This thread is inspired by a discussion in Zanshin’s LiveJournal.
Once upon a time, I was a single man making a good living in the city. I made more than enough to live on, save some, and still have disposable income for purchases of arguably unnecessary things like DVDs and video games, as well as clearly necessary things like All-Clad pans.
Fast forward to the present. I am now married, but with no dependents other than dogs. And while I am still making more than enough to live on, save some, and still have disposable income, my spending freedom has been constrained by the beautiful and wise jeevwoman, who questions even the most basic purchasing decisions, to the point where a list has now been created of stores that I may not enter without prior permission, which permission requires submission of a business case for the proposed purchase and post-purchase submission of receipts for verification. The list consists of:
Best Buy
Circuit City
Borders and Barnes & Noble (tie)
The Container Store
Crate & Barrel
Staples, Office Max and Office Depot (tie)
Williams Sonoma
Linens 'N Things and Bed Bath & Beyond (tie)
So, for those married guys or guys in committed relationships, what are your “forbidden” stores? For women, what stores do you forbid your guys to go into?
(I can only speak to the dynamic of heterosexual relationships, so I don’t know if these kind of conflicts arise in same-sex partnerships. But hey, I’m always willing to learn, so if there are those in same-sex partnerships who have similar issues, speak up.)
Oh I get it! HAhHAHAAHA, this is about how women are overpowering nags, and men are obsessed with electronics! HAHAHA oh that’s rich. I remember once, I was out shopping for shoes and handbags, eating chocolate and white wine, and my girlfriends and I just hooted with laughter about how all men leave the toilet seat up and hide porn behind the toilet and never let us have the remote! It’s funny because it’s true! HAHAHAHAH
:rolleyes:
In short, my husband is a human being, not my property, and he can shop or eat or drink where ever he wants to. We’re wierd that way.
After coming home with a mini-backhoe similar to this one, I was not permitted to go to any hardware or John Deer type dealerships for a while. However, I learned that if I taught her how to use it, she became more amicable. However, we don’t argue too much until the bills come in and she realizes there is another tool on the wall out in the shed. ARARAR!!!
I also am allowed into any store that I choose, but only on my own time. There are several stores that we have agreed to avoid while together (ie Tower Records for me, and “stores where everything is made of food but you can’t eat it” such as Bath and Body works for her)
The last two sentences are an acceptable response. The remainder of the post makes you seem pissy and humorless.
It’s meant to be a fun and lighthearted poll. If that tree on your shoulder prevents you from participating in it as such, why run up your post count by participating at all?
While it could have been presented with a bit more tact (honestly, jar, back to the cube with you!), jarbabyj has a point. I could see if you were overspending or were racking up huge amounts of debt with your impulsive buying habits but, based on your OP, I don’t see that. Why would grown-ups in an economically healthy relationship need such restrictions? I was almost moved to tears when I saw you listed book stores. Book stores, for cripe’s sake!
Then again, different strokes for different folks and all that jazz.
To answer your question, Mr. Tech can shop where ever the hell he damn well pleases. Except the Hummer store.
See, we don’t have that issue. jeevwoman is not a compulsive or impulsive shopper or a shoe slut by any stretch of the imagination. At the worst, we buy a lot of stuff at Old Navy and Costco, but we are pretty much equal opportunity participants in those trips.
I did participate if only to prove the point that not every wife gleefully keeps her husband on a leash restricting where he can and cannot go. I see nothing humorous in a poll that perpetuates that stereotype.
Now go ahead and ask your wife if you’re allowed to respond to me.
With all the strange stuff I’ve learned about people, it would never have even occurred to me that there are people who forbid their spouses to shop at certain stores. Not only that, but that said spouses would go along with it. If you can show me which of the marriage vows that falls under, I’ll be happy to re-evaluate them. Until then, my wife and I can shop unhindered any-damned-where we choose, as long as we can afford to buy whatever it is!
Wow, you really are a bitch. He is not on a leash. He is allowed to go wherever the hell he pleases, but he should not buy $200 worth of spice racks at the Container Store without first checking what else we may have earmarked that $200 for. See, that is what healthy relationships are about–consulting each other on major purchases. Jesus Christ! You can talk about your bowel movements, but he can’t talk about stores he spends way too much time and money in? Yeah, yours is a much more intelligent discussion. Thanks for participating in the thread. Your contribution has been an enormous enlightenment for us all.
I am overgeneralizing to a large degree. My wife is not so much a shopaholic as she likes to have nice things. I stay in the yard being projectman because it makes me happy. She goes to H & M to relax…
That strikes me as taking the OP too seriously. AFAICT, the OP is more or less in jest.
Not to say that jeevmon and jeevwoman woldn’t wrangle over purchases here or there … just saying that I’m confident that JW really doesn’t forbidJM from going into those shops under the pain of divorce, or being cut off, or whatever.
It’s more like a strong suggestion to avoid high-bill surprises from certain stores (but really anywhere). Right? Tell me I’m right here.
…
JM, regarding books and shelving space: there are options. Donate old books you don’t read anymore to a library or sell them to a used book store. Ask a relative if they’d mind storing a few books for you in a closet. Store them yourselves in flat boxes under your bed.
a store here in town called Recordland (a used music store).
Although, I have to adhere to these impositions as well. We never go to these places alone (an overspending nightmare). I am also not allowed to go to a greenhouse/nursury type of store. So it goes both ways!
