Traditionally, couples did not live together until marriage. The husband was then presumed to be the breadwinner, while the wife stayed home to care for the house and children. If the wife worked at all, it was for a bit of extra spending money for herself.

Later, the concept of dual-income relationships became popular. Both partners worked and put money into a joint bank account. Disparities in income levels usually favored the male as the higher earner, but both partners generally had equal spending rights. In some cases, the man made the bulk of the money and the woman spent it.

In today’s world, things are not so cut and dried financially. Couples tend to live together long before the subject of marriage is even broached. The woman may make significantly more money than the man. Both tend to maintain separate bank accounts, contributing equally or unequally to household expenses.

Since there are no societal rules or expectations for modern monetary distribution, couples must find and develop their own guidelines. If both partners make close to the same income, these guidelines are relatively simple. However, a large disparity in income can lead to arguments.

What if the partner with a larger income wants expensive items for the home that the other partner cannot afford? What about vacations? Even the choice of housing arrangements may come into question if one partner wants an apartment that the other cannot afford.

Open dialogue and clear communication is critical. The partner with the higher income must show sensitivity and maturity, recognizing that the situation may be awkward or embarrassing for the lower earner. The lower earner must also address the situation calmly and maturely, recognizing that the higher earner may not fully realize the situation.

Some couples split expenses based on ability to pay. In some relationships, one partner pays the rent while the other pays certain other expenses. How you ultimately divide costs is for the two of you to decide. As long as you communicate clearly and with love, a solution can be reached that is amicable and works for both parties.

Posted by Lisa.

I recently hit the bar scene while dipping my toes in the water of socializing with others. I'd done some research on dating sites and wasn't too impressed with what I found. The bar scene didn't interest me much as a medium for meeting people either, but small towns being what they are, I didn't have much of a choice. Besides, I was bored and needed to get out.

Well, after three hours at the local hotspot, I'm stumped on the best way to meet people. Most people were either dead drunk, sky high, or coldly sober. The sober people might've interested me, but each person carried an indifferent expression on their face. Obviously, they're old enough to be jaded - just like I am.

This brought me to think on the best places to meet people, and my thoughts led me to the obvious answer: find a like group of birds and flock together with them. I'm not interested in someone who frequents bars, so why would I hang out in one? I don't particularly want a person who has children, so I shouldn't pursue scoping out the local playground. I like computers and I write for a living, so I should  'um' check out a dating site. Or give up.

Should I decide to seriously look for a person to share my life through a dating site, I'd first form up a list of the ideal partner. Having a good idea of who I'd like to be with often narrows down the field to something manageable.

I'd also gravitate towards people like me, because it's proven that while opposites attract, relationships fizzle out fast. The sports enthusiast might sound exciting, but chances are, we'd be saying goodbye within a year.

I'd make sure the person enjoys the same interests I have. The person I find may be like me in personality, but if we don’t share common interests, we're both wasting our time. Someone who can't stand computers, writing, skating, and horse riding wouldn't do well with me at all.

That means that not only should I think on the profile I want to create for myself, I also have to think of the profile of the person I'd like to meet - before I meet them. I believe people forget to do so. The result? A terribly romantic relationship that finishes in a dead-end street.

Posted by Samanta.

Samantha is a reader of this blog and submitted this post. We'd love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts, feelings or stories about dating. Reach us through our contact form.

I visit various websites in the name of research. One website I needed to peruse for an assignment happened to be Date.ca, a Canadian online dating site. I had to subscribe and fill in a minimal profile to do my research. That action resulted in near-daily emails with photos and profiles of the latest male matches in my area.

There were some very nice pictures of potential love interests. I'm shallow, so the better-looking photos submitted by members perked my interest. Like the familiar pro golfer, a well-known baseball player and famous racecar driver, all three who just happened to be searching for romance in the absolute boonies of Canada - Uh huh. I'm so convinced.

Of course, I had to click on a few profiles to read more. I'm curious. I ended up having a good giggle. Let me give you guys a few tips about how to create a winning dating site profile. From what I've seen, you could use them.

Spell and capitalize properly. You don't have to be a writer to fill in a profile, but don't be a turn-off and write like you have a grade two education. Use Word to spell-check and correct your profile text, then copy/paste into your profile. Better yet, get your profile edited by a pro.

Be realistic. "Look into my eyes. Read my haunted soul - I promise to charm your heart and win your love!"  Are you kidding me? The guys who avoided this type of sugar-sweet icing won out every time.

Be yourself. I need to know you're a genuine, real person. Don't manipulate people by pretending to be something you're not. Lying and hiding the truth won't win you points.

Create a full profile. Short profiles tell me nothing. Good ones are longer, descriptive, and give a good insight into who you are. If you want to attract interest, be interesting. Give me something to read.

Lay off the mystery. Tempting people with half-truths isn't cool. It also leads to misunderstandings and expectations you may not be able to meet.

Remember people see no visual cues. Dating sites put you into black and white words. Body language and facial expressions aren't there. The person reading the profile has to take your profile text at face value. Don't be clever; be clear.

If you're serious about finding a friend or a relationship through a dating site, don't waste anyone's time. Fill out the profile properly, lay off the lies, and be yourself. Otherwise, you're just one of those guys that gives dating sites a bad rap.

Posted by Lilly.

Lilly is a reader of this blog and submitted this post. We'd love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts, feelings or stories about dating. Reach us through our contact form.