It's pointless to deny that it's nice to have your loved one by your side every day, but living together isn't just about breakfast in bed and watching Netflix in the evenings. Before deciding on such a crucial step in a relationship, you need to rationally assess the risks, determine what you are ready to sacrifice, and what you are not ready to put up with.
1. You are financially independent
The cornerstone of a healthy, long-term relationship is the confidence that you can survive on your own. Otherwise, living together can be filled with resentment, manipulation, or even financial control that will turn the relationship into hell.
2. You are ready to discuss any financial issues
But even if there is financial independence in your relationship, living together still involves talking about money. Big purchases or emergencies happen one way or another, and it is better to know, and not to assume, who and how will pay for them.
Paula Wu
3. You understand each other's habits
Living together seems like heaven until you get to know your partner's habits that may not please you at all. An unmade bed, an unwashed mug, the habit of lying in the bathroom for a long time – anything that seemed cute at the beginning of a relationship can turn into a challenge for your nervous system later. It is crucial to understand what you like from this list, what you are willing to accept, and what will become painful for you.
4. You are ready to spend a lot of time together
Relationships even at a short distance and living together provide for a different amount of time spent together: it is one thing to have dinner in a cafe and walk by the lake afterwards, but another thing is to go home together and know that this person will be with you in the same space for a very long time. That is why, before moving in, you need to be clearly aware that each person needs not only personal space, but free time.
