Today marks Valentine's Day. And whether you love it or you hate it, being in a relationship really can save you £££
Love isn't all fun and fluff, whatever the Valentine's Day industry claims. Actually, it's better than that, because there are plenty of financial benefits as well. So don't be stingy with your loved one on 14th February - a bunch of flowers and dinner at a fancy Italian are a small price to pay for the financial benefits you will enjoy throughout your life. Here are just 10 of them.
1) Two can live as cheaply as one
Pity poor single people. They're always throwing away half an avocado, because they couldn't finish it themselves and now it's gone rotten. Same problem when they buy a bunch of bananas. Most ready meals are still for two people (and no, don't pretend you're going to eat half and reheat the rest tomorrow, it won't happen).
It's the same for big-ticket items. You don't buy a smaller sofa because you're single. You don't carpet half the living room, buy half a car, or choose a 21-inch flat screen TV rather than a 42-inch dobber. Singles face the same costs as couples, on only one income. Fall in love, and double your spending power!
2) Couples pay half
Banks don't offer a single person's discount. Couples and singles pay exactly the same interest rates on their mortgages and credit cards, and the same penalties on their overdrafts. Callous bankers don't even give singles a 25% discount, like they get on their Council Tax.
3) Loving bundle
Once your hearts have mingled, so will your telephone bills. Two landlines become one... ahh. The same goes for your digital TV and broadband services. Coupling is merely another form of bundling.
4) It's good to share
Your partner has just moved in - congratulations! Your home insurance policy won't cost more because two people live in your home instead of one, but now you can now split the bill.
Your car insurance premiums may increase if you add your loved one to the policy, but they shouldn't double (unless you've fallen in love with a 19-year old boyracer with motoring convictions.) Just make sure you don't get caught out by a technique known as 'fronting' - you can find out more in our video: Don't make this car insurance mistake.
And for tips on how to slash your insurance bills even further, make sure you adopt our Slash your insurance costs goal.
5) Hot love
So utility bills are soon set to hit £2,000 a year? That's bad news for everybody, but at least couples can go halves. Better still, they can make even bigger savings by cuddling up together and turning down the heating a notch. Single people must shiver alone.
Don't forget, if you are worried about rising utility bills, our Lower your household bills goal is packed full of tips to help you slash the cost. What's more, you can compare a range of gas and electricity tariffs on the lovemoney.com comparison tool, so you'll be able to find one that's cheaper for you.
6) You can be a slob
Remember how expensive it was being single? New clothes, nights out, posh hairdos, beauty treatments and manicures (I hear it's even more expensive for women). Once you move in with someone, you can let yourself go. Don't scoff, millions do.
Simply lounge around the house in an old pair of sweatpants, munching crisps in front of the box and occasionally stirring yourself to swear at your partner. You'll save £££s!
7) Married to your job
Oh no you've lost your job! Never mind, at least your partner's income will see you through until you beg, claw or sleep your way back into gainful employment. If your partner isn't earning, send them down the job centre instead. It's their turn! Single people don't have that back-up, they're on their own.
Married people who lose their jobs also have a better chance of finding a new one. That's a fact! If you're looking for work, your prospects are much better if you have a degree, own a home with a mortgage... or are married, according to new figures from Office for National Statistics.
8) Pension fun
Many people find saving for a pension a bit tedious and leave all the legwork to their partner. Single people don't have that option. But of course that's a risky strategy (although you may have little choice if you're the one who gave up work to raise the kids).
Til death us do part really does make sense when it comes to pension planning. Just make sure you buy a joint life annuity rather than a single life plan, otherwise your retirement income will dry up if your partner dies first.
9) Couples will inherit the earth
Well not exactly the earth, but they will inherit each other's money and house. Married couples and registered civil partners can transfer assets to each other when they die, without having to pay inheritance tax. This is known as the spouse civil partner exemption.
It doesn't apply to cohabiting couples, making it a rare tax incentive for getting married. David Cameron has been trying to dream up a few more fiscal marital aids, but hasn't got very far.
10) Breaking up is very hard to do
And very expensive. The average divorce costs £28,000. And after you've broken up, you've got all the costs of being single again (see point 6). Your partner may have a few nasty habits, but you should stand by him/her, especially in the middle of a recession. You wouldn't quit a well-paid job right now, so don't renounce the financial rewards of being in a couple, even if your partner has forgotten Valentine's Day (again). To err is human, to forgive is financially responsible.
Of course there can be one or two financial disadvantages to being in a couple, particularly if your partner is lax with the lucre. But hey, it's Valentine's Day, a time for love and romance, so let's not dwell on that...
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