My girlfriend and I are moving in together and we need — and want — to have the big discussion regarding finances. Neither of us make a ton of money, but at the moment, I am making more than her. We’re not married and we’re not even talking about getting engaged.
We just were ready to move in. What do you think is the best way to go about this? Obviously (I hope) you have found a place you can both afford. The division of money depends on the difference in earnings between you two.
Let’s say, for the sake of discussion, you make twice as much as she does. You can afford twice the amount in bills. So if your rent is $1,000 a month, instead of each paying $500, you should pay more.
Or you could pay the whole rent and she could pay her portion equivalent in utilities. Or you could each put half of your paycheque in a joint account which would then be the account you use to pay rent, utilities, etc. It’s definitely important to try to work things out from the start, with an understanding that everything can change.
Regarding the grossed-out mom (Aug. 1): “Already? Some would say that things will only get worse. Wait until her child reaches the ‘terrible twos’ or the heartache she’ll feel when her child starts attending school.
Or the rebellious teen years, when the ‘I hate your guts’ starts. One day, her child will leave home, or start their first relationship and then she’ll understand she is no longer the sole focus of her child’s attention. “Every.