How to Save Money in Relationships

As collegiettes, most of us do not have a limitless expendable income. Plus, if we did, it would go to food, drinks, nights out, new clothes, new shoes, new makeup… you catch my drift. Despite our minimal access to money, we tend to go over-the-top when it comes to relationship spending. From special “date nights” to constant upkeep to gift-giving to traveling, it can be tough to save when you have a boyfriend. Psh, and they call US high-maintenance.

But, here at Her Campus, we care about your bank account. That’s why we’re ranked the top three relationship monetary drains and how you can manage them… and no, the answer is not to dump your boyfriend… OR make him pay for everything!    

To put things into perspective, I tallied my most recent gift purchases for my current boyfriend. The results, I have to say, were not pretty given that I do not have a job or to be honest, a lot of savings.   Christmas: Personalized Scrapbook ($50); Lacoste Pullover ($70) Birthday:  Gift Card ($40); Framed Pictures ($20) Anniversary: Game ($30); Sweatshirt ($40) Valentine’s Day: Sweatshirt ($50)   So, in total, in the past TWO months, which I will admit may not be typical since his birthday and our anniversary are just bad timing for my bank account, I have spent $300 on presents alone.

My birthday also happens to fall during this timeframe, but somehow my boyfriend has been able to spend about half of what I did, which shows that in some relationships girls bear the brunt of expenses. So, how do we save?     Although we have a tendency to think that guys aren’t interested in sentimental value, the majority of them are!

“My girlfriend always gives me homemade presents,” says Matt, a student the University of Illinois. “Sometimes they are really cheesy, but they usually mean the most to me.”

You sacrifice time for money in making homemade presents, but it just shows how dedicated you are to the relationship, my dears! However, I will say that minimal spending is involved for materials, but the cost is small! Here are some ideas that we came up with: Since gift giving has a tendency to spiral out of control, some couples choose to put limits on their spending so they can manage the occasions.

“My boyfriend and I usually put a maximum amount on how much we can spend on gifts,” says Melissa, a student at Indiana University. “The only time we didn’t do this was for our one-year anniversary because it was really special, and we wanted to buy each other lasting presents. We bought each other expensive jewelry that we engraved with a personal message.”

Make sure you are on the same page with your boyfriend by explaining how much you can realistically spend. If you agree to a number that’s too high for your budget, you will only end up resenting your boyfriend… but that goes both ways, girls! Don’t be offended if your boyfriend suggests a low price cap – he may not have the money to spend either!

“I suggested to my girlfriend that we put a $10 limit on gift giving at Christmas this year,” says John, a student at the University of Missouri. “At first she was upset, but then she realized that it probably made sense for her financially, too.”

And finally, make sure you both are ready to stick to the agreement. Your gift exchange will be embarrassingly uncomfortable if he gets a new iPod from you, and you get a teddy bear. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! To give you an idea, we have a list of cute gift ideas for under $10: