Marriage is the ultimate expression of love, a union of two souls and a commitment before God. When choosing a partner, one should always acknowledge that the decision is one that should not to be taken lightly. Finding out as much as you can about a person provides a foundation for what married life will entail.
Moving in together before marriage used to be seen as an extreme taboo, but today it is a common stage in between dating and marriage. Moving in allows young couples to get a taste of married life with one another, without the pressure of making a hasty decision. Living together allows couples to test their compatibility in the long run and is an effective way to prevent divorce and ensure a happy union.
The following are some beneficial reasons to move in together before marriage:
- Living together is the ultimate test
Living with someone will test your boundaries and your relationship with one another. If you find yourself feeling like you cannot live with each other you definitely should not get married. For those who can love each other even after realizing that it wont always be fun or exciting chances are, you will be in the best possible shape for marriage.
- A divorce is much more expensive than moving out
Issues in the home make up a large percentage of the obstacles that a married couple encounter. These issues are also major dealbreakers in marriages and do not come to light until a couple is living under the same roof. Wouldn’t you rather know what you are in for, instead of calling it quits a few months into marriage?
- The stress of getting married can be eased
By moving in together and therefore blending your living space, marriage is no longer a complete mystery. The couple can somewhat have an idea of what is to be expected in their future. The couple can focus on their wedding rather than an entire moving process and all that comes with it.
- It gives you the full idea of what you are signing up for
By moving in together you get to see the entirety of your partner. Living together allows you to see beyond his characteristics when they are in a good mood but to constantly experience the days together. They learn about each other’s habits and ideas of how a house should be run. Living together gives you the opportunity to see whether your partners living habits agree or clash with your own.
- You get an idea of how responsibilities will be shared
Through moving in together you learn how home life will be divided. Let’s face it you don’t want to get married and realize you have to do absolutely everything. Do you?
- Reduces your expenses
By living separately, you and your partner are each paying separate bills, whether It be rent, electricity, heating or water. By moving in together a couple can combine those bills from two payments to one. This will allow the couple to save money and will improve the overall quality of their lives. There is no doubt that the financial advantages of living together prior to marriage are hard to deny.
- You learn to work as a team
By moving in together you learn to work as a team and experience the days together and share responsibilities. There is also a commitment when moving in together which makes breaking up rather difficult as the couple are aware the process is one that takes time, patience and understanding.
- It’s a form of commitment
Just as the moment you decide to start dating exclusively is a commitment so is the mutual decision to move in together. With marriage in sight as the ultimate lifelong commitment engagement does not speak the same volumes as cohabitation.
Kenna's Corner 