Michelle’s husband is picky about where she shops for groceries and wants her to buy “organic” and other pricey things. She realized he can’t tell the difference, so she has been shopping at cheaper grocery stores and keeping the money for treats for herself. Now she’s been busted but she thinks that his inability to tell the difference means she was right all along. Do you think Michelle was right to be shopping at cheaper grocery stores, or should she go back to buying the more expensive stuff?
Ayla Brown: And good morning, Michelle. What is going on with you, your husband and groceries?
Michelle: I’m a stay at home mom and I do all the grocery shopping and all the cooking and I’m good with that. I like doing it. It’s all fine. But my husband is super picky about his food. You know, he wants everything organic. He sends me to Whole Foods and gives me enough grocery money so I can buy that fancy cheese and the overpriced stuff that they sell there. Yeah.
Ayla Brown: I’m sure Whole Foods is loving hearing this right now. But yeah, I mean, I would say they know they’re a little bit pricier. I agree.
Michelle: Okay.So six months ago, I figured out that he can’t tell the difference between the organic stuff and the non organic stuff. So I started shopping at Market Basket six months and he hasn’t noticed it at all and he can’t tell the difference.
Ayla Brown: You mean he can’t tell the difference between like a $9 thing of cheese and then a $29 thing of cheese.
Michelle: No, can’t tell the difference. Okay. So now, I have a little extra money, like a little bit of play money, and I’ve been getting manicures and little treats for myself. The other day, he looked at me and he said, You know, my nails look nice. And he asked what was going on.
Ayla Brown: Your nails. Dang, your husband is very intuitive.
Michelle: Except when it comes to food. I said I had a little extra money and I want to treat myself. And then he asked where the money was coming from. And then, I decided to come clean about it all, thinking he would have a laugh about it. I told him about Market Basket versus Whole Foods and that he didn’t know the difference. But I’ve been shopping there and I thought he’d be like, Oh, ha ha, that’s funny. But he didn’t do that. He was very angry and felt very betrayed. And now we’re fighting.
Ayla Brown: Why does he feel betrayed by you not going to one of the most expensive places to shop. I don’t understand.
Michelle: He feels like I was pulling a fast one on him. You know what I mean?
Ayla Brown: Because I mean, you kind of did because you’re like, Hey, I’m going to go to Market Basket, save all this money, and then get my nails done. Okay? I know how much it costs you. You’re saving a lot of money and then spending it on nails.
Michelle: Okay, so now the problem is we’re fighting and he’s insistent on having his way, you know? And I told him he can’t tell the difference. The kids don’t care. So why are we spending this money and why can’t I have treats? My question is, am I wrong? Is he just being a baby?