Hello everyone! First post, but always lingered.

I (28f) have been going out with my boyfriend (30M) for about a year. A little about us…we’re both African American, he works as a mover and I am currently working as a waitress while paying for Esthetics school.

I love my boyfriend. He is not perfect, but I am definitely far from it. He works very hard and even has an LLC for his own moving company that he wants to eventually really take off with.

My only issue is the doubts I sometimes I have.

-He isn’t huge on getting married. He wants to because I want to. His words.

-He is in debt of like $10,000 because of speeding tickets. His car was towed on my birthday and it was $7,000 to get the car out and $10,000 in total. He just decided to buy a new car. I gave him $1000.

-It sometimes seems that he doesn’t do all he could for his LLC. He’s either at work or playing a video game. He made the LLC and he’s gotten a few customers but I just feel like he could do so much more.

One of the reasons why I mentioned us being African American is because there is a concept of “struggle love” in the Black community. Essentially, expecting to struggle within the dynamic of the relationship, ranging from financial struggles to emotional/romantic connection struggles.

I just get scared that I’m hitching my wagon to the wrong horse sometimes. I mean I have debt, too, but it’s school debt. I don’t necessarily expect for my boyfriend to provide for me but idk, don’t you feel like you could do more?

He’s always encouraging me to work and making (lighthearted)jokes when I have to pull a double shift at the restaurant. Like, “make that money girl” or “those double shifts make you look sexy”.

IDK. Any and all advice is appreciated.

Thank you!