Co-habiting, yay or nay? Moving in together without popping the question can raise eyebrows but if you’re going to figure out if the person you’re with now is the one you can spend the rest of your life with, living together will test your relationship because honey, reality ain’t all that rosy.
Living together is a big step and like it or not, many couples end up fighting when it comes to financial matters because you’re both not married and how much do you really want to invest into this relationship if you’re still unsure that they’re “the one”? Here’s how you know that the both of you are ready to make that big step:
1. You both know each other’s expenditure history
To be able to share this information with each other is a huge step up in your relationship because of the level of trust involved. When purchasing assets like a home or car, you both need to decide whose name it should be under or shared. It’s important to also know what each other are earning so that each contributes a healthy share to the household be it in rent, bills or groceries.
2. Both do not control each other financially
Nobody likes to be told how they should spend their money. If one person earns more than the other and as a result contributes more to the household, this should never be brought up to attack the other person during any conflict by saying, “I pay more in the relationship!” because it’s no different than trying to control the other person.
3. You both can talk about the future maturely
Moving in together enables the both of you to get to know each other better emotionally. You’ll get to know all their little quirks and spending habits. Living together helps the both of you mature as a couple as you’ll both have to figure out how to save money, whether to open a joint account, where to invest the money and how much to put aside every month. Always make sure to reach a decision which will benefit both parties rather than just yourself or your partner.
4. Paying the bills on time
A good housemate always pays their bills on time because really, you don’t want to end up paying for them every other month just because “they ran out of money” by the middle of the month. If your partner has trouble managing his finances, its a sign you shouldn’t move in with him until he’s mature enough.
5. Dealing with a financial crisis
What happens if one of you lose your job or makes a bad investment? Discuss how you both will handle the situation and remedial steps to improve it. Are you both willing to sacrifice little luxuries and live on bare minimum? Knowing the answers to these question will also help you judge your partner as a life partner.
