Happiness/Relationships

5 Things Every Couple Needs When They Move In Together

If you want domestic bliss, you’ll need to go shopping.

Erin King is the author of How To Be Wise AF Guided Journal For Women: A 30-day guided workbook for empowerment, strength, and resilience through good old-fashioned common sense and optimism

When you move in with someone, you assume your happiness factor will go up, and when you’re in love, it does, at least at first.

But you still need to merge your life with someone else’s, and even though you feel like it will always be bliss, there are going to be growing pains.

When my husband and I shacked up, we realized that there were a few things we needed for our sanity. They were so important we saved for them even when we had no money, and they were among the best things we’ve ever purchased

So while money can’t buy happiness, you can invest in a few items to help your happiness last.

Here are some things you can buy to make your life together happier and more comfortable.

A king-sized bed.

Sure when you first get together, you can’t get close enough to each other. You want to fall asleep in each other’s arms like people on TV. But after a while, and particularly after the kids come along, a good night’s sleep will become the most precious thing in your life.

We realized early on that neither of us could get a good night’s sleep in the double bed my husband had when I moved in, or the futon I brought with me. Neither of us likes to be touched when we’re sleeping.

So we took some money we’d been saving and went out and bought a king-sized bed. It was so big that we had to put it in the living room of our first apartment. We lived in that bed until we bought our house.

It was huge and comfortable and made an enormous difference it the quality of sleep we got. We could meet in the middle when we felt like it and then retreat to our respective sides to sleep.

An extra TV.

You might feel like you’ll always want to do everything together, but that feeling will wear off at some point. You will realize that the different shows you want to watch sometimes overlap, and since you probably both have separate interests, you’ll like different shows.

Having two TVs lets you both watch what you want when you want. These days just having a computer and a TV can be enough to satisfy the urge to split up and have some alone time, but it is still nice to have two TVs so you can both have big screens to watch what you want. Watching something on your phone isn’t quite the same.

Not having to constantly negotiate over shows, can avert entertainment-based arguments and resentments especially if you don’t share the same interests.

Good quality headphones.

It might seem strange, but for guys, it’s a good idea.

When I moved in with my husband, he had a big TV with surround sound. That was great when he lived alone and wanted to watch his movies loud on a weekend when he knew the downstairs neighbors were out, but what about when I was in the next room trying to sleep?

Instead of fighting about his love of loud noises, he went out and bought a good pair of headphones.

They were an excellent idea, especially when our daughter came along, and the house needed to be quiet every night. He got all of the explosions his ears could handle, and we got a quiet home.

Comfy seating for everyone.

It’s good to have comfortable seating for everyone. Sometimes in a living room, there is one good spot, and everything else looks nice but isn’t that comfy.

When we moved into our new house, we were using the living room set we’d bought to stage our old home. It looked nice, but only one of the seats was comfortable. It was unfair, whoever got the good seat was set, but everyone else sat awkwardly.

One of the first things we did as a family after we got settled in was to buy a lovely big sectional with enough room for everyone. That big couch with the end sections that turn into recliners was one of the best things we’ve ever bought.

Everyone can see the TV perfectly ensconced in their comfy little slice of heaven.

A good dishwasher.

It might not seem important, but if you don’t have one and you’re going to have kids or if you have a crappy one that doesn’t work well, it’s something to think about.

Dishes are one of those things that happen 24–7 with no end. Unless you want to eat off of paper plates, you will spend the rest of your life doing dishes. When you have a baby or two, the dishes pile up exponentially. Having to do them by hand on top of everything else will add a lot of extra work even if you enjoy doing them.

Housework is one of those things people fight about and dishes can be a real sore spot.

Having a crappy old dishwasher can make the job harder instead of easier. We got one with our house when we moved, it was loud and dirty, and even though we took it apart to clean it often, it made the dishes smell.

There must have been old food in the lines that we couldn’t reach. It was disgusting and made me angry every time I had to deal with it. It also leaked.

Finally, we decided to save up for a new one.

We bought a top-of-the-line model with stainless steel inside that could be taken apart and cleaned. We’ve taken care of it, and it works like a dream. It’s quiet and efficient. It’s incredible the amount of aggravation that has taken off all of our minds.

So there it is my list of things that actually can buy happiness and this one bonus suggestion.

Create an extra living space if you can.

Of course, you’re going to get an apartment or home that you can afford, but it’s good to have extra space if you can.

If you have a house, turn the spare bedroom into a little retreat. Somewhere that feels like another living room.

Maybe put a comfy chair and a TV in there instead of a bed and have a blow-up mattress on hand for guests, or have a little pull-out couch.

Our spare bedroom is my office. It’s my space, just for me and I love it. My husband has his man cave in the garage, so that’s his space. My daughter has a cozy bedroom that’s just hers.

It’s nice to have a place to decorate the way you want, knowing it’s just for you.

When you merge your life with someone else, you’re so focused on creating a “we” space that you forget about the “me” space. After a while, you may find yourself craving it if you haven’t got it.

We’re not rich by any stretch of the imagination. We’ve had to save up for all of these things. But in doing so, we’ve created a life we love in a space that we can share happily.

Living together is wonderful, and finally being with the person you love 24–7 is fantastic. You feel such comfort and belonging.

Consider investing in some of these things to make the most of those good vibes and to keep them rolling in.

Thanks so much for reading!😊

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