Cohabiting is quite possibly one of the trickiest and biggest obstacles to navigate in any relationship.Whether you’re doing it to take your relationship to the “next level” or to lessen the cost of outrageous rent rates, you can’t deny that moving in with your partner is kind of a big deal.
Besides seeing each other’s faces and cramming everything into one space, we’ve rounded up 8 other realities nobody ever tells you about living with your significant other.
1. It’s not going to be easy – TBH, living together will feel amazing at times – but it’s not always going to be about cute love notes and surprise bouquets. You’re going to fight a hell of a lot, cry and really crave alone time. And that’s all fine as long as you resolve your conflicts healthily, communicate well and don’t let problems build up.
2. Just because you sleep in the same bed it doesn’t mean you’re going to get lucky every night – You’d think that you’re already spending all this time within the vicinity of each other, but that doesn’t always mean that you’re spending quality time. Hanging out next to each other isn’t the same as hanging out with each other. You’re going to have to constantly work on intimacy and passion even when you’re cohabiting. Sex isn’t a given, girl. You gotta earn it.
3. You’re going to see where your money truly goes (and your partner’s), and it’s not going to be pretty – Before moving in, you probably stuck to a budget. A budget is even more significant when you’re cohabiting with your partner, especially if you’re sharing a joint account. To avoid conflict, be sure to lay out a proper budget before moving in.
4. Don’t feel like you need to be with them all the time – Just because you live together it doesn’t mean that your alone time should be forsaken. It’s probably a lot more important to have some time for yourself because seeing someone every single night and feeling like you don’t have the space to be yourself completely is frustrating. Schedule a couple of nights a week to do your own things or hang out with friends while the other person gets the apartment for the night.
5. You can’t watch every single show together – If you’re going to wait for your partner’s schedule to open up so you can watch that episode of Modern Family together, you’d probably never watch that episode. So if you’re really aching to watch that episode, do yourself a favour and just watch it on your own!
6. You’ll notice that there isn’t enough room for both your emotions at times – Even if you’ve been together for years, arguments take on a whole new dimension when you live under one roof. When you’re both fuming in the same space, you’d be even more aware of both your actions and there just isn’t enough amount of door slamming or groans to calm you down. In situations like these, it’s best for you to deal with your anger independently.
7. You’re going to learn new things about them – Whether they’ve got a hoarding problem or snore through the night, you’re bound to learn something new about your partner everyday – and you’re not going to love everything you learn about them. But hey, nobody’s perfect, right?
8. There will be good days – Sometimes, the universe aligns itself and everything works in your favour. And on these days, you’d even believe that your relationship is basically #RelationshipGoals. Totally worth it.
