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How soon should my girlfriend move in?
When are you going to propose to her?
Whoa, whoa, not that fast.
Well, you're about to combine your life by moving in together. And then there is the
financial mess you're about to get into.
What financial mess? She will be helping with the rent.
There are tons of Judge Judy episodes where they assume living together is marriage light,
saying he has to pay half her cell phone bill and she cosigned for his car loan.
We might get married.
Your odds of getting married go down if you move in together without even getting an engagement
ring.
Because we might not get married.
Then get a room mate you can kick out when he doesn't pay the rent, instead of a girlfriend
who might say she's doing so much housekeeping that she doesn't have to pay anything.
What if I want a trial run before we get married?
Then spend a year dating and getting to know her. If she can support herself for a year,
she'll be an equal contributor to the household.
And what if she can't support herself?
Why not marry her now and have a stay at home wife?
That's a little old fashioned.
It is a lot clearer legally than shacking up and having her sue for partial ownership
of the couch set you bought living together, her not paying the bills and begging for a
personal bailout and demanding visitation with the dog you bought together.
Marriage is just a piece of paper.
If she heard you say that, would she move in with you?
Maybe. Maybe not.
Then I don't think she should move in with you until you bother with the paper.
A lease is a major commitment, too.
If that's the biggest commitment you're going to make, she really shouldn't move in with
you.