Make Time to Talk about Money
While you may not be ready to tie the knot, it’s worth noting that a recent survey of married couples found money to be the No. 1 source of marital strife. If you’re seeing someone regularly and want the relationship to last, you can sidestep a lot of future conflict by having conversations about finances now.
You or your partner may be coming into the relationship with considerable debt, you might earn vastly different salaries, or you might simply have opposite spending and saving habits. Rather than waiting for these types of issues to come up in the heat of the moment—say, when you clash about how much to spend on your first weekend getaway—make a point to discuss.
Take time to learn more about the things that can influence your views and feelings about money, such as your backgrounds—e.g., did money seem to grow on trees or was extra cash always scarce?—and current financial responsibilities like student loan debt, alimony or child support from a first marriage, or caretaking for an elderly parent. The more you can understand about each other now, the easier the road will be later on.