You’re in love and you want to start your future with him or her. How do you ask them if they want to join in on bills, groceries, and toothpaste? Below are 7 distinct ways to prepare yourselves for a future of homey Instagram dinners and aesthetically pleasing living rooms.
1.You can’t move in together if you don’t talk about it first
I know it might be scary if they say no, but you don’t want to overwhelm them by deciding for them. One easy way to ask your partner is by coming out and saying it during intimate times. Whether it’s during dinner, or while your scrubbing their back in the shower saying “hey, what if we got a place together?” would suffice. Now, another aspect to take into consideration is the length of your relationship. Sorry, but not sorry, don’t propose the idea if you’re fresh out of the first date. This is something that will affect the both of you emotionally and financially, so don’t ruin it with your excitement for the future. If it’s meant to be, it will happen. Trust the process no matter how grueling it might seem.
2.THEY SAID YES! Now what…
If you are moving in with them, get an understanding of how the bills are split up if they have roommates. If they live alone, be ready to be fair and to expect to split the bills down the middle. If you go in with this mindset, they’ll see that you’re showing your maturity. Remember, you aren’t living with your parents anymore; you two are now responsible for the bills.
If you two are looking for a new place, start looking on sites like:
- Zillow.com
- Trulia.com
- Facebook (yes…they really have affordable places)
- Apartments.com
While looking, take a peek at what is and isn’t included in the price. Sometimes listings only show the price for renting the place—check to see if there are any utilities included. The more that’s included, the better!
3.Telling the ‘rents
Parents are always worried about their babies. Make sure you tell the truth—the more truthful you are, the better they will react, and maybe they’ll even help you two out. Call them, or meet them in the kitchen after you make them a delicious breakfast, look them in the eyes, and tell them. This is the next step in YOUR life! Make sure you speak with the confidence you had when you decided to buy your first car, or even when you decided to say yes to your partner asking you out! Whatever you do, make sure your show that confidence and maturity.
Get ready to hear their concerns
If anyone knows how stressful moving in with a partner can be, it’s your parents. They’ve done this before—maybe more times than they have told you—but keep an open mind. No matter how “annoying” they may seem, they’re trying to prepare you for all of the things you might not know already. By the end of their spiel, whether they say yes or HELL NO, say thank you or I love you. That’s it! Don’t fight with them. It’s okay to argue your case but don’t insult them. Show them that you’re an adult, not the same whiny 16-year-old who thought they knew everything (even if you think you do). They want to believe that you can adult, so act like it!
4.Time to Save
After you found a place online, and told your parents…its time to start saving. You should have a nice looking bank account before you start looking for that deposit, but you should start saving for the bills! While you save, be cautious that you aren’t spending money on things that can wait.
If you see that Rihanna released a new edition to her Fenty line, honey wait. It might be sold out next week, but knowing Rihanna and her team, it’ll be back on the shelves next month. Your priorities should be changing. Ask yourself, “do I need this? Or do I want this.” If you need it, buy it. If you want it, walk away or get off Amazon and wipe that tear off of your cheek. Your future-self will thank your past-self, and your present will be a bit easier.
5.Make a List of What You Need
Lists are a beautiful thing. Make a list of the things you need before you move-in. Put all of the most important things you need to buy at the top of the list. Getting the hard things out of the way first will benefit you two before the big move-in date.
But, if you can bring the bed from home…BRING IT! Don’t spend money on the things you have already just because you want something new. You are already in a new experience take it one step at a time.
Make sure you hold off on buying decorations until you have all of your necessities such as WiFi or a toaster. Kitchen appliances are expensive and your parents might not want to give up theirs.
Buy cheap! Sites and thrift stores will be your best friend!
- Offer Up!–This site is also an app, that has basically any and everything you can imagine. The coolest part is that they show where the offers are coming from and you can adjust the radius that you are willing to drive to pick it up. You never know you someone 5 minutes from you could be selling that toaster!
- Facebook Marketplace– Seriously… Facebook will surprise you with their updates. The marketplace is very similar to Offer-Up. It show you where the item is and what the offer is. Items range from cars to microwaves.
- Salvation Army– Get ready to thrift at the local Salvo! These are great places to look for décor and furniture. Prices can vary but they will always be much cheaper than Ikea.
- Big Lots—You can find cheeeeap and quality appliances here! Usually, you spend up to $150 on their most expensive appliances.
6.DECORATIONS!
For those who love decorating just as much as I do, you might know that the places listed above will help you out! For those who hate decorating. sticking to simple decorations is easier than you might think.
Remember that this will be your new home. Do all of your shopping together—you don’t want to order something the other hates.
If you live in a studio, making use of the space is important. You don’t want to clutter the space with everything you want, stick to the things you need. If you have a lot of windows, place mirrors perpendicular to them. This will open the space by reflecting the light throughout the room. Try to use barriers like open book shelves at the end of your bed. It separates your bedroom from your living room…since it might be 2ft away.
For large apartments, go nuts! Fill the walls with pictures and posters! If your kitchen is large, add those cute forks and spoon wall decals! Some other must-haves are body length mirrors in both your bedroom and bathroom!
For some inspiration, I usually sit in the home isle of TJMaxx. They have so many different candles, statuettes, picture frames, and rugs! If you don’t know what you need, seriously go to TJMaxx!
7.Move-in Day!
Its finally the day that you two will be living together! It’s exciting but it will be stressful, especially when your moving in large furniture.
Having a large move-in team will make the day more exciting and easier. Never think that you two have to do it all alone. Ask a friend!
Check to see if your local Uhaul can help you out if your friends can’t.
Your landlord can also provide moving assistance, you just have to ask.
After all of the boxes are in, take a moment and breathe. This is a time where you are probably really sweaty and exhausted, all while being excited! Embrace this moment because this is a big step in your life!