|
neebelung -> RE: any advice? (8/2/2006 11:02:14 AM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: The Ant
Different things work for different people - some like to divide the bills and keep track to the penny, others pay their share according to income, some don't keep track at all. Sometimes it leads to marriage, sometimes doesn't - have friends who've been living together for over 20 years now....afraid an official marriage would mess it up!
Best advice I can give tho is to respect each other - ideas, thoughts, bodies, opinions. Be good to and for each other.
$$ wise, there's nothing wrong with buying stuff at Goodwill, garage sales, Value Village, Dollar Stores etc...there's lots of bargains out there. If you're on a budget, just don't even go into a high end store!
Good luck, have fun.
-Susan
"04CBR600F4i
+1
Other than respect for each other, the most important thing is communication. And many of the things you're asking about should be discussed beforehand (ie before you move in together). Sit down and write out a budget (they have ledger books specifically for creating a household budget, at Wal-mart, Office Depot, etc....). Determine who's going to pay for what, and how. Are you going to maintain separate accounts (recommended), have one joint account, or both (maintain your own accounts, and have a shared "house" account for bills, groceries, etc....) If you both work, will you divvy up bills half and half, or will it (as Ant suggested) be based on income?
Wal-mart, Target and other discount stores are great. The key is being an educated consumer, and keeping track of pricing on "staple" items you buy all of the time. Many times, the price on some items at "discount" stores is not, in fact, any lower than other places. Make yourself a grocery list in Excel (or other spreadsheet) with the staple items you buy each week (milk, bread, etc....) and the estimated (rounded off) price. When you grocery shop each week, make and use (and STICK TO) your list. Add the other items you need to the spreadsheet before shopping, and guesstimate costs (this is easy once you've been doing it for a few weeks). This way you know approximately how much money you're spending at the store before you leave, and you can adjust the list accordingly if you've gone over budget. Don't shop when you're hungry... the best way to mess up a budget is to shop when you're hungry - you'll end up buying all kinds of expensive impulse items as a result.
As for being the "housewife" type, there's nothing wrong with that, or with wanting it. Each relationship is different as far as what works (if both partners share equally in cooking, cleaning, etc... or if there are more "traditional" gender roles). If that's what works for both of you, more power to you! But do make sure that you're not taking on too much responsibility (especially if you work as well), and that you have time to spend quality time with your boyfriend, and you're not running yourself ragged around the home all the time.
For meal planning, check out the library (and the internet) for cheap and easy recipes.... While we'd all love to be Martha Stewart in the kitchen, reality prevents it most of the time. Save the elaborate recipes for weekends and special occasions, and focus on finding easy things that won't take you all night to make. Again, you want to have time for your boyfriend.
As for me, Chris and I have been together for two years, and living together for just over one year, and it's wonderful. We kinda naturally fell into the "traditional" gender roles when it comes to some stuff around the house... He's not a great cook, so I cook 99.9% of the time, but he does help with cleaning up, I do the laundry, but he puts it away, etc... really, most everything in terms of chores and money is split down the middle, and it works well for us. But we both work 40-50 hours a week, so by splitting everything, it allows us more free time together.
And my Grandmother (yes, my
|
|
|
|
