A 32-year-old single graphic designer from Brisbane recently offered $40,000 to anyone who could find her a life partner.

“I did it as a bit of a joke, but there is a serious side to it,” she explained.

“I’m getting older and, to be honest, I’d rather spend my Saturday mornings at open for inspections with a partner than getting over another Friday night with all the other singles from work.”

Her proposition seems to stack up financially too. Studies around the world show that marriage makes you richer, not to mention happier and healthier (and having a long term partner also means you’re more likely to live long enough to qualify for a birthday card from the Queen).

One online dating study found that workers who are married earn between 10% and 20% more than singles. And they can split plenty of big ticket costs with their partner like a mortgage and the latest 33 inch plasma TV too.

It’s easy to sympathise with Sex and the City’s Carrie, who indignantly presented her smug married friend with a compensation claim for the thousands of dollars she’d spent on the engagement present, the wedding, the baby showers and all of her friend’s other major life events.

Forget for a moment that a long term partner can lead to long term financial commitments – like children, a bigger house and a massive car – and marriage seems to stack up.

If a financial planner came and offered you a return of hundreds of thousands of dollars – and a few bonus years on earth – in return for an investment of just $40,000, wouldn’t you be crazy not to sign up?

“It just seems a bit too crass and desperate to me,” said Toby, a self-confessed romantic (who nevertheless joined an introduction agency & online dating in a bid to find a new partner).

But is it really such a radical idea? After all, in many cultures there is nothing wrong with offering a dowry to your unmarried daughter’s prospective new family.

And women (and increasingly men) can spend thousands in just a few years of dating on the obligatory waxing and primping – not to mention hundreds of nights at pricey singles bars – in their quest to find a partner. And while online dating is cheaper in comparison to a night out in a trendy spot there’s no guarantees.

In an increasingly rushed world, why not just cut to the chase?

Resource Box: Brett Smith is not your average health and online dating expert. He has some interesting and controversial views on health for singles published on www.partner4real.com.au.