Wednesday, March 24, 2010

You can never come with me again!

That is what I told Hubby on Sunday after he accompanied me to the grocery store. Was I being mean? Probably. But......

Usually, I spend $50 - $60 a week at the grocery store. I could spend less, but since the kids moved out, we splurge a little more than we used to. Oh, and our kitties like to eat and poop and their food and litter is in my grocery budget.

The weekend before last, I only spent $22 at the grocery store. I was pretty psyched, thinking that a few trips like that and our big meat purchase would be within the grocery budget and not "extra."

WELLLLL....Hubby decided last Sunday that he would go to the store with me, since it had been years since he went with me. He will go, on occasion, to pick up something he wants that he forgot to tell me about, or even to get extra deals if they are really good.

My list included mostly free and cheap items...free toothbrushes, free dental floss, free sponges, free and close to free pasta. And a lot of cheap stuff. The only things I had on the list that were not "deals" were milk, some produce, black pepper and jalapenos.

After we went through the store and Hubby found a lot of stuff that we apparently "needed", but didn't know it until he saw it, we headed to the checkout. Hubby went on out to get the car to come pick me up and I checked out. Even after I handed over a PILE of coupons, my total was still $85!!!! Sure, I saved $90, but I have not had a $85 grocery bill in many, many years and that time it was for a huge holiday meal I was throwing for my family.

I know....I know....to a lot of people $85 is not that bad. But I was just in shock! I paid, went outside and Hubby drove up to get me. We loaded the car, got in and headed home. And Hubby said,

"How badly did I blow your budget?"

He knew he did it. LOL! I told him he could NEVER, EVER go to the grocery store with me again. Then I told him not to worry, since I didn't want him thinking that we were going to have to go to debtor's prison to pay for our food. LOL!

So, does anyone else have to ban their hubby from the grocery store?

15 comments:

Annie Jones said...

Kat thinks grocery shopping is boring, and she often distracts me from keeping a close eye on prices or making sure I hand my coupons to the clerk.

If Shane goes, he tries hard to point out good deals, but usually the prices he thinks are good really aren't. :( He doesn't often ask for things not on the list, though, and if he does, it's usually just one item per trip.

Really, I just prefer to go by myself.

Pam said...

My son is okay to go with as he helps me coupon. However, both my daughter and my hubby come by with all kinds of junk that we "need." They may not go to the grocery store with me.

Frances said...

Hubby IS good about taking a handful of coupons and getting stuff for me, so we get done quicker. If only he did "need" extra stuff. LOL!

In his defense, we do have a little extra cash to splurge. If we didn't, then he wouldn't.

spaghetti0625 said...

That's too funny that he 'snuck' out to get the car! I love going grocery shopping and I try to plan to go during early hours (either during lunch break or right after work) so DH normally doesn't go. But when he does, he is pretty well trained. He knows if he sees something, he must see if it's on sale and if I have a Q. If it's not on sale, he won't bother to ask. If it's on sale, he'll ask if I have a Q and if I don't, he puts it back and says to keep my eye open for a Q for that. I don't know how I trained him so well, but he caught on pretty quick! He HATES when people stop me and ask me about Mr. Q (Q Binder). I also LOVE when he comes b/c he bags :)

Frances said...

Hi, spaghetti0625! Thanks for coming to visit.

I guess I have given a bad impression of Hubby! LOL1

Hubby didn't "sneak" out. When we go shopping together, he will usually leave me at the checkout, go get the car and come pick me up when I get outside, so I don't have to walk all the way to the car. He thinks I am delicate or something. LOL! (It is REALLY nice when it is raining.)

Hubby is usually like your hubby and can wait for a great deal for almost anything. But, we are a little extra "flush" right now, so I must admit, we have both been a little less frugal.

Now, to get back on the bandwagon and leave the rest of the extra cash in the bank.

McVal said...

I don't take my husband because he's either trying to get me out of the grocery store, complains about what he "could" be doing, or he inhibits my spending... Do we really need that? What's that for?.. AHHH!!

slugmama said...

I do much better shopping alone. Between not being pestered and my calculator I can usually keep on my game. My kids are NOT allowed to come to the store. They torpedo the budget every single time...plus I have to put up with teen eye rolling and attitude. It's so not worth it.lol

DH on the other hand is good at the store. After this long, he KNOWS better than to throw things in the cart....he wants to live.lolol DH is NOT much help though at the store in terms of figuring out deals but he is good to go and fetch stuff in other aisles that I forget. The only problem with that is he has to have a detailed description of the item &/or what shelf it's on/what it's next to/etc.

I would have heart failure too(especially if I wasn't expecting it)if my bill was $85 in one fell swoop...unless like you, it was a 'holiday meal' shop.

Frances said...

Hi, McVal. Thanks for coming to visit!

We do not need anyone inhibiting how we shop! LOL!

Frances said...

Hi, slugmama!

I feel kinda bad that I made Hubby out to be this sneaky, throwing crap in the cart shopper. LOL!

He really, really wasn't that bad. He did ask before tossing stuff in the cart and when I said no to a few items, he put them back.

Like Annie's Mac and Cheese was on the "buy 8, get $4 off" deal. He picked up a couple and I told him if he wanted those, we had to get 8 of them. (I already had all my 8s worked out.) He said, "We don't need that many." And put them back.

(We already have at least a dozen boxes of mac and cheese from a recent deal. We don't eat them often, but our kids take them when they come shopping.

Sheila said...

My husband isn't allowed to go with me either--and I wish I didn't have to take my kids either--I always end up spending so much more than when I am alone. They are all big on junk food--that doesn't sound right---but they all could stand to lose a little weight!! HAHA If they go, I come home with bags of chips, dip, cookies and frozen things like pizza rolls, ice cream and the list goes on!!!

Frances said...

Hi, Sheila! Thanks for coming to see me.

I can tell it is getting close to lunchtime. Your list of junk food is making me hungry. LOL!

Sonya Ann said...

How could you ever get upset with sweet knees?
I know that you will get it back under control and soon.

Frances said...

SonyaAnn, I cannot stay upset with Hubby. He is just so darn cute!

Helene said...

I don't have a husband but when shopping with a thrifty former boyfriend every time we went anywhere he said "you don't need that." NOw every time I shop I always hear those words. Ugh.
I go shopping by myself. Although I have been training my son in coupon shopping. He was hooked after 12 free LOreal shampoos then the 39c for 5 Breyers last Fall.

Frances said...

Oh, Helene, I would get irritated is someone told me I didn't need something. I don't want much, but when I need it, I need it. LOL!

Thanks for coming to see me!