“[S]ex isn't the only or even the main problem with ‘shacking up’ ... although it's a factor — not because it's immoral, per se, but because men have less incentive to commit...“Women want what they've always wanted: security. And men want what they've always wanted: sex. Ergo, women are exchanging frequent access to sex for, well, nothing.”
- Suzanne Venker, "The secular case against living together before marriage"
My wife used to laugh when I made this argument to her unmarried friends. That’s probably because I opened with the classic old wives’ line: “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”
Humor aside, this is important wisdom all young women need to hear. At the appropriate time, I plan to share it with my daughters, nieces and goddaughters. Living with someone you hope to marry one day is a terrible idea. That said, I get why men do it.
I don't get why any smart woman would do it.