9 Things Every Woman Should Do Before She Gets Married

Getting married is a huge step in anyone's life. It's the moment when you take two lives and combine them. Marriage means compromise and understanding. Here are 9 important things you should do before you take that important step.

1. Live alone

It's not until after you're married that you realize how nice the experience would have been. Living alone gives you confidence and allows you to live as you want to live. When you live with your parents, roommate and even a husband, you can't always live the way you want. There is always someone else to think about. But when you live alone, even if it's for just 6 months, you get to make your own rules. It's an important time for learning about yourself and how you enjoy living.

2. Travel

Work, married life and everything else that makes you busy after marriage might mean you won't get to travel as much as you'd like. Before you get married and while you're young and healthy, pick at least a few places you really want to see and go see them.

3. Date a variety of people

When you're young, you think you know exactly what you like and don't like. As you get older and meet more people you may come to realize that you like people you never thought you would. This is why dating different people while you're young is a good idea. Even if you're convinced you know exactly who you like, it doesn't hurt to meet people from different walks of life.

4. Decide what you want from your life

Being confident about what you want in life is very important. When you know what you want, no one can talk you out of your dreams. It's even better if you're already living your dream life when you meet your husband-to-be. Then he knows what he's getting. But even if you're just starting to chase your dreams, you need to be accepted and respected for who you are and what you want to do with your life.

5. Get your finances under control

These days it's important for women to have their own money. Relationships seem to be so unpredictable and you don't want to be left with nothing. It's a good idea to have a nest egg just in case anything should ever happen, whether you get married or not. It's also a good idea to get any debts taken care of because it's a good idea to go into a marriage debt free. Debt can be a major stressor in a relationship.

6. Do something that scares you

Doing something that takes courage can really boost your self-esteem. Maybe you added a few things to your bucket list that you're not sure you'll ever actually do. If your bucket list contains an item like bungee jumping, sky-diving, going surfing, try scuba diving, leading a group, taking a class, or acting in an amateur play, try one (or all) of them!

7. Get rid of the toxic people in your life

This is good to do at any point in life, but it's definitely not something you want to bring into a marriage. Having toxic people in your life results in your being less happy than you could be. If you have toxic people in your life, you're probably complaining about them to people who would rather not hear about it. Getting rid of the toxic people will make you a happier person.

8. Learn new skills

It's still not uncommon these days that women be expected to know how to cook and clean, but forget those skills. Learn something completely different. Learn how to change the oil in a car, unclog a toilet or drain, or use the big outdoor grill.

9. Be okay doing things by yourself

The ability to do things on your own is very empowering. You don't need someone else to be with you every time you do something. Try going to a movie, eating lunch, or going for a walk by yourself. You might find you enjoy the time you have to yourself. You can browse at your own pace through the shops. You can sit in a café with a good book and not worry about being rude to your lunch mate.

Every woman should do these 9 things before she settles down.