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You might think you’re immune to your partner’s bad habits, but they always end up affecting you one way or the other.
One key thing I stopped doing with a particular partner was traveling as frequently. I started acting like I was broke because of my partner’s mentality.
After it ended, I started traveling nonstop.
#2 Their income can affect you.
When your partner is struggling financially, it affects you, too.
It will always be off the balance if you’re doing a 50/50 situation. The things you want to do might not fit their budget, which can get frustrating over time.
Furthermore, if they have little drive to increase their income, they will be dealing with the same financial circumstances long-term.
Always ask yourself if you’re okay with that.
#3 Their credit can affect you.
Putting both names down on a house when one party has severely damaged credit doesn’t make sense.
It will only hurt your chances of getting a decent rate.
The person with the lowest credit is always given the most consideration in home-buying.
So if your credit is an 850 and your partner’s is a 450, then you can only guess how that will go.
Your housing opportunities will likely be limited when your partner’s credit is effed up, and you want to complete a joint housing application.
#4 Their mindset can affect you.
I never felt broke or claimed I was, even when I technically was.
And this has been a key contributor to my financial success because wealth is a mindset.
But dating people with broke mentalities did affect me. My thinking became smaller and more restricted, even though that wasn’t my natural state.
Your partner doesn’t need to be filthy rich, but it helps that you and your partner are aligned on what wealth and abundance mean.
I believe there is more than enough for everyone, and I never complain about increased gas prices, food, utilities, or rent. When you have more than enough, you become immune to economic shifts.
#5 Their complaining will affect you.
Similar to #4, if your partner is always complaining about how expensive things are, this could also affect how you think about expenses.
You, too, might start to believe things are climbing out of control in price, which creates a scarcity mindset and limits your income and earning potential.
#6 Their lack of financial education will affect you.
If your partner is not financially educating themselves and is not good with money, you will have to teach them.
Frequently, one partner is better at money than the other.
If one partner consistently makes poor financial decisions and doesn’t put in any effort to learn on their own, it can create a financial dependence on you, which only adds stress to your life.
#7 The financial dependency wears out its welcome.
At first, it’s nice to be the sole person in charge of the finances, but it can become burdensome after a while.
On top of that, witnessing consistently pointless purchases that only add to the debt load gets old quickly.
#8 There will always be a conflict of interest.
If you want to start sharing money, values will always differ, often leading to two different methods of utilizing money.
Conflict is inevitable when you’re not on the same page about money.
One person wants to save more, and another wants to spend more and potentially not save at all.
#9 You can’t change their financial habits for them.
You can start an investment account and emergency for them, but if they don’t value healthy financial habits, they will only do one thing with that money, spend or misuse it.
And what’s the one rule about investment money that Warren Buffet teaches us all?
Invest and leave it alone; this is the best way to build.
#10 Eventually, money becomes the focal point of the relationship.
Even if everything else is good or okay, the money conflicts will wipe out the relationship.
One of the top reasons for divorce concerns money. It’s a strong indicator of relationship health.
Want to read more on the basics of managing money? Check out this list of curated articles.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.