My Savvy Shopping Rubbed Off on My Hubby

I strive to never pay more for something than I absolutely must. My bargain shopping has often caused contention between my husband and me. I will never forget the first time the two us went grocery shopping together. We had just started dating, and this trip for was for his groceries. He had two small children to feed, so he needed a variety of items.

He rushed through the store and grabbed things on the run. He never even looked at the prices. We were still in “love is blind” stage, and I didn’t want him to think I was someone who would harp on small things. He was the one paying, and I was a new girlfriend. I stayed quiet for as long as I could manage while I mentally calculated the amount of money he was overspending.

I could not stay quiet when I saw him put a $4.00 bottle of ketchup in his cart. This all happened in 1999, and $4.00 was an insane price for any condiment. I could not remain silent when $4.00 ketchup was in play. I asked him why he chose that brand. When he told me he didn’t know, I took him by the hand and schooled him in savvy shopping.

I made him look at the price range of the various brands. I knew he had an aversion to all things generic, so I ignored the 50 cent store brand. I pointed to the 89 cent brand name ketchup that was right next to one he chose and asked him what was wrong with that brand. By the time we were finished with that shopping excursion, I had saved him approximately $40.00 without buying a single generic item.

Fast forward nineteen years, and he’s on the hunt for an article of clothing. He needed new overalls, which he wears to work on our land and equipment. He had looked all over town for a pair, but couldn’t find any that fit or were within the range of he wanted to pay.

We had lunch together this afternoon, and afterward he stopped at our local Sutherlands. We were driving by, and he whipped in to see if they had any Carhartt overalls that would fit him. What he means by fit is that they must be big enough for him wear two or three layers of clothing beneath comfortably.

He is a tall guy with long legs who walks everywhere in a hurry. So, he asked me to wait in the truck while he ran in to see if the store had what he wanted. I happily agreed because it was frigid outside, and I wasn’t interested in examining plumbing fittings or light fixtures today. Trust me, that’s exactly what would have happened if I went inside. As it was, he dashed inside and returned ten minutes later with a pair of overalls and a huge smile.

He situated himself behind the wheel and asked me to guess how much he paid for his Carhartt quilted overalls. I have bought these things for him before, so I know how much they usually cost. I gave him my guess, and he delighted in telling me he got them for about a third the regular price. My honey bought a pair of Carhartt overalls that retails for $99.99 and only paid $30.00. He saved $69.99!

He’s come a long way since those days of $4.00 ketchup. I’m so proud of him. Thank you for reading Ozarks Maven! If you’ve enjoyed my little seeds of wisdom and joy, please subscribe to Ozarks Maven, Like Ozarks Maven on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @OzarksMaven.

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