It's 73 days and forty five minutes until the wedding! Things are actually starting to fall into place and I feel like everything will get done in time, as long as I can finish all my homework on time. Life is so full of plans right now that it feels like there is no time to stop. We keep looking towards the honeymoon with stars in our eyes, thinking how nice a vacation will be. Williamsburg should be beautiful in January, with all the Christmas lights still up. Now we just have to make it that far.
But in 74 days, life will really just be beginning. At least, the next stage of life. It is easy to forget that in the hustle and bustle of now. There are so many things that will happen after the wedding that we really need to talk about now. I know of couples who got themselves in a lot of trouble because of the choices they made before they got married. Some friends of Jeff's didn't talk about birth control. She's due the week before our wedding. One guy I know decided to spend a semester at a big name college and went into marriage with almost $50,000 in debt from that one semester. They are living in a little apartment and both working full time and going to school. Another couple decided they would buy a duplex and rent out the other side to pay their mortgage. They lucked out when he got a really good job right after the wedding, because that other half is still sitting empty.
These are just some of the things that need to get talked about before the wedding. Most girls are on birth control before they get married, but if you are going to have sex before the wedding you need to talk about your plans for kids in the future because what you are on now can affect you in the future. Even more important than deciding on birth control is talking about kids. A couple months after my parents got married my mom brought up kids. My dad, who was in his mid-40's at the time, had no intention of having kids. Mom, who was only in her early 20's, definitely wanted some. He came around when I was born and they had six more! But this is not a topic to leave for after the honeymoon! I've put a link below to WebMD that talks about different forms of birth control and things to know about them. Talk about it!
Another vital topic before the wedding is where you are going to live. Jeff's parents kept telling us that we could stay in their basement if we wanted. Not a chance! Some couples may choose to live with parents until they have more money set aside, others will get an apartment until they can save money for a house. Start looking at your finances and figure out what you can afford to spend on housing. Check out different mortgage offers and see who has a better plan. Century 21 has a whole section of their website devoted to mortgages and information about them. If you can afford it, buying is a good investment. You will get something from your money rather than pouring it into your landlord's pocket. Also, talk about what you are planning on doing when you have kids. If you want to stay home after the babies are born, don't get into a housing situation that requires your income. Talk about it!
Be sure to look at any debt that you have and discuss how you are going to handle it. Jeff bought a new car this year that we will be paying for until 2013. When I graduate college, I have loans I have to pay back. If you have college loans there are options for repayment. Sallie Mae offers several different options and you can use their online calculator to figure out your specific payments. Talk about it!
Don't wait until after the wedding to talk about these important topics. This is a time in your life that will effect every part of your future and good choices now will lead to a good outcome later. Sit down with your honey and talk things out. Talk about options and have fun planning for the future. Have fun as you plan and get ready for the next stage in life.
Birth Control Link
WebMD-http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/default.htm
Resources
Centruy 21, . (2009). Mortage Financing-Information on Getting a Mortgage. Retrieved from
http://www.century21.com/buyingadvice/buying101/gettingamortgage/index.jsp
National Association of Realtors, . (2009). Home Finance-Mortgage Center. Retrieved from http://www.realtor.com/home-finance/default.aspx
Sallie Mae Inc., . (2009). Repaying Your Student Loans. Retrieved from http://www.salliemae.com/after_graduation/manage_your_loans/repaying-student-loans/repayment.htm
WebMD LLC, . (2009). Birth Control Center. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth- control/default.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment