marriage Archives | Page 12 of 12

Couples, Who Should Pay The Bill On A Date?

The unspoken sentiment of “Who should pay the bill?” has been a hot debate over the years. Its answer however, changes over time.

The arrival of professional women in the workforce was delayed in most countries due to being denied to universities. For instance, Cambridge University only fully embraced women students during the late 1947. Across time there was an increase of women laborers in factories (e.g., textile or machinery). The 20th century solidified women and their rights in the workforce.

The younger generations were raised to empower equality in the household. Moreover, the quality of life is getting harder as economies fail. And so, there is a great need for both men and women to work regardless of social norms.

Nowadays, it is not uncommon for women to be earning more than the men they are dating or are married with. In fact, a study by Prudential Company in 2012 showed that approximately 53% of the sample was made up of women breadwinners.

Since both sexes are relatively equals, it will be interesting to know the opinion of the population regarding who should pay the bill. A poll by Cosmopolitan investigated that. According to the poll, less than 25% of women believe that their partners should always pay for the bill. And, about 40% of women think that couples shall always split the bill.

Image Credits: TheeErin via Flickr

The results of this poll only highlight the fact that more women feel empowered to share the expenses. Although, 50% of women think splitting the bill can hurt the romance between two people.

Why would going halfsies hurt the romance between two people? Well…gender stereotypes that it may emasculate the male mate and even social norms impose against it. Furthermore, California therapist Susan Axtell says, “we’re more independent than ever but many women today still want to feel taken care of”. These irrational thoughts may hinder further verbalization of the desire to share the expense.

On the other hand, four out of five men believe that they should always pay for the bills on their dates or at least until the relationship is established.

The key to addressing this issue is to value each other’s money and to treat each other once in a while.

8 Inexpensive Home Decor Tips for Newlyweds

After the wedding, the next thing that newlyweds must invest on is the house. You may have to work harder to keep the interior look fresh. And, as you make significant changes in your house, it will have a tow on your paychecks.

But, that shall not always be the case. Here are 8 Cheap Home Decorating Ideas for you love birds…

1. FLARE WITH FRAMES

Add the “wow factor” to your side table by adding an attention-getting frame. Here are a mix of photo frames from Ebay.

Image Credits: DarrelBirkett via Flickr

2. POSH WITH PILLOWS

Whenever guests arrive, the first thing that they will see and stay longer on is the sofa. Dress up your dull sofa by adding bold printed cushions such as animal, island-floral themed or a suede pillowcase. IKEA offers a wide range of pillow cushions designs that range from $1.90 to $19.90! It is not only elegant but it is also affordable!

Image Credits: Stacie via Flickr

3. LIGHTS ARE EVERYTHING

Purchase more in lower-wattage bulbs to change a room’s mood from restful to romantic. And, if you want to take the romantic a level up…use table lamps or floor lamps to put a lights wherever you want to cuddle.

4. PUT A PAINTING ON

You may buy pop-art (Product name: KNISTA) , minimalist, and vintage looking (Product name: OLUNDA) illustrations for only $19.90 at IKEA. This will add beauty to your simple rooms.

5. REVAMP THE WALLS

One of the fastest ways to make your house extra expensive is by giving the walls a new look. Paint the walls of your living room with a higher contrast color to make it pop. Paint your kitchen orange to make the food inducing and the bedrooms purple to make it more relaxing.

Image Credits: Maegan Tintari via Flickr

6. GO GAGA FOR COLOFUL-POTTED GREENS

Having a few small plants in the kitchen will make it feel livelier. Adding a pop of color to its pots or vase will surely make your guests green with envy.

7. RUG IT UP

To quickly fix a room’s problem area, you may throw a rug on the floor. Rugs add an interest and an interesting focal point to the room. Shop around for bargain rug that fits your room.

8. WORK WITH WHAT IS AVAILABLE

One of the most efficient yet no-cost ways to redecorate is to rearrange and repurpose the things you already have. Search your house and think of the items you can change the setting in another room.

Make your kitchen chairs look new again with a little splash of spray paint and new fabric covers.

Image Credits: mattwalker69 via Flickr

These simple decor ways will not only change your house but also your lives as Husband and Wife!

5 Tips For Couples with Joint Bank Accounts: Sharing is Saving

Being in a relationship founded by mutual trust may find it natural to create a joint bank account together.

Since you can trust your partner with everything else, why not trust him/her with your own finances?

But, managing this may be difficult especially when there are two people with different buying habits and priorities.

So, here are 5 Tips to Help Couples with Joint Bank Accounts…

1. HAVE SHARED GOALS

Maintain a joint bank account for big financial goals such as vacations, household bills, or insurance. Whatever the purpose and goals may be, be sure to make it unanimous as both of you will contribute each month.

Image Credits: Asher Isbrucker via Flickr

2. CREATE RULES BEFORE OPENING AN ACCOUNT

Have a plan of how each of you will contribute (e.g. 50-50 or 60-40). As said a while ago, discuss the goals and priorities you want to pursue in order to know where the money will go.

3. MAINTAIN YOUR OWN BANK ACCOUNT

Aside from the joint account, each person is entitled to have an individual account. This is because you must treat yourself or your partner personally without affecting the “household money”.

You might say that this burns the bridges of sharing, but not really. The key to having individual accounts is that both would have access to each other’s account in case of emergency so there are no secrets.

4. RECORD AND MANAGE YOUR EXPENSES TOGETHER

Communicate openly about your joint bank account and organize your expenses. Make it a habit to log on to your online banking account to reconcile all your purchases together (i.e., every week or every two weeks). Through this, you will understand how you are spending the money. Make cut backs if possible so you can save more.

5. REMAIN EQUALS

Embody your marriage vows or treat it like a merger between to companies. Everyone has an equal say and contribution to the shared account. This is why setting up rules and agreement before the processing is very important. Through this, you can keep an open eye if one overspends on something you did not agree on.

Image Credits: BK via Flickr

Ultimately, you must respect each other’s decision and communicate openly about your finances. Having a joint bank account may not be easy, but it is possible! Sharing is not only showing Care but it also Saves money.

More Women Breadwinners: When She Makes More

Evolution suggests that men are designed to hunt while women gather. Gender stereotypes also encourage females to stay at home and to take care of the off springs. But…times have changed.

More Women Work

Based on a study by Prudential Company in 2012, approximately 53% of the sample were women breadwinners while only 22% were married or living with a partner who made more than them. Furthermore, other research showed that about 70% of mothers with children aged 17 and under are in the workforce. And, those numbers are just in the United States. Global rise in dual-career bearer household have increased annually.

Image Credits: Kelly Garbato via Flickr

This fact that women are working more nowadays is something both men and women are accepting. The younger generations were raised to empower equality in the household. Moreover, the quality of life is getting harder as economies fail. And so, there is a great need for both men and women to work regardless of gender stereotypes.

Impact on Marriage When She Makes More

On of the largest impact of this contemporary shift is that it may affect the dynamics of the marriage. Psychology argues that men’s view of the self is formed by his work and his drive to achieve. If that is the case then if the wife makes more, it will make him feel far more inferior and insecure.

To avoid that, Farnoosh Torabi, the author of “When She Makes More”, suggests that most couples assume that if one makes more then that person has more responsibilities in the house, which she firmly stands against. According to Torabi, a couple must constantly make a conscious effort to ask the partner about financial decisions and share it openly with each other. Furthermore she gave these two tips: give everyone’s money a meaning, and treat each other once in a while.

Ultimate Financial Goal

The most important financial goal for women is to have enough money to raise their family, and to maintain the same lifestyle in their retirement. This is why young women need to take steps toward understanding investing. When women avoid investing young, they are losing out on the one thing that knowledge cannot buy– time.

Who makes more than whom should not be a huge matter as the couple’s combined earnings will only benefit not only the both of them but also their children. Couples shall work together and communicated openly on financial decisions in order to share the emotional responsibilities and keep the balance in order.

Image Credits: The Library of Congress via Flickr

How much does it costs for a wedding? Let’s do the maths

“A wedding is a party, not a performance. If at the end of the day, you are married to the one you love, then everything went perfectly.”

After going through thick and thin together with your significant other, both of you decided that the time is right and it’s time to hear the wedding bell. Whilst this could be exciting for most but could be daunting for some.

With increased cost of living in Singapore, it would be wise to plan your wedding ahead.

Let’s breakdown the costs

Engagement Ring

For the guys, you will need to set aside this budget for an engagement ring. Ask De Beers and you’ll be looking at setting away with 2 months of your salary. Let’s set the figure as $2,000 for now.

Pre-wedding photography

This is optional but for those who are interested, it costs around $2,000 per package.

Bridal Packages

This could range from anywhere from $2,500-$5,000 and it will usually include gown for the bride and suit for the groom, bridal cars and make-up services.

Photographer and Videographer

If you are looking at professional photographers/videographers, $3,000-4000 should be quite reasonable. Look around and see if you have any friends who are professional photographers and that should help you save a few grands.

Wedding Band

Wedding ring can go from $500 to $4,000. Again, let’s set it at $2,000.

Wedding Banquet

If you want a lavish weekend dinner at a five-stars hotel, be prepare to set away around $1,500/table. 30 tables would cost you $45,000. If everyone gives you a red packet at $100 each, you’ll be looking at recouping $30,000. That will then cost you $15,000.

Honeymoon

This is highly variable and it depends on the places you plan to go and how long the trip will be. For a one to two week trip to a neighbouring Asian country, you will be looking at around $5,000. If you are planing to go for a Europe trip, be expected to spend more than $10,000.

The table below sums it up which include other miscellaneous costs.

	BRIDE	GROOM	TOTAL
Engagement ring		$2,000	$2,000
Pre-Wedding Photography	$1,000	$1,000	$2,000
Bridal Package	$2,000	$2,000	$4,000
Photographer/Videographer	$1,500	$1,500	$3,000
Wedding Band	$2,000	$2,000	$4,000
Wedding Banquet	$20,000	$20,000	$40,000
Honeymoon	$5,000	$5,000	$10,000
Lunch Catering	$1,000		$1,000
Emcee & Coordinator	$88	$88	$176
Bridesmaid/Groomsmen Dress	$200	$200	$400
Red packets for Bridesmaid/Groomsmen	$500	$500	$1,000
Bridal Car		$500	$500
Bouquet & Corsages	$75	$75	$150
Gatecrash Red Packets		$500	$500
Total	$33,363	$35,363	$68,726

Don’t forget that you will be recouping some of your costs from the red packets you received from your guests. For a setting with 300 guests, and assume $100/red packet and equal share between the bride and groom, you will be getting back $15,000 each.

The figures above are estimated and feel free to adjust the figures according to your budget!

Engagement Ring

Pre-wedding photography

Bridal Packages

Photographer and Videographer

Wedding Band

Wedding Banquet

Honeymoon

Search the site