When two people decide to get married, they know things will change. What they may not realize is just how much things will change or what specifically those changes might mean.
Here are some big things that people don’t tell you about getting married—and just what kind of impact it will have on your relationship. If you’re considering marriage, be prepared to live these changes.
1) Money will loom over everything you do.
When you’re dating, it’s possible to keep your finances separate. When you get married, however, your money gets pooled together, and your spending habits are on full display to your partner.
Since money is one of the leading reasons why couples get divorced, it’s a stress that many relationships can’t handle. Before you and your partner tie the knot, make sure you have a clear understanding of each other’s finances.
2) Some men have mommy issues that will put a strain on their wives.
For some men, getting married means replacing their mothers with their wives. In other words, he wants you to completely take care of him and the household. For a woman who wants to be a homemaker, this might not be as big of a problem.
But if you’re one of the millions of women who work outside of the home, it’s not fun to have a second full-time job when you get home from work. Make sure each of you has a clear understanding of who will handle what responsibilities in the home.
3) Even though there will be changes, the big things will stay the same.
If you’re marrying someone with the expectation that they will make major changes, you’re going to be in for a disappointment. Change is possible, but simply putting a ring on someone’s finger won’t fundamentally change who they are.
Before getting married, make sure that you’re fine with your partner as they currently are. This way, if they don’t change, you can be certain you’ll be happy. If you’re marrying someone as a project, be prepared for problems.
4) You’re going to become quite familiar with your partner’s bathroom habits.
When a couple is married and living together, the shame pretty much just melts away. That means you’ll go to the bathroom in front of your partner, you’ll fart in front of your partner, and more.
It’s actually pretty amazing how quickly this happens after you get married. There will be few secrets between the two of you anymore. If that doesn’t sound like something you can handle, then you should probably rethink marriage.
5) Your partner will find new ways to annoy you.
You may think you know your partner’s annoying quirks, but after you get married you’ll discover plenty of new things to annoy you. That’s just a natural offshoot of living together and spending almost all of your free time with each other.
No matter how much you love your partner (and vice versa), there will be times when you just annoy the heck out of each other. If you two have a really strong relationship, you’ll get through these annoying moments.
