1) Where To Live

Moving in together is a big step in a relationship. Are you going to set up a joint bank account to pay for rent, utilities, and household supplies, or will Venmo and Paypal be key in keeping things even? This is also the perfect time to organize and establish which home furnishings you need, which ones you already have, and what to do with the extra pieces that are no longer needed.

It hurts their pride, and sometimes, I feel kind of jealous of my girlfriends who earn the same or less than their partners. Though it doesn't need to. Most people consider living together the next step before marriage — a time to determine if you are compatible in all aspects of life.

1) Where To Live - If this is the case, it might be better to pick out a new place to live. Now that they live together in Blacksburg, Virginia, they can enjoy home life and their mutual hobbies.

Are you moving in to save money on rent? If so, hopefully that's not the only reason. Make sure neither of you are accidentally misleading the other about why you want to take this leap. Were you able to figure things out together without turning on each other too quickly, or at least able to work around each other's sore spots? Tatkin advises couples to make sure they're a good team when it comes to handling crises and high points as well , because life is hard sometimes, and more moments of stress are waiting for you down the line. Even if you don't plan to get married, you should decide what signifies to you both that your relationship is on the right track. For example rent, food, and utilities may be joint but cell phones, haircuts and auto expense may not be. Budgeting can be complicated by factors like disparity in incomes. Should the higher paid person pay more of the joint expenses or should the couple live more frugally and divide joint expenses equally? There's nothing more dangerous to the health of both your bank account and your relationship than not talking about it and operating on assumptions. You need plan of action for having calm financial conversations. According to Padawer, couples should talk about what you'll do when you trust, it'll happen , and whether either of you that the other should know about. It's your money too, after all, and it's important to know how to access all of your accounts just in case. It's important to think about this ahead of time, before major assets like houses come into play. Bobby tells Jan that his down payment was equal to one year's worth of mortgage payments. Jan tells Bobby that she will make all mortgage payments for one year in exchange for half the value of the home. Eleven months later, Jan and Bobby break up. Bobby says he never agreed to the scheme. In his mind, Jen was paying rent while he covered other expenses. Meanwhile Jen wants to sell the house because its value increased significantly after the city built a new park in the area. Without formal and legal agreement, Jen had no chance to participate in the growth of the home's value. As unromantic as it is to talk about this kind of thing, be sure to get any plans about ownership or joint finances on paper. It's not fun in the moment, but it helps to clear up any conflicting perspectives before lots of emotions and dollar bills are on the line. Don't be Bobby and Jan! Even if you never break up, these decisions will impact your everyday life on the regular. Is this relationship going where you want it to? Do you have any strong gut feelings about this move? If you don't agree on these questions right away, it's not the end of the world. It probably just means you need to talk things out a bit more before making the big move. It might help to include a neutral third party, like a counselor, to help you have a healthy discussion about tougher subjects. What's important is that you're on the same page about your new living situation—that way you'll increase your odds of relationship bliss or at least, sanity as you start this new adventure together. © 2018 Condé Nast. SELF may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.

Either way, you're in this together. You can even goes as far as dividing up the fridge to stop that leftover thief, but maybe just start with the separate spaces. Do talk about finances Be clear about who will pay for what. For she found out he didn't want to marry her, she was heartbroken. Make sure that there is enough space for the both of you to effortlessly store not just your clothes, but all necessary items. Again, communication is key.