When you're part of a couple, there are a lot of tasks the two of you need to do together. Budget is a big one. Agreeing on finances can be very tough, but it's something that every healthy relationship needs to thrive. Sometimes, when money gets tight, couples need to do what they can to make things work. That means sacrifices are often made.
One woman went on Reddit's popular subforum of "Am I the [Expletive]?" and told a story about a financial situation currently happening at home. Her situation seems a little sketchy and strange, but it's interesting to note how the internet sees it from an outside perspective.
"My (F33) husband (M37) works at an advertising company," she wrote. "We're struggling a bit financially because we're saving up to purchase a new apartment. He is used to eating fast food and it was costly. He had no problem spending money daily on fast food, and after doing the math, he spends more than 300 a month on just fast food." That's quite a lot of cash.
She mentioned that the area they live in is expensive. So every time he goes for a fast-food lunch, it ends up being around $20. "I talked to him about it. He agreed that I make sandwiches for him to take with him to work," she said.
She figured that this solution would help in a lot of ways. Not only would it save some money for them to move, but he'd be healthier because of it. No matter what, a homemade sandwich is a better choice than a constant trip to McDonald's or Burger King.
"Everything was going on well," she said. But she noticed something a little peculiar.
Which is strange, since she asked for his feedback. "I noticed he wouldn't respond when I ask whether he liked the sandwiches I make," she said. "But kept asking me make more than 2 since he was hungry." That's a bit suspicious — and also adds extra expense to the prep.
Finally, more information came to light when they invited company over. "Yesterday, he came home with his friend and co-worker," she said. "We sat at dinner table and his friend brought up the sandwiches I make for my husband. And how delicious they are. I thanked him then he said the price was a bit much."
That's when the truth was revealed — and the double and triple sandwich prep made more sense. "I asked him to explain and he said my husband sells the sandwiches I make to his co workers then goes to buy his own lunch from the restaurant," she explained. "I was stunned my husband denied it. I began arguing with him after his friend left."
Her husband felt like he did nothing wrong.
"He said there was nothing wrong with it," she said. "I told him I will no longer be making him sandwiches if he's selling them to buy fast food. He defended himself calling this an overreaction since he's not spending money on fast food and said I was being unfair to start an argument over this."
But you have to admit — there was something shady happening. Not only did his wife not realize that she was feeding his coworkers, but she had no clue that he was profiting over her hard work. She put in the effort for no real reward.
As the sandwich maker, she has every right to stop making them. In fact, she had every right not to make them even when she was under the impression that her husband was eating them. It was a generous and loving act that wasn't appreciated the way it should have been.
He actually expected her to apologize for stopping the lunches.
"I just walked into the bedroom and stayed there," she said. "Then he said I owe him an apology for God knows what and he didn't think it was acceptable of me to lash out and say I won't make him sandwiches anymore." Again, it's hard to see how the husband thinks he's correct here.
While many Redditors felt like she might have a profitable business if her sandwiches are in such high demand, that wasn't necessarily the advice she was looking for. Still, it's a big compliment. That said, mostly everyone was on board with the fact that she did nothing wrong and shouldn't have to apologize for anything.
One Redditor stated the absolute truth. "Why on earth would she keep making them when she's seeing zero value from it?" they asked. "The only reason she made the sandwiches was to stop him from wasting money, she probably didn't love it but it felt worth it. But it turns out he's still wasting money but now he's got her doing unnecessary work to cover it. If the husband wants a side hustle, he can do the hustling himself."
Plus, he's a full-grown adult.
There comes a time in every young man's life where they need to learn basic survival skills. It's not like his wife is sending him off with fancy homemade lobster ravioli. If he's looking to profit from these sandwiches, maybe he can learn how to make them himself. But that never seemed to come up during their argument.
She added some more details in the comments about her feelings, making her story even more sad. "He ignored that I make so much effort trying to make him a variety of sandwiches," she said. "And taking time at night to prepare everything. Not to mention going to the grocery store and buying the things he prefers. He makes about $15 a day by selling sandwiches and goes to buy his lunch from the restaurant. He said I shouldn't feel mad since he's making his own money to buy his own lunch. But I'm not accepting what he did. I'm hurt and I wish he understood how I felt."
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize this guy's taking advantage of her. "Making his own money" shouldn't be based solely around her hard work. Let this be a lesson to all spouses out there — when your partner does something kind for you, appreciate it and realize that the gesture was filled with love. This woman put thought into these sandwiches as an act of love, but he only saw them for financial gain.
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
