1. We fight less because we're less stressed about money
There were many years in both of our lives when we had to live paycheck to paycheck, and we weren't sure how we were going to make it to the next payday. This caused a significant amount of stress and anxiety, some of which we occasionally took out on each other.
Now that we can comfortably make ends meet, there's way less strain and one less reason to argue. As Business Insider previously reported, money can be one of the biggest sources of tension for couples, since it's a constant in all of our lives, so my increased earnings have turned out to be a good thing for us.
2. We travel a lot more
My partner and I have always been curious about and inspired by the world around us. We always dreamed of traveling, but for many years, it just wasn't financially feasible. Now that I'm making much more money than I was when we first met, we can take impromptu weekend trips to the cities we always wanted to explore.
From Paris and Prague to Reykjavik and Copenhagen, having more cash at our disposal has meant getting to experience more of the world together, which has been an amazing bonding experience.
3. I sometimes worry about what would happen if my financial circumstances changed
I'm a workaholic by nature, but I'd be lying if I didn't occasionally feel pressured to work harder and earn more money so that my partner and I can upkeep the lifestyle we've become used to. This pressure is entirely self-induced, but it still creeps in from time to time.
When it does, I worry that if I were to cut back on my workload or if I happened to lose one of my contracts, we'd suddenly be in trouble with money (or at least not as comfortable). I have to continuously remind myself that we'd still be just fine.
4. My partner sometimes feels guilty for making less
On the flip side, my partner sometimes feels guilty for not contributing as much financially to our relationship, even though it's not something I ever think about or hold against her. This is a minor and very occasional issue, but it does crop up from time to time.
Our wage discrepancy is entirely circumstantial and something we've worked hard to make a non-issue in our relationship, but I think we'd both be lying if we said we'd conquered our respective concerns entirely.
5. We don't really think about it much on a day-to-day basis
Ultimately, money isn't such a huge issue in our relationship that we're constantly preoccupied with it. Sure, that's a luxury that accompanies having enough of it that we don't have to think about it all the time, and we're certainly grateful for that.
Still, we're together for so much more than money, and if there comes a time when we're a bit more strapped for cash and back in the position of struggling to make ends meet like we were when we first met, we know we'd be just fine.
