Moving in Together: 4 Tips for Newlyweds

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Many couples make the decision to move in together after they're married. And while moving in together, for any couple, is a serious step, there's something very significant about newlyweds beginning a life together. Yes, it's exciting but can also be a little scary. Here are some tips to help:

1. Talk about money in advance. Discussing and determining who's paying for what before signing a lease or contributing to a down payment will save you several potential headaches in the future.
2. Be ready for adjustments. After you're living together, certain aspects of your relationship will naturally change. Now, whether they are good or bad changes depends on your attitude toward them; with that said, stay positive. 
3. Determine both of your expectations when it comes to cleanliness. Are they different? If so, figure out a compromise the two of you can live with.
4. More than likely, you and your new spouse don't have the same style when it comes to household decor. So, instead of arguing over every single piece of furniture, just determine a completely new style that works for you both.

For four more tips, check out our source, 8 Tips For Newlyweds Moving In Together.


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5 Financial Considerations for Newlyweds

1. From the start, save 15-20 percent of your income. Because you are combining households, you should cut your expenses a lot, which should allow you to save. You should save so you can build your cash reserves in your 401k plans and in a mutual fund.
2. Change all beneficiaries on life insurance plans, retirement, other plans at work and IRAs to your new spouse.
3. Figure out how debts accrued by each individual before the marriage (i.e. student loans) will be handled.
4. Talk about your approaches to handling money: Is one of you a spender and the other a saver? Create a few ground rules on dealing with any differences.
5. Create a list of future purchases and prioritize them. You should decide -- together-- how to spend your money. 

For five more tips, check out Top 10 Financial Considerations for Newlyweds.

8 Date Night Ideas for Newlyweds

Photo from: everydayhealth.com

One way to keep the spice and romance alive after you're married is to continue dating your spouse. Since you may be tired of going out to dinner every week, here are a few other ideas to try:

1. Head to the grocery store, and pick up some ingredients for an amazing meal. Return home, and cook together.
2. Perform a duet at a karaoke bar. Even if you can't sing, it'll be fun. 
3. Visit the zoo or museum. Check out the exhibits and chat about what you see and learn. 
4. Fill a picnic basket with some goodies like wine, bread, cheese and fruit. Head to the park, and share your feast. Bring along your picnic blanket, too.
5. Pretend that you're tourists in your own town. Visit one of the major sites, take pictures, and act like it's the first time you've seen the place.
6. Watch the sun rise or set from a beautiful place. 
7. Volunteer together, whether it's visiting a nursing home, organizing a fundraiser for a nonprofit or working at an animal shelter. Not only will you be spending time with each other, but you'll be making a difference as well.
8. Take a ride on a hot air balloon.

Want more tips? Check out 50 Great Date Night Ideas.

Newlywed Advice: Choosing Where to Go for the Holidays

The holidays are stressful for most everyone, but they can be even more so for newlyweds who now have to decide where and which side of the family to visit and create the standard for future holidays. This issue should be resolved with the three C's: compassion, communication and compromise. Here are some solutions to common situations:

If you live a long distance from both sides of the family. You both may have family all over and find yourselves at a total loss during the holidays. You want to visit everyone, but it may be too expensive to travel; and depending on the distance, it might even be physically impossible to get from one place to another. In this situation, many couples switch up where they go every year. So, for instance, this year, you could visit your family in California for Christmas and your spouse's family in New York next year. Or, if you enjoy having guests from out of town, you can invite both sets of parents and siblings to come to you for the holidays.

One other option: You can choose to have a romantic holiday at home with just you two. This can be a great idea if there's tension between your spouse and the in-laws or if you're saving up for the future.

If you reside in the same city or town as one side of the family, but the other is far away. This could be a situation where one side of the family controls the couple's life. If this is the case, the spouse whose family is always around should do his or her best to accommodate the other spouse's desires during the holidays. So, if your parents are at your house a lot, you should visit your in-laws to celebrate Christmas-- it's only fair.

Another option: Ask family who live far away to stay at your home as guests. And if everyone gets along, have the "in-city family" join you for dinner, and you can celebrate the holidays together.

You live close to both sides of the family. When everyone lives close to each other, deciding where to visit can be very hard. Family on both sides likely feel you should choose their side because it's convenient. If both sides are amicable, having a joint get-together is a good idea. If not, one idea is to spend Christmas morning with one side and Christmas night with the other.

Another option: If you're expecting or have a newborn, think about establishing your own traditions. For example, invite all the grandparents to come over on Christmas morning to see the baby receive his/her gifts.

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