Ah money, the number one cause of fights in relationships. Did you know that around one third of millennial couples break up because of financial differences?
Money is not exactly the most exciting or s**y thing to talk about with your significant other, but it is a topic that must be addressed for the sake of your relationship.
Here are 10 money questions to ask your girlfriend to see if she’s on the same page as you are financially.
1. What would you say is the best thing about money: it provides security, it allows you to create good memories, or it allows you to buy nice things?
This question will reveal a lot about the kind of person she is and what she values in life, particularly if she is frugal with money, values experiences, or values objects.
Like most guys, the last thing you want is to be shacked up with a girl who drains you of your hard-earned money. Instead, you want a girl who you can have wonderful, positively memorable experiences with.
2. What are your financial goals?
This is an excellent money question to ask your girlfriend for when you’re thinking about taking the relationship to the next level. It will help you see if she has the financial mindset for a more serious relationship, possibly one involving children and a house.
But even if the two of you are not ready to talk about money, discussing your financial goals is a good way to gauge whether the relationship is heading in the right direction and expose current or future financial stress factors that need to be addressed.
Don’t just be dreamers; you must also be doers.
3. How good are you with budgeting money?
Not only is good money management a great skill for anyone to have, but relationships are often difficult if both couples are bad with money.
At least one of you should be good with money. If that’s not the case, now is the time for the two of you to take some classes, preferably together.
4. What drives your financial decisions?
It helps to have clear money guidelines to help you make smart financial decisions.
Assuming she has some, this question should help you better understand why she makes the decisions she does.
5. What would you do with your life if you were suddenly awarded a billion dollars?
Although this is one of the least serious money questions to ask your girlfriend, it can reveal a lot about her priorities.
She could literally buy anything she wants with a billion dollars. However, pay close attention to the first things she chooses to spend her money on.
6. What do you think is worth spending extra on to get the best, and what do you think is a waste of money?
The first part of this question will give you a good idea of the type of things she’s likely to spend money on in the future (hope that they are useful things), while the second part should give you a heads-up on the things you probably shouldn’t buy, lest you want to upset her.
7. In a relationship, when should a man pay for something, when should a woman pay something, and when should they split the cost?
There used to be a time when the man in the relationship was required to handle all financial matters. While that might still be the case in some social circles, women have proudly assumed more financial responsibility.
This question will help the two of you lay down some expectations with regards to money, which should help avoid problems in the future..
8. Would you rather invest in a house, or invest in experiences, like traveling?
A really good question to help determine her priorities in comparison to yours. You would be surprised at how many young people would rather spend their money on experiences rather than on a house.
9. Do your parents pay for any of your current bills? If they do, will they be continuing to help you in the future?
This should help you determine how well she’s able to carry her own weight. If she’s in financial straits but healthy enough to work, you would want any serious financial assistance from her parents to be temporary.
10. How much debt and savings do you have? At what age would you like to retire? What are our retirement goals?
This series of money questions to ask your girlfriend will serve you well if the two of you are planning to get married.
Marriage and even cohabitation are legal bindings in most parts of the world, especially when children are involved. You must define your finances in relation to her finances, and make sure your goals and values with regards to money are aligned.
11. How many kids do you want to have?
Yet another money question to ask your girlfriend when the relationship is serious and you’re considering starting a family.
Did you know that the cost of raising a child is around $233,610 for a middle-income family? And that doesn’t even include the cost of college.
Raising children is difficult emotionally, physically, and financially, and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
