what to do when your spouse doesn't "get it"...ss that is!

[FarmerChick]

I am happy that Tony notices most I do.........he might say in passing, hey the bathroom looks great......or hey the LR looks great. oh well, I like that.

BUT most he misses which I don't care at all. He does his thing, I do mine and I sure don't require praise for all I do...---but him, if he washes dishes he must be praised....like he did an extraordinary thing on this earth!! LOL-----I don't mind giving him that praise cause it means he will do it again. Kinda like dog training I guess.

He could care less what cleaners I use etc. and never asks me about them at all.

 

[MissJames]

What do you do when you try to be thrifty, or frugal and your spouse just doesn't see the point? I have slowly tried to convert my husband and I have gotten him to recycle most of the time (I still pick stuff out of the trash if I see it in time), he has started to be a little more conscious of what he spends but that is hard cause I do the books, and he usually will donate his used clothes (have to dig some of those out of the trash too).

He will wear something one time and then decide he doesn't like it and get rid of it. I try to get him to try stuff on in the store but he hates trying on clothes. He won't save his receipts so that he can take it back, he just chucks it. He is a paper towel/napkin junkie! I never use them unless i have to clean up runny chicken poo off the porch. I compost and have a worm farm. He will dump everything into the trash. Sometimes I can catch him and he'll save stuff for the chickens or the worms.

I just feel like he doesn't "get it". He constantly buys our kids useless crap and says that "I should be able to spoil my kids if I want to, I might not be here tomorrow." My response to that has always been, "Well, what if you are and they turn into ungrateful, spoiled, wasteful, self-centered brats that are uncontrollable by the time they are teenagers?" He just rolls his eyes.

How do you make them see???

You can't,but what YOU are doing is making a difference.

 

[valmom]

I don't have any real ideas, but if anyone at all has any way to get RID of the DARN paper towel fetish I'd appreciate it! Everything has to be done with a paper towel.

I don't get it. I have cloth everywhere for wiping and cleaning, as well as a sponge for all reasons (which I sterilize in the microwave so they don't smell). Why throw away a piece of paper for everything??

That said, the home made laundry detergent has gone almost unnoticed. The jams are a hit. The maple syrup this spring is a hit. The chickens are, of course, a hit. I think it is just the paper thing that gets me.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I don't have any real ideas, but if anyone at all has any way to get RID of the DARN paper towel fetish I'd appreciate it! Everything has to be done with a paper towel.

I don't get it. I have cloth everywhere for wiping and cleaning, as well as a sponge for all reasons (which I sterilize in the microwave so they don't smell). Why throw away a piece of paper for everything??

That said, the home made laundry detergent has gone almost unnoticed. The jams are a hit. The maple syrup this spring is a hit. The chickens are, of course, a hit. I think it is just the paper thing that gets me.

Just STOP buying paper towels. No way better than cold turkey.

 

[freemotion]

If he is like my dh, he will just go out and buy the paper towels himself. In the giant packs from Costco. It's not worth the fight. I caught dh using a cloth napkin last night instead of a paper towel, so just put them in his hand when you can do so nicely, like just setting the table with them. And if you use the cloth yourself, it will cut the household use down dramatically.

I was just wondering today, as I refilled my foaming soap dispenser with Dessert Essence liquid castile soap, which I am almost out of.....I wonder if the laundry soap would work in the foaming soap dispenser? Might have to whisk the lumps out a bit more first, but I think I might just give it a try next time one is empty. Anyone try this?

 

[TanksHill]

I love foaming hand soap. I think that's one thing I may have to try and hang on to. I stopped buying paper towels last fall. We use a gazillion hand towels, rags and cloth napkins but definitely worth it.

My dh is coming around. Especially with the economy he sees my efforts paying off. He actually likes to brag about my hens.

 

[Beekissed]

Had a lady to visit today that really wants to learn more about SS living but her hubby is very negative and sarcastic about her ideas. I will admit that I don't think she has the focus to carry it through, but I hate listening to someone's negativity over SS right now. Its like describing the view to a blind man....he's just not going to be able to relate at all!

His ideas all focus over borrowing money to finance his own business, hers is focused around making more money at work and she is also wanting to learn how to grow her own food. I hope they both realize that, right now, the best way to make money is to stop spending money.

 

[me&thegals]

I don't have any real ideas, but if anyone at all has any way to get RID of the DARN paper towel fetish I'd appreciate it! Everything has to be done with a paper towel.

I don't get it. I have cloth everywhere for wiping and cleaning, as well as a sponge for all reasons (which I sterilize in the microwave so they don't smell). Why throw away a piece of paper for everything??

That said, the home made laundry detergent has gone almost unnoticed. The jams are a hit. The maple syrup this spring is a hit. The chickens are, of course, a hit. I think it is just the paper thing that gets me.

Hide it?

 

[gettinaclue]

Valmom,

I wish I had the answer! My husband is addicted to papertowels! He leaves wads of them all over the place!

I tried not bringing them home but he'll just stop to pick some up.

I just tried cutting the roll in half and he just pulled off twice as much to make up for the loss.

I tried the select-a-size and that doesn't seem to be that big of a help.

I'm getting to the point that I just want to beat him on the head with my shoe. LOL

At the same time, if this is the worst I have to put up with, I'm just gonna hush up about it. DH is supportive in everything else, so I'll just thank my lucky stars and drive on.

But if you should ever find the solution.. SHARE!!!

 

[Beekissed]

And to think I used to envy you married gals!