Forget prenups, get GTFO funds: Why women in relationships are heading for this viral trend

In a country like India where there are reports of women facing domestic violence, familial attacks and committing suicide, one question rises time and again: Why didn't you leave? While these four words might be easy to utter and a simple question, they are the biggest hurdle many women face in life.Not every woman has the resources such as a job, money, support and most importantly courage, to leave a toxic marriage or relationship. But this is where GTFO comes in. Women, while you may or may not sign a prenup, make sure to secure a GTFO fund for yourself in life.While many advise that getting married is expensive, what they don't reveal is that getting divorced might just empty your bank account. With the cost of living putting all of us in a perpetual crisis, money has become the contentious point in relationships.For women, the situation is often worse, as they are quick to offer financial help and pool resources in romantic relationships. Thus, in the case of breakups and divorces, they tend to have the worst end of the stick with them being paid less as well.In such situations, having a separate bank account or a stockpile of emergency savings can be a vital lifeline. "Go Funds" or "Get the F*** Out" funds find their origins in a time when women couldn't have their own bank account and would put some cash aside for whenever an emergency would strike or they needed to flee their partner. Unlike your savings, this is a smaller, hidden pot of cash you put aside for a smooth exit from the drama, when it occurs.Funds like these aren't just important for women in abusive or coercive relationships, they can be just as important in healthy relationships, and breakups. While one may get a portion of their own assets back when they divorce along with alimony in some cases, the process is too long. Until then, a GTFO fund can give you the perfect encouragement you need, while also keeping you afloat for a while.If creating a GTFO fund is something you are taking seriously, then you need to be realistic about how much you would need and begin saving from the beginning of your relationship, rather than when things start to go haywire.Rather than thinking you've got one foot out the door, keep your perspective flexible. If things go well, the fund could pay for a wedding or house mortgage, if not, it's your GTFO fund.One of the first steps is to set up a separate account you can withdraw money from immediately and that your partner does not have access to. A savings account with a high interest rate could be a good option.While you may need to keep your partner off the access, it is not vital to keep the account a secret. Even in a relationship, you still have the right to be an individual, and thus, having separate finances can be a simple act of maintaining independence.Moreover, your partner's reaction to you having a separate account is important to know. While it may represent security to you, it may signal abandonment to them. This would also let you know their thoughts about your shared finances.If a person you are living with or planning to spend your life with is not ready to have an honest conversation about finances and relationship realities, then they might not be the right person for you after all.