Thinking about moving in with your SO? Wait, stop right there. Drop the packing
tape and sit down.
Now, I'm a firm believer in the "when you know, you
know," theory, and I think everyone's relationships are different and everyone
moves at different paces, however, I do believe there are certain things that
should be considered before moving in together whether you've been dating a year
or five years.
1. Make sure you're on the same page with whatever it
is you are to each other: want to get married? Say it. Want to Goldie Hawn
and Kurt Russell it? Say it. Basically, have the "where is this going" talk
BEFORE going to get a U-Haul, k?
2. Talk money: if one of you
isn't contributing to the bills equally, it could put a lot of strain on your
relationship. It's no fun being the ONLY one bringing home the bacon, because
who wants to share delicious thick-cut, maple-glazed bacon with someone who
doesn't help out, nah I mean?
3. Be okay with losing a little
independence: you don't have to lose your independence entirely, but the
idea of coming and going as you please and answering to no one is a thing of the
past when living with a SO. Prepare to communicate more, share a bathroom, and
let him/her know when you're out late, so ya know, he/she doesn't think you're
dead. It's just courtesy.
4. Pass the vacation test: do you still
find each other attractive after long vacations (or short ones)? If so, you
passed the test; however, think twice if you want to kill each other during or
by the end.
5. Make sure you can reconcile after arguments:
hopefully this doesn't come as a shock, but you
will argue when you move
in together. It might be over something ridiculous, like not refilling the
toilet paper roll, or it might be over something huge. So if you can't talk it
out and move on before living together, you need to take a step back and
reassess. There's no such thing as "I need space" when you live together,
because you live together.
