Rita Egba
Money really matters when you are in a relationship. We all know that even though we’re independent individuals, it’s nice to be treated to a nice night out by someone else from time to time.
Love might, indeed, conquer all, but we still need a roof over our head as well as other basic necessities of life.
Contrary to the African traditional belief that a man is the soul provider in a relationship, we should understand that a relationship is a partnership. Naturally having an open dialogue about money is crucial in your relationship so financial issues will not blow up your relationship.
There are so many reasons why money is important in a relationship but I’ll just highlight in this post two of the most important reasons:
YOU MAY HAVE TO UNEXPECTEDLY SUPPORT SOMEONE
There might be times when you need to unexpectedly support the other person in your relationship. Certain things happen. For instance, people lose jobs, big bills need to be quickly paid. And in these moments, you’ll learn that your relationship is a financial partnership as much as a romantic and emotional one.
You need to understand that if you are in a serious relationship, you’re in it together. Your partner’s hard time is also your hard time and vice versa.
YOU NEED TO HAVE SIMILAR FINANCIAL PRIORITIES
Lovers need to make sure each partner is capable of being reasonable, respectful and also communicate when it comes to everyday spending. A couple should also share same goals when it comes to spending and saving in general.
For example, when one person is saving for an important need, and the other person is pestering for a night out or something less important, there is a pretty fundamental mismatch in priorities.
Money matters in a relationship because of the expectations that come with it, and because of the way it dictates not only what you can do with your life, but what your limitations are as a couple.
So take out time to have an open dialogue with your partner on financial issues, to have a better and healthy relationship.
