The Inexpensive Wife

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Is there something that your loving partner complains about you overspending on? Mine came up the other day and I had to laugh. We’ve had our first really cool crisp mornings, I love them. I love the bedroom being cold and the bed with lots of blankets and quilts and a nice warm husband in it.

 

But when I get to my writing room I love my gas logs on to warm my feet. This year, before I even asked, Nick turn on the gas and lit the pilot for me. Heaven… but he added as he left the room, “Don’t run it all the time!”

I had to laugh. I remember well when things were pretty tight money-wise. House payments, car payments, college tuition for LJ all when Nick was out of work for nearly two years. But Nick and I were raised by parents who had lived through the great depression and we knew how to both cut back and save.

 

It was just instinct for him to remind me to watch the gas bill. But I didn’t let him get away with it. I told him I’d rather save money by him not sending me expensive flowers every 

week, to stop buying me jewelry, we wouldn’t buy a new car every few years or taking exotic vacations. Maybe I’d cut down on the designer clothes and forget about the Louboutin shoes. Except, he doesn’t sent me flowers. I don’t wear any jewelry except my wedding ring. I get a car every ten years or so and the last one I got was my first new car ever. As for vacations, if we go anywhere it will be his choice. I’m a home body. I haven’t bought new clothes in a year and I’ve never had designer anything. As for Louboutin shoes… forget it! I’m more of a Skechers girl.

So since I’m not demanding any of those things, I asked him, “Just where should we put the money we'll save if I cut down on the gas bill? The golf course perhaps?”

This was not a fight in anyway, just friendly teasing. I have no doubt that through the cold weather months, each time the gas bill comes, Nick will come to the writing room telling me the exactly how much the bill is, and I’ll answer, “And worth every penny!”