Signs Your Romantic Interest is Financially Irresponsible

When it comes to romance, opposites, as they say, may indeed attract. However, compatibility is the mortar that holds a relationship together. And, while agreeing on absolutely everything is far from necessary, being of one accord when it comes to money is critical.

This is true both for the sanctity of your union, as well as the potential for a prosperous future together. With that in mind, it’s useful to pay attention to signs your romantic interest is financially irresponsible.

1. Heavy Credit Card Use

This one can be a bit tricky to spot these days with Apple Pay, debit cards and online purchasing, but if you go out and the plastic they flash isn’t a debit card, they may be relying too heavily on credit.

This is something to which particular attention should be paid at the beginning of the relationship when their “representative” is working overtime in an effort to impress you. If they’re trying to woo you on credit, there may be money problems ahead.

2. Talking About Money Makes Them Uncomfortable

Granted, conversation about money in the early stages of a relationship can be awkward. However, should things progress to the point at which you’re considering a future together, this is one of the most important subjects to broach.

According to a report by CNBC, people are 10 times more likely to break up if they cannot communicate about money. One of the reasons for this is they might feel embarrassed because they don’t really know how to handle money and perceive it as a character flaw. The good news is people can learn to manage money well — if they know they need to and are open to doing so.

3. They’ve Borrowed from You — More Than Once

Financially irresponsible people tend to live on borrowed time. They’re used to borrowing from Patty to pay Pamela because they’re almost always behind. You can expect money problems to be a constant aspect of your relationship once this behavior creeps into your relationship.

The smart play here is to ask questions about their situation before floating the loan. Recommend they seek professional help from a company like Freedom Debt Relief to help them resolve debts that may be keeping them behind if debt is the problem.

4. Flashy Lifestyle with No Visible Means of Support

This might sound too obvious to mention, but sometimes the glamour of it all can make it easy to overlook. Expensive cars, clothes and jewelry can be indicative of living beyond one’s means.

Let’s put it this way: If they’re living a Rolls-Royce Ghost lifestyle when you know they’re working a Mitsubishi Mirage job, they are someone for whom having money matters less than looking like they do.

In other words, that image they’re projecting is little more than yes — a mirage.

5. Frequent Periods of Unemployment

The boss didn’t like them… the work was beneath them… their coworkers suck —

Rationalizations such as these as they lurch from job to job, with stretches of no work at all between them, indicate you’re dealing with someone who doesn’t want to work.

Now granted, that person may well be a budding entrepreneur who has yet to hit their big break. Which is OK, as long as they live like they know living expenses don’t wait for that big break to come. They must do something productive while they develop that eternally uncompleted business plan.

It is critical to observe and address these signs your romantic interest is financially responsible before your lives become intricately intertwined. Otherwise, the stakes will be much, much higher when you do finally address them — and you will have to do so eventually.

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