You’ve met a person, and realized that they’re THE person. So, the most natural next step is tying the knot. Right? Maybe not. How about living together for a while before calling the priest? It just might be the best decision you’ve made as a couple.

After the fireworks

While the initial stages of any relationship are arguably the most exciting and ‘through the roof,’ it should be borne in mind that your relationship will evolve. And time is critical here.

Marriage is a long-term commitment and decisions about it shouldn’t be made in haste. Living with your partner gives you that buffer time and brings you face to face with the realities of marriage and your relationship in general.

By cohabitating (that’s the fancy term for living together by the way) with your partner, you will experience how your lifestyle ties in with your partner’s.

Though mental and emotional compatibility is excellent, your lifestyle should not strongly conflict that of your partner’s.

Chores: Big and small

If you thought that was never going to happen, we’ve got news. Sharing a house and making it a home together requires a lot of effort.

You see, it’s easy to maintain oneself for an evening date. But when you know you’re going back to the same house after movie night, and there are clothes to remove from the washer, the leaking showerhead to fix and plants to water, things get real – real quick.

So, go ahead and share the apartment with your partner and get a dry run for what’s to come very soon. After all, practice never hurt anybody.

Money matters

Yeah, this is a big one that no couple likes talking about. Finances play a vital role in effectively running a household.

And if you are looking to take your relationship to marriage, living in together will provide you with the much-needed experience of dealing with money matters together. It’s important to know where the bread comes from and how bills stack up.

When you start living together things like budgeting and expenses and bills, come into play, and your partner’s spending habits stop seeming cute and surface up to something significant.

It’s best to have experience in handling finances together and sorting out spending habits before you say ‘I do.’

It may not be for you

There, I said it! As improbable and outlandish it may sound, one should not eliminate the possibility that they may realize at some point that marriage may not be their thing.

This is entirely normal and shouldn’t be ignored. So, the best way to test the waters for yourself and your partner would be to live together for a considerable period before marriage.

This also gives you an opportunity to deal with their pesky habits that you disagree with and see how they affect your relationship.

Marriage is the biggest (and probably the best) decision one makes in their lifetime. And the more effort behind the decision the better.

And also, what’s better than having a head start on the rollercoaster lives you would be living together for the rest of your lives? Hey, we’re just kidding, it’s not that scary.

LSI Keywords

Benefits of live-in relationships

Living together before marriage

Cohabitation before marriage