Single-Guy Habits He Can't Break

You're together, you're happy, so why can't he let go of his old single-guy habits? Al Needham explains.

BAD HABIT #1
He still has the after-work drink
The best thing about being single? His time is his own – he can even get drunk on a Monday. He'll often have a great excuse for it, too. 'My girlfriend doesn't understand that I make more contacts in the bar than in the office,' says Greg, 24, a sales rep. 'And getting on at work means we can afford the rent. Simple.'
Habit breaker: Get to know his colleagues, then gently extract him from them.

BAD HABIT #2
He considers his friends' couch a second home
All men are scared of losing life's finer rituals, such as curries and passing out to the gentle hum of MTV. Will, 28, a barman, says, 'Although I've been with my girlfriend for a year, l still spend loads of time with my friends. I'm usually so battered from a night out with the guys that I'd be no use to her, anyway.'
Habit breaker: Have a dinner party with his friends' girlfriends and you'll gain a few allies.

BAD HABIT #3
He views the weekend as a two-day lie-in
Single men only do the following at weekends: lounge in the pub, loiter at record shops, shout at rugby players or catch 'man flu'. Attached men want no more. 'When I've spent all week at work, I'm entitled to do what I want on my days off. And that doesn't include being dragged around clothes shops or Mr. Price Home,' says Micah, 30, a designer.
Habit breaker: Two words: sexual enticement. Suggest a dirty weekend away.

BAD HABIT #4
He sees the oven as just a huge cigarette lighter
The kitchens of single men contain enough grease to make a church-worth of candles and food tends to come out of the microwave. This might alter when you first get together but old habits die hard. 'My girlfriend moans about takeaways but l don't see her moaning about the lack of washing-up afterwards,' says Dan, 23, a sales assistant.
Habit breaker: A candlelit dinner followed by rampant sauciness will make him see the benefits of proper food.

BAD HABIT #5
He regards his overdraft as 'beer vouchers'
When he's single, money doesn't matter. But once he relinquishes his singledom, financial niggles are one of the biggest reasons for break-ups. 'I've split up with two girlfriends because they wanted a bond and l didn't,' says Jed, 26, a plumber. 'Girls never moan about money when I'm spending it on them, though.'
Habit breaker: Be totally transparent in your financial dealings and he'll gradually give in.

Author: Al Needham