The one thing that may seem odd, to some, is to discuss purchases with your spouse. Especially if you are on a budget and you discuss purchases you may feel is needed for you or your family. Sometimes, you have to even put things back (as much as it may "hurt" your frugalness).
Husband and I went to do some grocery shopping so we could have some more items to make for us to eat. The store was running a special on Hunt's canned spaghetti sauce - 10 for $10. Normally, they were $1.49 at this store. I saw the sale and proceeded to put 10 in the cart. After some more items added to the cart, Husband decided we needed to scale back to keep our total purchase price as low as we can. I was buying things on sale and only stuff I knew we would use, maybe not immediately but we would use it!! After some disscussion, the spaghetti sauce went back on the shelf. We have some at home we have to still use and husband did not want to buy them and not use up what we already have at home. In my head, I was screaming and kicking like a little kid!! I was just having a fit!! They were on sale!! We will use them!! I did agree to put them back though.
In an effort to at least talk about it, I was trying to see a solution in which we both would win and not just one of us would feel like a winner. Did I want to put them back? Nope, I sure did not!! I did it in order to compromise with Husband. We try to at least discuss things with each other. Was it odd to be doing this in the middle of our grocery trip? Yes but I would rather do that at that moment than have Husband hate me later for it.
Does it seem silly to disscuss simple little things with your spouse? Sometimes it does to me. But if we cannot discuss the little things, how will we be able to discuss bigger things? We have to have some open communication in there with each other. Not having a lot of money during the time we have been together has taught us to discuss things with each other and to be honest with each other. That has helped out a lot. We have had some fights but have came back to discuss things after we cool off. I usually want to make sure that both of us come to an agreement on something where both of us feel we win in the decision. It may not be exactly what we want separately but together, it may make sense. Open, honest discussion between us is good. It may seem silly to others but it works for us. Discuss and really listen to your partner. Find ways to compromise with each other. Your friends may say some things as a joke about having to do it but do not worry about it. Our lives have enough problems and if we can discuss things, little and big, with our partner, it is a good thing! It has been a process and continues to be one for us but I enjoy knowing that I can talk to Husband about anything. I know that I trust his decisions on some small things and I only hope that he feels the same about some of my decisions. In the famous words of mothers everywhere, "Try it! You might like it!"
Jennifer
