Recently, Reddit user u/Gala_Black asked: "What advice would you give to young couples who are starting to live together?"
Here are some of the top-voted answers.
1. "Talk about your finances before you move in together and discuss your budget. What does your credit score look like? How will you split expenses? If you have debt, what kind is it, and how much? What are your overall financial goals for the future? I really wish my ex and I had discussed this more at length before moving in together. He hid a lot from me that didn’t come out until much later, when I started getting strapped with the bill."
—u/jets3tter094
2. "Delegate chores and other tasks among yourselves early on."
—u/Fullmet4l16
3. "Remember, you're a team now. You're no longer making decisions solely on your own. You'll decide things together and do things with the intent of benefitting you both. So, establish a system you can both respect and enjoy, and use your best communication skills."
4. "If something your partner does bugs you, then talk about it. Don't let it build."
—u/Alexastria
"Counterpoint: Knowing when to pick your battles becomes increasingly important when living with a partner."
5. "Patience and communication will solve 90% of your problems. The other 10% will be solved by a recurring scheduled date night."
—u/_Variable_
6. "Make sure you have your own lives/friends/hobbies/passions… this time alone is important. You gotta take care of you before you can take care of your S.O. Don’t lose yourself, just be yourself."
7. "You're going to start finding out things that she does that annoy the fuck out of you. Remember, she's finding out things about you, too."
8. "KNOW YOURSELF!! Know who you are, what you want out of life and relationships, know what your weaknesses and limits are. Know your own dealbreakers and stick to them."
—u/MzFrazzle
9. "Before you commit to living together, remember this piece of advice I was given many years ago by a lawyer. Q: You know what the difference is between getting married and living together? A: Divorce has rules."
—u/gjallard
10. "Separate blankets. It's so nice to be able to burrito up without concern of being a blanket hog."
—u/LowenNa
11. "Have a knee-to-knee, heart-to-heart talk at least once a week. Listen to one another without interrupting. Seek to understand MORE than to be understood. Find common ground on which to stand together, to find win-win to conflicts. Otherwise, little conflicts will infect the relationship, destroying intimacy and burning the bridge of love that makes sex worthwhile."
—u/FWB6969xx
12. "Don’t worry about how other couples do things. There’s no rules for any of this. If you want to always do the dishes, that’s fine. If he likes to clean, fine. You don’t have to split everything 50/50 just because you’ve heard that. It’s more important to do what works for you two."
—u/melouofs
13. "When you're cooking food. clean everything you used to cook before you eat. It's a chore to clean pots and pans after you just ate, and leaving them in the sink overnight isn't going to make anyone happy. Cleaning them right after cooking makes your meal taste even better."
—u/WizardMoose
14. "Sometimes, it's okay to go to bed angry. You'll probably wake up with better perspective."
15. "Remember, you don’t have to do everything together!!! If he’s asleep and you want to go to the gym, just go."
—u/chogomochily
16. "Do not let one person control the finances. Always have some money that is your own."
—u/gabbee140
17. "Buy a plunger."
What's your advice for young couples who are about to move in together? Tell me in the comments below.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.