“My Wife’s Mum Is Loaded, So We’ll Never Need to Work a Day in Our Lives!” – My Mate Cheered

A good mate of mine named Christopher always fancied living the high life at someone elses expense. He put in a serious effort to win over a girl from a wealthy family. I could see from the start he didnt truly care for her, and there was no way anything good would come from that sort of marriage. But Chris was convinced that marrying a woman with money would be his ticket to an easy, carefree existence. I suppose that could be believable if she actually knew how to earn her own living. In reality, her familys wealth stemmed from her mother, who owned a chain of successful shops right in central Manchester.

I tried to reason with Chris:

You dont actually believe theyll keep supporting someone who idles about, do you? Its proper to have your own job and a bit of independence.

Oh, come on, Chris responded cheerily. Weve got a baby on the way. They trust me completely!

I simply couldnt get my head around it. Taking advantage of your own partner like that just isnt right. Its a mans duty to work and provide for his family.

Some time later, curiosity got the best of me and I asked how things were going. I wondered where he was working nowadays. Turns out, he and his wife did nothing more than lounge at home all day playing video games, watching telly, napping whenever they fancied. His mother-in-law kept them well fed and comfortable. Ill admit, a part of me was actually envious; Chris had landed exactly the life he dreamt about.

My wifes mum is loaded, mate well never have to find proper jobs, Chris boasted, clearly delighted with himself and his good fortune.

Maybe they could have kept things up for a while if things hadnt taken a turn. Business troubles hit and his mother-in-laws profits suffered a heavy blow. To get by, she insisted both her daughter and son-in-law start pulling their weight and join the family business.

About a month after I’d last seen him, I got a call Chris, sounding worried, asked me if I could lend him four thousand pounds for a fortnight.

Im job hunting. If I get through an interview and get a bit up front, Ill pay you back, I promise. Were absolutely skint.

That was the end of his easy ride. From then on, both he and his wife started working. True to his word, he paid me back. And that, as far as well-off families go, was that. Relying on someone else isnt the answer. Youve got to stand on your own two feet and look after yourself. Only then can you feel both secure and truly happy.