Will He Ever Propose? 10 Ways To Tell If You’re Wasting Your Time

Between your friends and his, you’ve been to over a dozen weddings together, and each time you leave wondering when it’s going to be your turn. If your friends’ engagement announcements are leaving you more stressed about your own relationship than happy for theirs, it’s time you start noticing the signs that this relationship might not be headed down the aisle at all. Will he ever propose? If any of these things are true, it’s pretty unlikely.

1. You’ve been together for five or more years. All of your friends who were single five minutes ago are now engaged and you are still waiting for your day in the spotlight. Men know early on whether or not they want to marry you. If it’s been five years or more and you’re no closer to having a ring on your finger than you ever were, it might be time to accept the fact that he might never propose.
2. He doesn’t want to live together. He equates living together to a roommate situation and there is nothing sexy about that. If the thought of a one-year lease is freaking him out, he will never be able to commit to a lifetime with you. Sure, there are couples who don’t live together before getting married, but you’re starting to get the feeling that he doesn’t want to do either…
3. He avoids discussing marriage/engagement at all costs. He refuses to have dinner at your mom’s house or double date with your married friends because god forbid someone asks him one more time when he is going to pop the question. Whenever a couple on TV gets engaged, he gets squirmy. This should tell you all you need to know.
4. He uses reverse psychology. In a situation where he can’t avoid the discussion, he tries to convince you that not getting married is your decision and that you’re happy where things are in your relationship. He’s “so happy to be with a woman who doesn’t feel the social pressures of getting married”… right? If he pulls this despite knowing that you’d like to walk down the aisle one day, there’s a problem.
5. He’s not financially ready. He isn’t saving for his future with you because, to be blunt, he doesn’t see one. If he is still spending all his money buying rounds of shots for strangers in bars instead of saving for a down payment on your dream home, it may be time to start shopping for a new future husband. Same goes for is he uses his current financial situation as an excuse for why you can’t get engaged. It’s easy to say he’ll propose once he’s in a solid financial place if he has no plans to ever get in that place.
6. He makes big decisions without consulting you. He tells you his plans instead of including you in the decision-making process. Going back to grad school, changing careers, or relocating for a job are all things you should have a say in if you are ever going to say “I do.” If he just assumes you’ll go along with whatever (or doesn’t care whether or not you do), run.
7. He doesn’t want kids. Not everyone wants to be a father, and that is fine, but not wanting a family (combined with any of the other signs) is just another reason why he doesn’t see a point in taking your relationship to the next level. Of course, if you also don’t want kids, that’s a whole other story. But if he knows you’re excited about being a mom when he can’t stand screaming rugrats, don’t expect a proposal anytime soon.
8. He says he’s not in any rush. Actions speak louder than words, so if he is telling you he’s not ready, believe him. This is a valid thing to say in the early stages of a relationship, but when you’re years in and he’s still moseying along, you have to wonder if he’ll ever get to the final destination!
9. He only has negative things to say about marriage. It’s just a piece of paper, 50% of marriages end in divorce, etc., etc. If he is dropping these “lines” instead of down on one knee, it’s probably time you drop him. It’s fine if he doesn’t want to get married, but why doesn’t he just say that?
10. He puts everyone else before you. If you aren’t his number one now, chances are you are never going to be. If playing laser tag with his friends trumps staying home to take care of you when you are sick, he’s probably never going to propose… and you shouldn’t want him to.