February is the month of love where we see couples enthusiastic for valentine’s day a day gazetted to celebrate love. This day is frightening for many especially those who think about it more monetary other than a celebration. A lot of things could make or mar your love life and your desire for a relationship that actually works. From having to deal with liars and fake people, to being bothered about the other person’s understanding of gender roles in modern relationships and marriages.
And then for a lot of persons, there is the ever-present worry centered around money and how it’ll be made and spent for the furtherance of their love ministry. Whether or not people date, as well as who they end up with will often hinge on their financial abilities and their station in life at the time.
For many millennials and even worse Gen Z in the country its evident they feel their dating life is impacted by their financial stability, and it is hard to imagine that same rule does not apply around here and in other parts of the world.
Money and those who are just dating.
Dating is hard for many [to varying degrees] simply because there just isn’t enough money to fund the activities that would form a wholesome, adrenaline-filled, enjoyable relationship. It’s just as simple as that.
Yes, love don’t cost a thing. Regardless it still so damn expensive for many millennials in this part of the world where relationships are still largely defined by material gift giving and the amount of money one partner is willing to oil the other’s hands with on a regular basis.
Daniel Mukisa a business man says “Millennials are very ambitious. They are terrified of catching feelings and getting into relationships that they can’t (financially or mentally) manage.”
“Two-thirds of people in their 20s still live at home,” Daniel contiues, “not because they are lazy but because they are saving their money and they really feel that they need to get their career and finances in order before they marry.”
Compared to previous times, dating now feels a lot more expensive. Maybe if high-brow, instagrammable ‘standards’ hadn’t been set by social media, love would have been less expensive to express… maybe the pressure to bust a budget for love would be alleviated and a true connection could flow more frequently than what seems to be the order of the day now.
As it is, dating and being in a relationship seems to cost too much for several millennial who would rather just not put themselves through the struggle of living up to the financial expectations of a relationship.
Money and those in established relationships.
That said, the happiest couples are the ones who talk about money often. And those who talk about it least are the unhappiest. A certain stat reveals that 78% of couples who talk about money every week report being happy, while only 50% of couples who talk about it very infrequently say the same. Now I don’t know which is the chicken and which is the egg. Does talking about money make you happy or does being happy mean you talk about money more? However, what I do know is that if you’re not on the same page about your money, you could be setting yourself up for real conflict down the line.
The importance of getting on the same page with your partner about money is probably to know how to split expenses.
Money the heart breaker.
Another survey in the love jungle shows that, money means “the freedom to make decisions with more clarity and less panic.” Sadly, lack of money is way too often a reason for staying in a bad relationship. This is more common with the women who may even swallow violence in relationships. But when one is able to leave on your own terms, that can be so affirming
All in all money is important in this priceless affair of love.
