How to date a girl who’s richer than you

There are a lot of dating tips out there — and we should know, we often write about them every week for you guys. That said, one of the biggest questions when it comes to dating is how to date someone who’s richer than you, as it can cause some headaches and inferiority among both partners.

While we all know that relationships can be difficult regardless of financial situations, when it comes to money, things can get a little bit more stressful. Sure, money can be the root of happiness, but it can also lead to a relationship that’s more about material things than the emotional connection between two people. Hopefully, that’s not the case, but, hey, it happens.

For those looking for dating tips on how to make a relationship work with a girl who’s making more money, we’ve got you covered, telling you how to survive the relationship by maintaing focus on what’s really important.

Set Expectations

When someone makes more than his/her partner, it’s natural for his/her cost of living to be elevated. That can be difficult to handle for the person making less, but it shouldn’t deter the relationship from moving forward and staying strong.

It’s important that both partners understand that there’s an expectation level, knowing a budget needs to be set each week in order for both people to avoid any arguments about money or feel stretched too thin financially. Sure, it’d be great to spend like crazy all the time, but, if you can’t afford it, don’t try and fool yourself into thinking you can just to impress your girlfriend.

Maintain Focus

Remember that a relationship is more than just money, it’s about a physical and emotional connection first! So, sure, while you’re both going to (ultimately) find yourselves arguing about money at some point in the relationship, the last thing you want to do is let that get between you two, understanding how you want to keep spending balanced.

It’s an awful habit to find yourselves going out to eat too frequently and having the wealthier girlfriend pay for things, or vice versa, so find what works for both of you by getting the right balance. Alternatively, make sure to make dinner together for a better experience without all the costs.

Have Open Dialogue About Finances

Just because your girlfriend makes, say, $100,000/year and you make $55,000/year doesn’t mean that all the financial decisions should fall on her plate. Sure, it’s be nice to let the person making the most money decide on where to eat, stay and go on vacation, but that’s just not realistic because of the difference in salary.

Rather than try to keep up with her cost of living, make sure you both keep an open dialogue about what you’re comfortable spending on things, listen to one another and find a happy medium.

Set Goals

Don’t get setting goals confused with setting a budget. When it comes to financial goals with a partner, the list should include things like cars, apartments, hell, even a new couch that’s a couple thousand dollars.

It’s important to talk it out with your partner and agree on how much you’re looking to spend and what percentage each person will pay. Once you have an idea of what you both want to buy, it’ll be important to save a little bit each paycheck in order to make it happen, splitting the cost so not to cause any tension down the road.

Keep Things Transparent

In every relationship, there’s going to be arguments about money — sorry, that’s natural. However, when trying to date a girl who’s richer than you, it’s important to keep transparency and understand what each person is and isn’t willing to spend.

For instance, if you’re talking about an elaborate European vacation this summer, if you’re feeling like it may drain your savings account, speak up and tell her that an alternative might be better this year. The last thing you want to do in this situation is fake it till you make it.