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If you’re about to enter a long-term romantic relationship, one of the first things you’ll need to do is figure out how life will be once the two of you are married. You’ll have joint finances, joint rent or mortgage payments, joint property ownership and others. To make this process as smooth as possible, try out these 10 tips for making a peaceful living with your spouse.
These strategies will help ensure that your partner is on board with the decision not to put their money or property separate from each other’s — and make sure that they actually want to live within those strict guidelines.
1. Communicate your rules to them
If you’re planning on having a joint bank account, you should make it clear to your partner that this is the case, and why. You should also explain to them how they can help prevent mistakes or confusion when making major purchases.
Don’t be worried about potential arguments over the subject — if you’ve clearly explained this decision in advance, your partner should already know what to expect, and should have no problem following through with it. If they are hesitant or resistant, that’s probably a red flag for other areas where they’ll be less than willing to follow along with your rules for living together.