While a lot of people don't believe in moving in together before marriage, there are tons of pros and cons of moving in before marriage, if your religion allows it. I live with my fiance (Hi Lyndsie!) now and I can tell you, there is the good, the bad and the ugly. So, if you are deciding whether living with your boyfriend or girlfriend before marriage is a good idea, take a look at my pros and cons of moving in before marriage!
The very first on my list of 7 pros and cons of moving in before marriage all have to do with getting to know each other before hand. If you think that you know your partner, you'll really get to know them very well before you marry them. That's a huge benefit, in my opinion and again, only if your religion allows it. It's a personal choice and you'll need to decide if it works for you!
With getting to know each other, you've got to keep in the back of your mind that it could not work out. Your boyfriend or girlfriend could be a completely slob and you can't handle it – at all. At least, this way, you'll know before you commit to each other in front of the alter.
Lyndsie and I have a lot of routines with each other and I think that's a great thing. If you live with your partner before you get married (and I'm not saying you can't develop them after either! Just if you decide to live together before marriage, it works the same.), you'll develop a bunch of routines together and times that you expect things to get done. For example, Lyndsie almost always knows about the time I am going to get home from work, so she has dinner waiting.
A con though is the fact that if you live together, you almost feel like you are already married and you could lose that sense of 'being married' when you finally make the commitment. For me, it's not going to be any difference when we do commit, as we'll still have all of the same routines, but if you are just moving in together for the first time, when you get married, it'll feel like you are finally married. It's all a personal choice!
Ah, the habits. This is something that will make or break your relationship girls and boys, so you've got to be prepared. If your girlfriend or boyfriend is constantly leaving dishes everywhere or never taking out the trash, you might have to get used to it – or talk to them about it. Living together can actually help you decide if you can be together forever.
What if you move in together and there are not commitments at all. These are the things that you've got to think of. Your boyfriend or girlfriend could never, ever have any reason to marry you – because they like things the way they are. Keep that in mind and talk about your future with your partner.
Finally, the financial aspect of it all is something you've got to think about. You can actually get a better and bigger apartment or house if you are both putting in for the deposit and the rent. Keep that in mind whenever you are looking at places.
While living together before marriage might not work out for everyone, there are tons of benefits to it. Remember, it's a personal choice and nobody should ever pressure you! So girls, have you ever lived together before marriage? How did it work out?