Although many people would agree that this move should only be made when you’re officially married, moving in together has actually helped couples prepare for their future early on.
If you’ve already chosen to take this step, there are a couple of serious topics you need to talk about.
This might seem like the biggest hurdle you are yet to overcome but deeper conversations like finances are coming your way.
Having the money talk is important before you even start house hunting or packing, for these five major reasons:
You will get to address your individual situations
Couples don’t always share everything that’s going on in their lives even when it comes to money. You don’t have to expose every single detail but there are certain things that you have to talk about before making such a big move.
If one of you has built up a lot of debt, for example, it’s going to be a problem that will affect both of you. You have to be completely honest about such issues so that they don’t pop up as a rude surprise when you’re already living together.
It will help you set expectations
This conversation is also important because you need to set clear expectations right from the beginning. You can’t just simply pack and move in without planning who will pay for what.
This will help prevent unnecessary money arguments once you move in because you’ll already have agreed on a specific plan.
It will clearly show you the effort you both need to put in
If this is your first time moving out, you might not have a full understanding of how real life can be out there. Before you might have been surviving on small side hustles without any stress but now you have to look for something more stable that can sustain a household.
You will understand each other’s long-term perspectives on money
The other thing you need to think about is what your mindsets are for the long-term plan. Maybe right now you’re okay with a 50/50 split household but you may prefer to switch to being a housewife once you get kids in the future.
Although life doesn’t always work out how we expect it to, you still have to communicate. This conversation is the foundation and you need to let your partner know how your perspective might change in the future.
You will be more prepared for emergencies
Sometimes unpredictable things happen and now that you are moving in together, you will have to prepare yourselves for emergencies differently.
The reality is that tough days will come and if you’re a young couple, you won’t always have mommy and daddy come through for you.
These are some of the things to think about which is good because you become more financially responsible and aware.
