How big a problem is debt these days in marriages?

When your kids’ college fund is a Gerber jar half-full of coins, there’s a problem. When a guy who makes $250,000 a year and spends every penny of it and more, there’s a problem. When people have no equity in a $700,000 home, there’s a problem. When parents of upper-middle-class homes have not a dime saved for emergencies, there’s a problem. The best way to live in marriage is on half your income. Then, if you divorce, you will not experience any real downturn in your standard of living. Even spending all the money you earn but no more would be an OK strategy, while not ideal. However, when people spend even more than they bring in, it sets up thorny issues.