Vent: DH & grocery shopping

[NCRedding]

For the last several months, I've been making a deliberate effort (which my family knows about) to eat home, and use our stock from our freezer and pantry. It's been a little difficult, because DH claims to be on Atkins, so I've been very careful to plan meals around his "diet". When he's not home for dinner, DD and I eat a lot of pasta, etc, which we love, but I want to support DH in his diet.

Anyway, I always ask DH if he needs or wants anything from the store before I go. Last night I got home from work to find he had gone to the grocery store. He came home with:

5 large family sized (12 servings) of frozen meals--lasagna, chicken pie, beef pot pie. First, if I knew he would eat it, I make a very healthy and good chicken pie, and there are only 3 of us--we don't need 12 servings of anything at one sitting. Plus he shopped at the expensive store, and even on their sale, these cost more that I could have gotten them for at the cheap store.

15Packs of luncheon meat. Again on sale, but more expensive than the good quality meat that we have in the meat drawer. He put it in the freezer.

2 cartons Premium Orange juice: DD isn't an orange juice drinker; I'm on WW so I prefer to eat my fruit than drink it, and last time I checked OJ wasn't on Atkins.

2 pints of blueberries: The only fruit I don't really care for. Hard to eat without something else with it. DD does not eat blueberries.

12 rolls of bounty: NOT on sale. You BBs know how expensive bounty is when it isn't on sale, plus it goes on sale every week almost. Also, the storage area where I keep paper towels is completely FULL of the towels which I bought on sale.

12 rolls of Charmin: see above about Bounty--not on sale, not needed.

Ziplock bags: again, not needed--we have 5 boxes of each size he bought.

4 boxes of ice cream:again, I'm on WW, he's on Atkins, and DD is not a big fan of ice cream (she loves most fresh fruits and vegetables).

So, DH spent almost $200 and we have nothing to eat. Of course, when I pointed out some of these things to him, he sulked and implied I was overly-critical. Sorry so long, just needed to vent! I just feel like I was making progress and now I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Then, when I point out my issues, I'm made to feel like I'm being ridiculous.

 

[minnie1928]

For the last several months, I've been making a deliberate effort (which my family knows about) to eat home, and use our stock from our freezer and pantry. It's been a little difficult, because DH claims to be on Atkins, so I've been very careful to plan meals around his "diet". When he's not home for dinner, DD and I eat a lot of pasta, etc, which we love, but I want to support DH in his diet.

Anyway, I always ask DH if he needs or wants anything from the store before I go. Last night I got home from work to find he had gone to the grocery store. He came home with:

5 large family sized (12 servings) of frozen meals--lasagna, chicken pie, beef pot pie. First, if I knew he would eat it, I make a very healthy and good chicken pie, and there are only 3 of us--we don't need 12 servings of anything at one sitting. Plus he shopped at the expensive store, and even on their sale, these cost more that I could have gotten them for at the cheap store.

15Packs of luncheon meat. Again on sale, but more expensive than the good quality meat that we have in the meat drawer. He put it in the freezer.

2 cartons Premium Orange juice: DD isn't an orange juice drinker; I'm on WW so I prefer to eat my fruit than drink it, and last time I checked OJ wasn't on Atkins.

2 pints of blueberries: The only fruit I don't really care for. Hard to eat without something else with it. DD does not eat blueberries.

12 rolls of bounty: NOT on sale. You BBs know how expensive bounty is when it isn't on sale, plus it goes on sale every week almost. Also, the storage area where I keep paper towels is completely FULL of the towels which I bought on sale.

12 rolls of Charmin: see above about Bounty--not on sale, not needed.

Ziplock bags: again, not needed--we have 5 boxes of each size he bought.

4 boxes of ice cream:again, I'm on WW, he's on Atkins, and DD is not a big fan of ice cream (she loves most fresh fruits and vegetables).

So, DH spent almost $200 and we have nothing to eat. Of course, when I pointed out some of these things to him, he sulked and implied I was overly-critical. Sorry so long, just needed to vent! I just feel like I was making progress and now I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Then, when I point out my issues, I'm made to feel like I'm being ridiculous.

I have the same problem with my DH. Thankfully he only goes to a grocery store about 2 times/year.

 

[Lisa_M]

I have the same problem with DH too! I have no tips for you, except the last time DH bought 10 Hungry Man dinners to take for his lunch every day, I took them back. He has high triglycerides, the LAST thing he needs is that crap. He was really mad at me, but hasn't purchased them since.

I've been harping on him for the last two weeks to pack lunch and not go out. He has gone out every day except 2 for the last two weeks and spent almost $10 each time. How do I know? He refuses to use cash so I see it on our bank account or CC and can't understand why I care so much about us using cash (attempting Dave Ramsey with no support).

I feel for you. Don't let him go shopping or go with him.

 

[starwood]

I would at least take the receipt and return the paper towels and the ziplock bags.

I sent DH to the store when I was sick and wrote out a list - I put Nature's Promise and on the next line cage free eggs (they were on sale). He came home with Nature's promise butter (I had margarine on the list) and Land of Lakes cage free eggs (not on sale).

They think they are helping but....

 

[mjkacmom]

I've done atkins, and there is no way lasagna and chicken pot pie are on that diet - a few carbs will totally stop the chemical process of fat burning. Heck, a cracker will cause a 5 pound weight gain! DH stopped by this cool hispanic large grocery store, and bought a FIVE POUND can of stuffed grape leaves (couldn't resist, only $5). It's been sitting in the cabinet for about a year now.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

My DH has done our weekly grocery shopping for the last 2 weeks. I hate grocery shopping so he's taken the shopping list and gone so I don't have to.

He's done a good job sticking to the list but last week he came home with a HUGE $17 bottle of olive oil. He said "it was on the list and we use it alot so I got a big bottle".

 

[maggiew]

I guess I should feel lucky that DH hasn't stepped foot in the grocery store in the entire 18 years we have been married.

Maggie

 

[Praying Colonel]

A couple of things here:

--From experience, I can tell you there's no way you can do low carb by winging it. I found I had to make a weekly menu ahead of time, then make my grocery list from that. It requires a lot of discipline, and if your DH is a "free spirit," that may not be the best plan for him.

--DW is the "free spirit" in our family, and that includes grocery shopping. She goes without a list and just browses the aisles and picks up what looks good. I'm the one who has to do the shopping or we'd spend twice as much as we would otherwise and still not get everything we need. So it's not just a "DH thing," ladies.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

My husband is actually fairly good at shopping. He will go with a list, and pick up what is on it. He will NOT use coupons though. He hates going with me if I have a big coupon order. I've found if I give him a list with the brand, the size, and the amount, he does really well.

Jen

 

[merekc]

I too have a DH that I hate to send into the store. We always end up with a Family Size pack of good-quality steaks at about $50+ for the pack.

Maybe they are going with the philosophy...if I screw it up, I won't be asked to do it again.

 

[ceecee]

That is almost funny if it didn't really happen! You at least are stocked with TP and Bounty towels for a while! My DH never grocery shops either and if he does stop in for something always manages to find donuts and chips to add to the order!!!

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I too feel your pain! DH has had a lot of extra time lately so "helps out" by going to the grocery. He doesn't look at prices, doesn't use the coupons, buys some crazy stuf, and we have had soooo much junk food in the house. At least he does buy things we will eat. I have tried to keep a good attitude and remember that he is trying to be helpful. And I have returned a couple of things.

 

[Jsme]

That is such a man thing. They go where is close. Get what looks good at the time. And never think about price.

Recently I was very sick and had to send DH to the grocery store. Believe me I was desperate if I sent him. I knew he would only go to one grocery store and I knew he would refuse to go to Walmart. Off her goes, he had to call me to question the whipping cream to buy. He went on as he stood int he isle telling me how much each item was he had in his cart. I was freakin out but did not say too much. I told him he could go to Walmart where things were at least $1 less per idea or just pay for what he was getting. He shocked me to say he was going to put back the items and go to Walmart. He came home and said he could not believe how much more Food Lion was then Walmart. lol We figured the savings and for the 5 items he was buying he saved over $5.

Now do I think he would do this again? No. lol I cringe when I think of him going to the grocery store.

 

[npmommie]

I guess I should feel lucky that DH hasn't stepped foot in the grocery store in the entire 18 years we have been married.

Maggie

really??? not even once? wow

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I am very lucky, my DH is great at grocery shopping IF I give him a specific list. It has to have every single item that we need on it though so it's pretty tedious, like when I go I won't write down things like milk that I know we get every time, but I have to write it down for him. He started shopping for me when I was pregnant for #5 because I tired out easily. Now I normally do it, but last week I wasn't feeling well so I went to Walmart and asked him to go to Food Lion to buy some sale items with coupons and he did awesome. He bought what I specifically had on the list, used my coupons, plus I was able to say "check to see if they have any meat marked down" and he came home with some awesome deals on stew beef and ground beef. Oh, and to make it even more remarkable, he took our "spirited" 5yo DS with him (but I did put a candy bar for DS on the list, lol).

 

[Adi12982]

I am so sorry!! That really blows. Can you return the non-perishables. Most grocery store's I have been to will take them back - I'd be taking the bounty, charmin, ziplocks, and the frozen meals back.

Thank you for reminding me how thankful I am for my DH - he doesn't buy anything if it i s not on the list. . . . hopefully your DH will get on the same page as you soon!

 

[Praying Colonel]

That is such a man thing. They go where is close. Get what looks good at the time. And never think about price.

Excuse me, but this DH makes at least 4 different stops when I do the weekly grocery shopping:

--A local farmer's market where I can get in-season veggies grown locally;
--Wal-Mart, which has the lowest prices in our area for meat and canned goods;
--Meijer, which has the best prices and selection for veggies I can't get at the farmers market;
--Kroger, for anything I don't get/can't find at the other 3.

I'm the one who's pricing cost per oz. or cost per serving, to the point where DW doesn't want to go with me anymore because she doesn't want to get that deep into the weeds on pricing things out.

OK, I now return you to your regularly-scheduled husband-bashing, already in progress.

 

[WDWorBUST]

Excuse me, but this DH makes at least 4 different stops when I do the weekly grocery shopping:

--A local farmer's market where I can get in-season veggies grown locally;
--Wal-Mart, which has the lowest prices in our area for meat and canned goods;
--Meijer, which has the best prices and selection for veggies I can't get at the farmers market;
--Kroger, for anything I don't get/can't find at the other 3.

I'm the one who's pricing cost per oz. or cost per serving, to the point where DW doesn't want to go with me anymore because she doesn't want to get that deep into the weeds on pricing things out.

OK, I now return you to your regularly-scheduled husband-bashing, already in progress.

Would you come be my personal grocery shopper

I hate grocery shopping almost as much as my 5 year old DD who makes it absolutely miserable does! My DH actually does a pretty good job when I send him with a list....even when I don't he doesn't buy anything too far out there!

 

[Laura]

Excuse me, but this DH makes at least 4 different stops when I do the weekly grocery shopping:

--A local farmer's market where I can get in-season veggies grown locally;
--Wal-Mart, which has the lowest prices in our area for meat and canned goods;
--Meijer, which has the best prices and selection for veggies I can't get at the farmers market;
--Kroger, for anything I don't get/can't find at the other 3.

I'm the one who's pricing cost per oz. or cost per serving, to the point where DW doesn't want to go with me anymore because she doesn't want to get that deep into the weeds on pricing things out.

OK, I now return you to your regularly-scheduled husband-bashing, already in progress.

You sound like my DH. I just follow him around the grocery store and buy things that are shiny and brightly colored.

He's even trained to know what's vegetarian and what isn't!

 

[robsmom]

Excuse me, but this DH makes at least 4 different stops when I do the weekly grocery shopping:

--A local farmer's market where I can get in-season veggies grown locally;
--Wal-Mart, which has the lowest prices in our area for meat and canned goods;
--Meijer, which has the best prices and selection for veggies I can't get at the farmers market;
--Kroger, for anything I don't get/can't find at the other 3.

I'm the one who's pricing cost per oz. or cost per serving, to the point where DW doesn't want to go with me anymore because she doesn't want to get that deep into the weeds on pricing things out.

OK, I now return you to your regularly-scheduled husband-bashing, already in progress.

I am going to join your in that I have say my DH is a good food shopper. We almost always go as a family. I have the outside aisles (bakery/deli/veg/fruit/dairy/meat) and he has the inside aisles (cereal, soda, paper products, canned stuff, etc.). We meet somewhere in either the meat or frozen foods! We go through a lot of diet coke and he is totally in tune with the pricing - knows when cans are good or 2-liters. He only buys Papertowels, tissues, TP, detergent etc. when on sale. We make no list. He knows what is in the pantry and shops based on what we need and what is on sale. Sometimes he will go through the line without me and buy the limit and then come back with his cart for the second round together.