I’m anxiously anticipating separation and am looking to cut costs. After reviewing expenses I realized how many of them are from trying to keep my sanity:
WH won’t do housework. When I worked p/t and kids were little or f/t and he was retired he didn’t help. I was sooooo very frustrated but I remembered Dr. Laura saying " don’t divorce your husband over housework" and my friends telling me to " let it go". Well I couldn’t let it go so we’d fight. His solution? Housekeeper #1
Yard work. What do you think? The yard always looked fine to him, he never went out anyway, was always on the tv or computer. I recall mowing the lawn at eight months pregnant, fighting. So of course his solution: Gardener #2
I love to cook, like Babbett’s Feast I plan whole parties around eating, all of our friends for Passover, both our office holiday parties, actually I do a Hanukkah party, Cooked breakfast, lunch ( DS didn’t like school lunch and DD couldn’t eat sandwiches b/c of transplant) and dinner for 17 years while he worked. He retired and would call me at 5:30 as I’m driving home from work: " hey, what’s for dinner?". I’d get so mad I didn’t want to cook. So he handled it: dinner out all the time #3
WH’s best friend’s wife started working for a car dealership, needed to do a lease deal but WH liked his truck so naturally I fell on the sword: BMW #4 ( this cut will hurt)
Painting, fixing things around the house. I’m sure you can guess. I painted the deck every year, painted the living room while he drank a beer. Am I going to figure out how to fix the sprinklers while he’s watching tv? No. Handyman #4
Lemons can give lemonade, not gonna lie. He wouldn’t wash dishes, feed, walk or cleanup after dogs. Another point to fight about. His solution was great but not perfect: pay the kids to do it. This has turned out well. Kids wash dishes, feed and walk dogs, I mostly clean up though because I can’t " let it go". But when the kids aren’t home it’s all me. God forbid I’m visiting my mom and take the kids for the weekend: return to dogs with dry water dishes. (My solution is a man-friendly one: leave the toilet seats up). Cost is just kid allowance. #5 I’ll continue this.
TV. I hate tv, he loves it. If he’s home it’s on. He falls asleep in front of it, needs every channel. Everything included cable bill #6
I think that will add up to a $2400 savings
