ONE decision can have a large impact on your life.

04 Apr ONE decision can have a large impact on your life.

I was reading the Crazy Rice Asians book series and there is one comment that constantly sticks in my head.

One of the mums said she can tell when men have, using her words, ‘sowed their oats and are ready to settle down’. She believed around the age of 26 was the sweet spot.

I think of this and wonder…

At the age of 26 I was certainly ready for the next stage of my life… to find a partner, buy a house and have children with.

What I didn’t realise is at the age of 26 how much this decision alone can make such a large impact on the rest of your life.

Money Values

Select a partner who has different money values than you and you can spend your entire relationship arguing over this one thing. My partner’s best friend has such different money values than me and it would have been awful.

My thoughts turn to my daughter and how I can help her when the times comes to remove those rose coloured glasses and not just convince yourself but my marriage is going to be so different. We all thought so.

I have said to my daughter to have insight into her future partner’s money values see if he takes his lunch to work or buys lunch every day.

Maybe you have a different way to tell a person’s value of money but I think this is a great one. I think it shows whether the person appreciates the impact $15 or $20 being spent each day has on their overall wealth creation.

I have always taken my lunch in. I did treat myself to a daily coffee. I would justify this the same way we all do with a big But… Mine was But I don’t drink or smoke.

A guy I worked, when following a money budget system, his But was… But I don’t want it to impact my life too much as I like a new car every 5 years which I salary sacrifice. Denis was sooo miserable in his job so I hope each Monday morning, as he drove to work, he found happiness in the new car he was driving.

Drinking or Gambling

Select a partner who drinks too much or gambles and this is will impact on your life.

My first husband enjoyed a good drink. Once a month when he finished the 7 night shifts in a row him and his colleagues use to go and have a large buffet lunch then head to the pub. That night I would come home knowing that he would be very intoxicated. I thought well it is just once a month and it was something he really enjoyed.

We would buy a carton of beer once a week and he would enjoy two or three a night.

We moved to the country and then is when it broke the marriage. He was drinking most nights and I had enough.

When travelling around Australia it provided the opportunity to meet people from different parts of life and listen to them on how their husband liked a good drink or go off and have a go at the pokie machines.

These type of behaviours also affect the children.