Gettyimages.com/Couple hugging and holding keys in new home
My partner and I met when we were broke—I mean sharing small places with lots of roommates and checking out bank accounts before simply buying movie tickets broke. And honestly, I’m glad that we met at that time because I know that our bond has nothing to do with anything other than us. There weren’t expensive trips or extravagant dinners to create some false sense of excitement and connection. We’ve loved each other and had fun together when we had nothing, and that’s all I need to know. I worry about couples who meet when one or both parties are both already extremely wealthy, and their first few months of dating look more like episodes of some reality show about the most luxurious travel destinations in the world than the story of two humans connecting. They don’t really get a sense for their personal connection—there’s too much glitz covering it up. That being said, hopefully, my partner and I will one day have a lot of money, and when we do, I hope nothing changes between us. Don’t let wealth change your relationship in these ways.
Gettyimages.com/woman jealous of her friend friends on a couch
Ditching your friends
Never stop hanging with the friends you had during the years when you gained your wealth—those are your real friends. They may not be able to afford to go to the new places you like, but it’s better to go to more modest places with the people you know and love than to extravagant places with strangers.
