Yes , it is a bad idea . The longer you stay the longer he has to think of your life together , the further wedding planning may go , the more resentment can build up . Given your history it will take time to recover and heal . It may be convenient now to stay together , but you can find a roommate that you don ' t have this unhealthy dynamic with . You can still pay back the debt further down the road , and give him a gift of cash if he refuses then your conscience will be clear . And school doesn ' t necessarily put life on hold either of you could meet someone who is better suited in the next few years . Would you really want to prevent this ? Staying will only prolong the inevitable . You no longer see him as the partner you want to be with for the rest of your life . It may seem easy now to put up a front when you ' ve recently arrived at these conclusions , but over time it eats away at you . If you still love him , imagine his reaction months or years from now when he discovers that you had checked out of the relationship long ago and had only been stringing him along ? How would you feel in his place ? Think of your future children if any of them were in your shoes , what would your advice to them be ? Source Knew about 1 year in that my relationship with my ex wasn ' t leading anywhere . We had just moved in together , figured I ' d stay because we got along and it was more convenient . Ended up being stuck for a whole extra year , resentment exploded , home life was extremely unhealthy and became depressed . Ended badly . Should have listened to my gut on the onset .