Wife spends too much money on stupid crafts

[Anonymous]

I spend that much on crafting...but for my nine-year-old daughter! The boxes from Amazon keep on coming, and every package provides hours of childcare so I can do my day job and have peace of mind while spending so much time with my kids.

Places like Michaels and JoAnnas would cause me to have a meltdown pretty quickly. Thank goodness for Amazon.

But the crafting clutter is enough to make me insane.

[Anonymous]

I don’t buy because of the clutter.

I’d rather have a horse!

[Anonymous]

I love you OP. Keep on posting. This is an entertaining thread.

[Anonymous]

It does seem like you're judging her for what her interests are. I feel like people need to have the freedom to pursue their own interests regardless of their spouse's opinion of those activities. If it's the spending and clutter you want to address, then can you figure out how to discuss it without insulting her choice of activity? She may be stressed or anxious, which can play out in a binge-shopping kind of way, so be sensitive to that. There's plenty of online advice about establishing better communication with one's spouse so maybe check it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Consider yourself lucky, OP. She could have a horse.

-horse owner who pities her own DH

Yes, horses can be expensive. But I'm not pitying the husbands of women who like to ride!

[Anonymous]

Not OP. I am all for people having hobbies, but assembling useless decor that is sold by a profit-driven chain is financially wasteful and bad for the environment. Knitting is useful, or repurposing old jars and boxes, or making stuff out of scrap wood. But 90% of what’s sold at Michaels’s is crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not OP. I am all for people having hobbies, but assembling useless decor that is sold by a profit-driven chain is financially wasteful and bad for the environment. Knitting is useful, or repurposing old jars and boxes, or making stuff out of scrap wood. But 90% of what’s sold at Michaels’s is crap.

My SIL is like this and their home is full of hokey 'Be grateful' or 'Family is Love' stuff. Even her lazy Susan has some platitude on it. It's just tacky AF and I know my brother just tolerates her bad taste. He works a lot as a business owner and pretty much just goes home to sleep, eat, shower. All the PPs who say "It's a hobby" would change their tune when they realize the hobby is costing at least 4 figures a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not OP. I am all for people having hobbies, but assembling useless decor that is sold by a profit-driven chain is financially wasteful and bad for the environment. Knitting is useful, or repurposing old jars and boxes, or making stuff out of scrap wood. But 90% of what’s sold at Michaels’s is crap.

It is crap. But housewives need something to do. Everytime I walk into that store I'm so grateful to G-d that I have meaningful employment.

[Anonymous]

Is the money a strain on your budget?

I tend to do this with homeschooling supplies lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait...there is a Hobby Lobby in our area?

There’s one in Leesburg at least. Near the outlet malls.

Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DW can go nuts at places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Each trip she comes back with bags of stuff we don’t need and to me, it’s a $150-200 that could have gone to groceries or utilities. Not to mention the clutter and I am failing to see the appeal of scrapbooking and painting mason jars that take up time and space. She justifies her purchases by claiming that they were on sale but I think that just makes it worse because she will get way more stuff. These are things that have no use and if I could, I’d return them all. How do you get your spouse to see that they’re wasting money on things that are so stupid?

How much do you spend on alcohol every month, OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DW can go nuts at places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Each trip she comes back with bags of stuff we don’t need and to me, it’s a $150-200 that could have gone to groceries or utilities. Not to mention the clutter and I am failing to see the appeal of scrapbooking and painting mason jars that take up time and space. She justifies her purchases by claiming that they were on sale but I think that just makes it worse because she will get way more stuff. These are things that have no use and if I could, I’d return them all. How do you get your spouse to see that they’re wasting money on things that are so stupid?

How much do you spend on alcohol every month, OP?

OP. Less than $50 a month because I don’t drink often.

[Anonymous]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE HOBBY LOBBY !

[Anonymous]

Why buy something for $8 when I can make my own for $96 in supplies? The age-old question...

[Anonymous]

OP, are you generally stingy? Can you agree with her on a budget