When
I was in my early 30’s, I dated a dance student in his early
20’s who lived in a dorm. He had great legs, a dazzling
smile, a charming personality and very little money. At that
time, I was a moderately successful advertising executive
living in a nice apartment, going on great vacations twice a
year and eating out at least three times a week.
Now he was not looking for someone to take care of him, nor
was I looking to be someone’s sugar daddy. For about four
months, we dated and had a great time. But the difference in
our incomes and our lifestyles was a definite obstacle to
overcome.
Money — either having more or less of it than your
partner can cause problems in a relationship. If you are in a
relationship with someone in a different economic bracket than
you are, keep the following tips in mind:
- The balance sheet
It’s Saturday night; you want to go to that expensive,
trendy new restaurant that just opened. Your partner
barely can afford fast food. It’s important to balance
your activities and find a happy medium. When I dated the
dancer, we would go to free dance recitals at least once a
weekend. It was something we enjoyed, was part of his
education and was in his budget. Forcing someone to spend
more money than they have is a recipe for disaster. Save
those nice dinners for special occasions when you are
willing to foot the bill. Your
match is on Match.com