Dave accused me of wasting his hard-earned money on groceries — but his luxury demands were the real problem, and I made sure he learned that. We’ve been married five years. When we wed, I had a steady job but quit because Dave, who works in finance, insisted I didn’t need to work. I kept a small side hustle, but mostly I managed the home. Dave’s obsession? Luxury groceries. Forget regular steaks — he wanted A5 Wagyu beef flown from Japan at $200 a pound.
Not just a pound, but five pounds at a time. Then there was white truffle oil, saffron for risotto (which we never made), pricey sea salt, $600-per-pound civet coffee, and imported French butter. Our grocery bill once hit $950 for a week’s worth of food. When I told Dave the total, he exploded — accusing me of wasting his money. I reminded him these were his orders, but he blamed me anyway. Fed up, I devised a plan.
I started using my old, cheap things instead of the luxury upgrades Dave bought — my old purse, hand mixer, even driving my old sedan instead of our fancy SUV. Then I announced our next dinner party would be potluck-style — no Wagyu, no expensive groceries. Dave was shocked and sulked. Afterward, I sat him down with six months of grocery receipts, breaking down how much his luxury tastes had added to our bills — over $3,500 extra.
He was stunned.MI told him: If he wanted to call me wasteful, he could pay me back for all the expensive extras he insisted on. Dave apologized, admitting he hadn’t realized the cost. We agreed to be partners in managing money — no more blaming, no more extravagant groceries. Since then, things are better. No more ridiculous luxury food. Just a budget we both respect — and a happier marriage.