[Smucks212]

I was just wondering on people's opinions of a couple moving in together before they are married.

A little backgroud on me is that I have been with my boyfriend for 3 1/2 years, we are very committed to each other, talk about future plans together and such. We are both 22 years old. We both do not have many options to live next year besides each other, however don't want to move in completely alone just yet, so when my friend asked if we would want to move in with her and her boyfriend I started thinking it may not be such a bad idea. I live with my friend and her boyfriend right now (we actually share one bedroom due to some rearranging we had to do because of another roomie this year) and I get along with them really well.

There are a few reasons I am considering the move: It will be a lot cheaper, I will finally live with people I enjoy being around (after dealing with 4 years of really bad roommates), I already sleepover my boyfriend's apartment every night anyways so it would be more convenient than having half my sutff stored at his place and vice versa, I have to move home if I don't live with them and after figuring out a lot of stuff and still doing so, our relationship has just seemed to move a lot more forward than back. And we are only planning for this for a year, to see how it goes and because i want to move out of the area when i graduate next year.

Any opinions, experiences, thoughts would be great!

I think living together before marriage is the best thing a couple can do to make sure a relationship is going to last long enough to even warrant marriage.

People like to use euphemisms like "test driving cars" and "not buying cows when you get the milk for free" to make arguments for and against the issue. But we're not cars and we're not cows, we're human beings that go through all kinds of changes and growths and all kinds of adjustments in life as we try to figure out our paths. You just have to do what you feel is right.

Getting married too soon would be a mistake. Getting married so you can live together, have sex, or bring a baby into the world guilt-free would also be a mistake. Actually, sometimes getting married *period* is a mistake, guess it just depends ...

Anyway, if you don't have any conservative religious ideals hindering you, then by all means, move in together. If it's what you really want to do, but friends or family are trying to talk you out of it. Remember that if it ends up a disaster, you are free to just walk away from the situation. Much better than having to go through the long, painful, and aggravating process of getting a divorce if things go bad.

Plus, it is more cost-effective. Word to the wise, though: Continue to keep your money separate. Otherwise, one might end up taking more than their share while the other feels taken for granted and you don't want that.