IT’S WISE TO MOVE IN WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND

The concept of living together or cohabitation tends to send conservatives and marriage evangelists into a self-righteous froth. However, leaving moral issues aside, there are some practical benefits of cohabiting with your lover boy. Here’s what you stand to gain if you shack up with him.

An abundance of happiness

According to recent research by Kelly Musick of Cornell’s College of Human Ecology and sociologist Larry Bumpass of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, published in Journal of Marriage and Family, couples who live together “experienced greater gains in happiness and self-esteem.”

More personal growth

Anyone who has been married knows that the “holy” institution takes a huge toll on your personal freedoms. Your life is not your own anymore and there are tonnes of familial and social obligations that come with it. However, study coauthor Musick says that, “For some, cohabitation may come with fewer unwanted obligations than marriage and allow for more flexibility, autonomy and personal growth.”

No nasty surprises

If you are looking at living together as a stepping stone to marriage, there is no better way to get to know your partner intimately, warts and all. From spending habits, to personal hygiene issues, to sexual appetites, you would have experienced it all, so there would be fewer nasty surprises if and when you do actually step into matrimony.

It’s practical

As a lot of younger people are finding out today, living today is simply a practical alternative to spending double on separate establishments. For young women who stay in expensive urban centres like Mumbai, shacking together means shared living costs, benefiting from the added security of a live-in partner and of course, all that extra time and opportunity to get busy in the bedroom!

Learning to face reality

While it is not quite marriage, living together does give you a sneak preview of what it would be like if you do decide to get hitched. For instance, a long-term relationship is not all fun and games. Living together means that you have to share household chores; deal with each other’s black moods; get used to the mundaneness of everyday living; take care of each other; and learn what commitment is all about.

Source: Femina.in