This reminds me of the popular saying "Money makes the world go round". People want to antagonize it, deny it, or idolize it, but in the end, money is important for everybody. Even those that live in farms or rural areas still need it; for fuel, electricity, or medical expenses. That is why most decisions are based on money in one way or another, or they should be. Money shouldn't dictate it, but it should be factored in.
From the time you were born, your parents had/should have considered the expenses of having a child. The milk, diapers, food, clothes, everything. As you are growing up, school fees and daycare comes into play. Once you have your allowance, you save up for things you want. When choosing a course, the average amount of pay is usually a big factor.
So I can see why your friend had to delay their separation until they were more financially capable.
It is an endless cycle of earning and spending. And in order to do so, many of us have to perform in jobs that don't really take us forward as individuals, or a society. Just imagine if all jobs added to the wellbeing of humanity in some way - what would it look like?
I think it is possible in the far off future, when robots and AI are the ones doing all the manual labor. There are some examples like the matrix, but a lot of them seem scary.