household surveys, participant diary entries, and surveys of people in committed relationships to see their daily purchases and what they did with their time.
Simol1407 | Shutterstock
These results likely reflect the reduced pressure placed on working individuals, keeping them from projecting it onto their partner. Dual-income couples who were consistently under significant amounts of stress benefited the most from spending on these services.
Researcher and professor Ashley Whillans said, "Usually, we think about trading time for money by working more hours, but it’s also possible to trade money to save time on doing chores." Some people do value having money more than having time, but others would rather have less money and more time to spend with their loved ones and doing things they enjoy.
It also matters how couples spend the time they save by outsourcing unpleasant household tasks.
There wasn't much difference between how much money couples spent and what exactly they spent it on. Whether it was buying a practical service like grocery delivery, or simply purchasing a Roomba vacuum to clean the floors. Couples that spent any amount of money to save time still reported greater relationship satisfaction than those who didn't.
However, there was a difference noted by the researchers based on how many hours were saved and how the couples spent that free time. Those who decided to spend quality time together also said they had higher levels of relationship satisfaction.
In one of the surveys used in the study, nearly 43% of respondents made time-saving purchases with their partners, saving an average of 18 hours per week. That's plenty of time to have quality time together each night, then indulge in your individual hobbies.
Realistically, this isn't something that all couples can afford to do.
While Whillans's research shows that investing in time-saving services and products can be worthwhile, it might not necessarily make sense for everyone. Rocket Mortgage shared that in 2024, dual-income households without kids brought in around $138,000, while those with kids brought in only around $129,000.
SofikoS | Shutterstock
With inflation and rapidly rising costs, many couples won't have much money left over after spending on necessities like housing and food. If doing chores yourself is unavoidable, ensuring they're split fairly between partners can help reduce stress and tension within a relationship.
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
