Moving in with your partner is an integral part of the life of all relationships. No matter if it is after few months of dating, or few years, the question of whether you should or shouldn’t start living together appears. Surely, you will save much money on gas as you will not have to drive to each other’s homes, you save on food as you cook together, you share utilities and save on them as well. But will living together improve your relationships, or it can ruin all the romance?
For couple decades ago it wasn’t very common to move in with your other half before you actually marry, but now views on this question is different. Thus, there are lots of couples that move in together after only several months – this can bring some troubles, but financially it is quite a wise decision. Here are some of the reasons to take a risk and move in with your beloved.
1. Shared Expenses
Of course, rent or mortgage is the biggest savings you will have, but shared expenses are tangible as well. Electricity, heat, cable, Internet and other utilities usually become more cost-efficient as more and more people use them. Still, if you don’t download tons of files from the Internet every day, your bills will not be affected by another person living with you.
2. Saving on Housing
Renting a dwelling yourself is quite a pricey thing, but if you are living together with another person, you cut the rent in half and you can afford a nicer place for you two, as there is no strict correlation between renting and square footage. Besides, it’s easier for couples to rent a good place as a couple looks better in a landlord’s eyes than, for example, two guys who would constantly bring girls and party all the time. You can look through local online listings to see if any property owners look for a stable couple to lease their place to.
The deal is even better if you own the place and you become a sort of a landlord or landlady for your partner. Some people in such situation charge their beloved ones living with them a half of the rent they would have paid elsewhere or instead of that the “tenant” pays for utilities or groceries, or some of the bills. Surely, that is a disputable question and you should discuss it together.
3. Food/Groceries
For most people the biggest item on their budget is the groceries, and those who like to cook a lot and always in waste will be much happier when living with someone, as they will have a possibility to cook all the same without having to waste products. That is a big plus, as if you cook good, your leftovers will not go into the trash, but be eaten with pleasure.
4. Save Time
It doesn’t matter how much you earn or how well you work, everyone have limited hours in a day. When living together you save great amount of time, as the number or chores don’t change, but there is a two of you who can do them. Thus, taking times on cooking the dinner you can get some free hours a week, and so is with taking out the garbage, vacuuming and running the dishwasher.
5. Possible Financial Pitfalls
Surely, you shouldn’t move in together just to save the money, but this should be included in your decision. When you break up while living together, it might be pretty awkward, but shouldn’t be a disaster for your wallet. If you are renting an apartment, make sure you sign a lease so that you can go month to month after it is up. If you break up before the lease is up (before the year ends), the biggest problem would be if one of you moves out, and another remains.
Of course, the final decision shouldn’t be based on financial side – think about your relations and where you are planning to go from where you are at the moment.
