relationships

Sometimes, when a relationship ends, you're left wondering exactly what happened. How is it possible that you went from flushed cheeks and whispered pillow talk to coldly collecting a cardboard box full of your books and underwear?

My boyfriend and I are currently sailing around the southern coast of Australia on a Silversea cruise ship that started out in Auckland. For almost three weeks, we have been wined and dined, pampered and indulged.

A: A number of years ago, I suffered three of the top four life stressors all in a matter of a few weeks. I changed jobs, discovered my ex’s affair and moved out. It was an absolute low point in my life. Almost overnight, everything familiar in my life no longer was. I was lost, heart-broken and scared out of my mind of what the future held.

When you're in those blissful early stages of love, it's hard to imagine what could possibly happen to upset the lovely world you've created. How could it possibly go wrong?

Fears about finances can sabotage even the strongest of unions - and it's not just when the bills pile up. Couples who have different spending and saving habits have to learn how to communicate about money or their otherwise happy relationship can quickly hit the skids.