Pay Dirt

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Pay Dirt is Slate’s money advice column. Have a question? Send it to Kristin and Ilyce here . (It’s anonymous!)

Dear Pay Dirt,

My spouse is worried about money all the time, but objectively we’re fine. I make low six figures and have mid six figures saved, plus a trust fund in the millions. They make low/mid six figures annually and have high six-figures saved. Both our families are wealthy and willing to backstop us if necessary.

But my spouse says they’d feel more secure if I moved into a higher paying private sector role. That move could double or triple my income, but I love my job. I’ve told them that if we ever really ran into money problems, I would get a different job, but we’re beyond wealthy. I pay for all our housing expenses, health insurance, and most of our burn rate, while they pay for vacations, our car, and the cost of their business.

We’re both 42.…