Moving In Together

No one likes to think about money.  Unless it’s being given to you with no strings attached, it has a habit of tainting happy moments.  This is why we tend to push it back as long as we can.  However, you are finally moving in together with your partner and there is little time left to sort it all out.  You don’t want to bring up financial issues, but you have to.  You both have to clearly understand who’s responsible for certain bills lest there be conflict and chaos later.

Have an Agreement When Moving In Together

This may sound unnecessary and maybe even slightly paranoid, but you may be glad you did it.  After all, it’ll be on paper and no one can argue that without a ridiculously expensive lawyer by their side.  This can cover a number of things from the bills to the chores.  If knock on wood, you do have the misfortune of breaking up, the agreement will still stand and at the very least you’ll have a place to stay with a very disgruntled roommate until you figure out what to do next.

Both Names on the Lease

This is actually really important.  If you break up, your partner will not be able to kick you out (technically).  You’ll still have somewhere to stay while you both sort out who is moving out and who is keeping what.  Even if you two never break up and live happily ever after, it is still useful to have both names on the lease.  In a world of gender equality, this means that both parties are equally responsible for the rent.  This also goes for the utility bills.

Who Pays What When Moving in Together?

You have to figure out who will be paying which bill when moving in together.  Will you split the heating bill?  Will you be responsible for the electricity bill?  Will your partner pay the water company?  What about phone plans?  In this day and age, everyone has a smartphone and plans to go along with it.  Will you two have separate plans or will you be sharing one when moving in together?  How is that going to be split?  Then there’s furniture.  Are you going to split the cost of the TV?  But what happens if you do break up?  Who gets to keep it then?

Separate Bank Accounts

You may be tempted to share a bank account and you can.  Just make sure you have a separate account as well.  The joint account can be used to pay bills.  You both deposit a certain amount of money in it each month and use it to pay the utilities and the rent.  Keep the rest of the money in your personal account.  If you do in fact break up after moving in together, a shared account makes it easy for your partner to clear out all the money you’ve saved up. Better to be safe than left broke because of a bad separation.