Whether you’ve entered a new relationship or you’ve been with your significant other for some time now, you might be wondering what you can do to keep the love alive. Well, it turns out, it’s more about what you shouldn’t do.
A recent study found that 40% of couples have broken up because of this one thing. Can you guess what it is? Let’s take a look.
Study Identifies a Common Break Up Cause
The recent OnePoll study, which consisted of 2,000 American participants, found that 40% of people have ended a relationship over a poor financial choice. This may not be surprising for some of us, since it’s often said that money is one of the biggest causes of divorce.
This isn’t the first study of its kind, either. A 2019 survey found that people were 10 times more likely to break up with their partner if they thought their partner was bad with their finances.
How to Prevent This From Leading to a Break Up
For some of us, making good financial decisions isn’t always easy. But there are a number of things we can do to try to make smarter choices that won’t make our partners want to end the relationship. Here are some tips:
- Don’t quit your job without talking about it first. If you live with your partner, it’s important to make sure that you have the means to pay your share of the bills. Quitting your job without having a new job already lined up can be both stressful and scary for your loved one.
- Talk about any major purchases you make before you make them. If you live with your significant other, it’s ideal to discuss big purchases, such as a new vehicle or vacation home, before you buy it. Large purchases can affect your financial future as a couple, so it’s important to have these conversations before you sign any legally binding contracts.
- Try to be less impulsive. If you tend to make big purchases on a whim, this can be problematic for your relationship. This takes us back to our first point: be sure to discuss the new motorcycle or $3,000 designer handbag you want to buy with your significant other before buying it. Even if you can afford these purchases on your own and it won’t interfere with your relationship, it’s about creating trust. Sharing with your partner beforehand can make them feel important.
- Have open communication with your partner about finances. Being with someone who has a lot of debt can be challenging, but it can be even harder to be in a relationship with someone who’s hiding their debt from you. Once you make a big commitment, such as living together or getting engaged, it’s important to make sure your partner is aware of how much debt you have. Your significant other might want to end things, but honesty is always the best policy.
- Come up with a plan to pay down your debt. If you do have any debt, it’s important to have a plan to pay it off. If you’re not good with finances, your significant other might be able to help you crunch numbers and come up with a plan that works.
- Create and stick to a budget. It can be easy to want to spend all of your money on “fun” purchases, but it’s important to make sure that your responsibilities are taken care of. Make sure your living expenses and other bills are all paid off before you plan a vacation or buy expensive concert tickets.
The Bottom Line
Making better financial decisions not only benefits your relationship, but it helps you as a person. It’s not always easy to do the responsible thing, but doing so can help create a more stable relationship with your partner filled with honesty and trust.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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From The Good Men Project on Medium
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Photo credit: Justin Groep on Unsplash