My husband's new job might put him in situations where he needs to dress business casual at times, rather than in uniform. Since he rarely dresses that way I wanted to make sure he had something current to wear when the need arises.
My plan was a pair of dress slacks, two shirts and a pair of shoes. I was hoping to spend $100 or less.
It didn't happen. What happened was, he saw my desire to take him shopping as a shopping spree. I did try to explain to him what I thought he needed. In the end I just went with it because honestly it has been years since he had new clothes. I just hope he actually wears this stuff!
He got a sport coat, two shirts, a tie, a pair of shoes, one pair of dress slacks, and a belt from Kohl's for $265! I started joking with him at one point if he needed a tie clip, a new wallet and handkerchiefs too. At least those items were not needed. We did get 15% off and I used my rewards card which netted me a $15 reward.
Guess what? Once he heard I had that reward and $10 off a $25 men's apparel purchase he suddenly needed new jeans. Well he did NEED new jeans...there was a hole in the crotch. I was expecting to buy one pair, but his mind says if one pair is good, I might as well stock up and get two! He and I really do think differently at times. Another $50 spent at Kohl's the next day after the big splurge.
It sounds like I'm complaining, I'm sure. Logically, I know we can afford these purchases and they are needed and should all get used. Emotionally, it was overkill in the amount of things he needed to buy and the outflow of cash right now is just stressing me out! I want it to stop. I think he isn't tuned into the cash flow, so that is something to work on and figure out how to communicate better about.
Have you spent over $300 on clothes recently? What did you get?
Took My Husband Shopping
March 2nd, 2015 at 03:52 pm
March 2nd, 2015 at 04:03 pm 1425312217
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March 2nd, 2015 at 04:22 pm 1425313332
Our (my) problem is this. He can spend what he needs to spend, or even wants to spend, that's fine. He works really hard and he earns a lot of money and if he thinks he needs a thousand dollar suit then he probably needs a thousand dollar suit.
But since I'm the one who has to balance the budget, it has me seeing red when he just all the sudden spends $900 or so on one weekend of internet shopping with no advance warning so I can plan for it and then I have to go to the Emergency Fund savings account to buy .... clothes. Uugh. I can feel myself getting tense and the blood pressure rising just thinking about it. And then he doesn't believe he spent $900 and I have to add up all the receipts to prove it.
I finally used YNAB and figured out what he spent over one year and I try to build up a reserve. But we still get into it every once and awhile we he glances at the budget and sees that number accumulating and says "No Way I Spend That Much!!!!"
Uh yes, you do. We actually hardly ever fight about money but this has always been a sore spot for us. Well that and the amount of closet space his work wardrobe commands.
March 2nd, 2015 at 05:25 pm 1425317136
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March 3rd, 2015 at 01:09 am 1425344969
I can understand why you were feeling stressed about the money - I was feeling annoyed at spending so much on shoes myself.
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