Since time immemorial the ability of males to provide has been the yardstick determining which males attracted females.

What used to be food, shelter and protection is now equated to monetary value of the man in present society. 

In this episode of ProPodcast, we talk about money and relationships and how it affects relationships. The key question to ask ourselves is, do we peg monetary value and status so highly that we let it affect the largest parts of our relationships?

Traditionally men are perceived as protectors, providers while ladies are perceived as homemakers and helpers from different sources.

Society has placed so much premium on monetary worth that status trample over genuine connections and relationships, which has sadly led to transactional relationships between city girls and city boys, “sponyos” and “aunty wa Harrier”.

Many gentlemen and ladies both young and seasoned find themselves on the asking end of the famous Sauti Sol jam “Do you love me baby? Or do you love my money?” and Kenyans being Kenyans would reply with another question from another Sauti Sol lyric in the same song “Heri ulie kwenye Range Rover ama ucheke kwenye boda boda?”

What’s your answer? I take it was the Range Rover bit.

Read also: Is drinking among women just a phase?

All in all we need to accept that money does play a vital part in relationships. For men, as a dad and husband you’d want to provide for your family and for the young gentlemen you’d want to treat your girl to nice things. 

As for ladies in as much as they’d want to be financially independent and engage in economic activity, they still need a man who ticks all financial boxes and can provide for the family. 

Currently, the society has set some standards for men’s worthiness to be gauged on their financial capability and status. 

This leaves a lot of questions, for instance, are certain values like patience, responsibility, faithfulness etc, which are integral parts in relationships, still important when choosing a partner? You’ll probably be met by the difficult question of “Kwani tutakula patience?” Men take it from me, there’s no answer or comeback from this point.

Money is required in all aspects of our lives, even in sleep because you’ll need a house and a mattress. Relationships are no exception. They require money to fully function. As partners in a relationship, how you work out money issues matters. 

Key take away should be that us as humans are generally more than our financial status and no man or woman should purely be judged based on their status or financial capability. A man/woman is more than just a representation of financial strength because there’s so much more to humans than the finances aspect both in and out of relationships.

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