One money issue I'm sure we'd all like to have is having too much of the green stuff. This isn't often the case, however, so we must learn how to work through money issues in our relationship.
"Two can live as cheaply as one!" is an old saw used to justify a couple living together, either in matrimony or as partners. The truth of the matter is that the only two who can live as cheaply as one are the horse and the sparrow.
Accounting
NOTE: If you don't understand that last truism, visit a horse corral sometime and just watch the sparrows dine.
A couple always can find more things to spend money on than a single person, so when you plan on cohabitating, do exactly that... PLAN.
To avoid having serious money issues in a relationship you should sit down together and develop a household budget. Analyze your anticipated expenses and then add twenty percent to cover contingencies and forgotten items.
You each bring personal expenses to the partnership, but these should be handled individually. The household expenses are the shared items and should be allocated equally.
When you have determined how much is needed, set up a household expense bank account and both arrange to deposit your share on a regular basis. With direct deposit now common with employers, this can be an easy, almost painless process.
Set aside some time to pay bills together, either by check or electronically. In this manner you both understand where the money is going. This makes for a more comfortable management of the account.
Common grocery and household items expenses should be paid from the account using the ATM cards usually provided by your bank. Personal choice items should be paid for by the individuals, not from the household account.
At the end of the year, or periodically, when there is an excess in the account you can opt to transfer it to a joint savings account, or to have a party. I know which one most of you will choose.
If you have failed to develop a plan before you began your cohabiting relationship you may find yourself addressing money issues with your partner. It is never too late to begin a household financial plan.
First you must deal with the pressing financial issue. Discuss the matter with your partner and consider all options. If you have a debt that has arisen because of your household expenses, consider a joint loan to pay it off.
The payments on any loan should be added into your household budget plan. When you mingle your credit issues you also merge much of your credit reports data. This could be an issue that should be discussed.
If your financial issues represent a really big problem, consider seeking the counsel of a financial advisor. They can often point avenues to correct the problems that you wouldn't otherwise see.
Couples, even those not yet married, often consider sizeable joint purchases like a house. This is an important step and there are considerations other than the mortgage payment.
You have real estate taxes, property insurance, casualty insurance and mortgage insurance. Then there is the matter of upkeep.
A house also involves other expenses like lawn care equipment or contracting with a service. Gardening and planter boxes are used to dress up the exterior. Trees, shrubs and other plantings also enter the picture. A lot of these are one time expenses.
Working though money issues with your partner is really all about planning, even after-the-fact planning. You should plan your finances, and then stick to the plan.
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