Have you met Mr Right? Check. Is he single, sane and solvent? Check. Is he clean, tidy and helpful around the house? Check..
Relationships can occasionally feel like a minefield of checklists. Everyone, from your mother down to self-help books likes to tell you that your perfect partner must fulfill certain requirements.
But when you’re going down the list, how do you know whether you’re both ready to take that next big step? You're ready when you...
Become official? Are you naturally spending most of your free time together? Do you keep a toothbrush and spare pair of undies at his place? If your mother getting the answering machine every time she calls you at home? Then you’re ready to become official. If you are doing all the things that couples in relationships do – dinner out, movies, dancing, long talks on the phone and in person together, then the next step is to announce your status to the world. Come on – don’t you want to shout out your love from the rooftop?
Live together? What are your reasons for wanting to do so? Is it to spend more time with each other, because you’re madly in love and can’t bear to spend time apart, to save money together for a house or holiday, or because you see it as the next step before marriage? These are all important reasons and just as valid as each other. If you’ve been going out for a while, and he still thinks you can’t live together – then that’s when you need to ask the hard questions, for example, how much of a future he sees with you, or how he views relationships.
Have a joint bank account? This one is serious – most relationship break-ups are triggered by bad finances. We live in a society where money is king – you can’t pay your rent, bills or buy those cute shoes you love without it. If you’re planning on joining your finances, then that implies serious trust in the other person. You need to take care of all legal aspects (ie seek legal advice before you do anything), and keep a record of how much of your money is going in there, how much is coming out and for what. You also need to talk about your relationship with money – for example, do you think of money as a necessary evil, but he wants to be rich before 30? And set some financial goals together. We also don’t recommend you just have a joint account. It’s always good to keep a personal savings account “just in case”.
Get married? First of all, not everyone wants to or will get married. Some couples are perfectly happy to potter around living together in perfect bliss – because they are both in agreement about marriage not being important. But if your partner wants to get married and you don’t, it’s again time to ask the hard questions. Why don’t you want to get married? Is it because you can’t envision spending the future with your beloved? Is it because you’re afraid that marriage will change your great relationship? The important thing is for you both to agree and acknowledge that marriage is important to you – for whatever reason. So if you both get along, and can’t dream of life without the other, then you’re ready to take marriage for what it is – a fantastic way to seal the deal, and have a party along the way
Have you met Mr Right? Check. 
Become official?
What are your reasons for wanting to do so? Is it to spend more time with each other, because you’re madly in love and can’t bear to spend time apart, to save money together for a house or holiday, or because you see it as the next step before marriage? These are all important reasons and just as valid as each other. If you’ve been going out for a while, and he still thinks you can’t live together – then that’s when you need to ask the hard questions, for example, how much of a future he sees with you, or how he views relationships.
society where money is king – you can’t pay your rent, bills or buy those cute shoes you love without it. If you’re planning on joining your finances, then that implies serious trust in the other person. You need to take care of all legal aspects (ie seek legal advice before you do anything), and keep a record of how much of your money is going in there, how much is coming out and for what. You also need to talk about your relationship with money – for example, do you think of money as a necessary evil, but he wants to be rich before 30? And set some financial goals together. We also don’t recommend you just have a joint account. It’s always good to keep a personal savings account “just in case”.
potter around living together in perfect bliss – because they are both in agreement about marriage not being important. But if your partner wants to get married and you don’t, it’s again time to ask the hard questions. Why don’t you want to get married? Is it because you can’t envision spending the future with your beloved? Is it because you’re afraid that marriage will change your great relationship? The important thing is for you both to agree and acknowledge that marriage is important to you – for whatever reason. So if you both get along, and can’t dream of life without the other, then you’re ready to take marriage for what it is – a fantastic way to seal the deal, and have a party along the way(419).jpg){kind=small}