To think dh has no clue how much things cost. Does yours?

[Idbeloveandsweetness]

I went shopping to tesco last night and as usual spent around £100 for three of us to last us just over a week. Dh can't understand how I'm spending so much but he will only eat brand names products (don't get me started) and good meat and fish.

I gave him a little quiz on the current cost of items in the shops. Here are his answers:

1st class stamp: 25p (60p)
2 pints of milk: 50p (90p)
loaf of bread: 60p (1.20)
2 chicken fillets: 2.00 (5.30)
Six free range eggs: 90p (1.70)
Jar of coffee: 1.00 (2.50)
Washing tablets: 1.00 (4.00)

No wonder he thinks I'm spending a lot! He has no idea! Would your dh / dp know? I think dh may have to do the shopping next week!

That's loads for chicken, I buy from the butchers and get about 10 chicken breasts for a tenner. I wouldnt payover a fiver for 2 breasts

I'm the same as complex and so is DH in principle. But as he does all the housework (including washing and ironing) I'm responsible for cooking and shopping so he trusts me to spend only what we need to and i don't moan about him always using exactly the recommended amount of washing powder and "extra water cycle" because he's put a full load on.

Although as I'm also responsible for family budgeting I'm probably a bit more price conscious than him generally.

DH isn't actually that bad with food shopping. It's kids clothes he hasn't got a clue about

My eldest daughter grew about a foot overnight a little while ago so I took her shopping. We bought a pair of trainers, a pair of school shoes, a couple of pairs of jeans, a couple of hoodies and some tops, all from places like H&M and Matalan so nothing high end. DH was shocked by how much we'd spent, where I thought we'd done really well to spend as little as we did

I identify with your DH a bit here because my idea of how much things "should" cost is stuck in the 1990s:

Bus fare: 30p
Can of coke: 50p max, prob 33p
Maccy Ds extra value: 2.88
Bar of chocolate: 50p tops and even that would be central London kiosk prices
Guardian: one pound if that
Main course meal: six or seven pounds
Pint: 1.60
Cereal, washing powder, toothpaste etc: free substances that magically appear in the house care of my mother

Needless to say, adulthood leaves me feeling constantly ripped off.

I'm not sure how much this is a male thing or a zign of (relative) affluence. I am painfully aware how much things cost, but my mum jusf grabs things off the shelf and gets irritated when I start pointing out that a different size or brand is on special offer.

My DH would only know the price of the beer that he buys from Home Bargain and the cost of bread that he buys from the local artisan bakers each week - other than that, the cost of living passes him by. He probably wouldn't even have a clue how much we pay for the mortgage, electricity, phone etc, if he was asked, as I deal with all the finances for a good reason

It's fruit that bumps up our bill - DH eats about £10 worth every 2 days. Started taking him shopping and making him pay at the end.

Mamalove - DH used to complain about how much I spent on haircuts until I pointed out that I go to the hairdresser twice a year at most and spend £35, whereas he goes every fortnight and spends £5-10 each time. Never had a complaint since

I agree with bogeyface it's like when they ask a celebrity how much a pint of milk is in Heat to see if they're still grounded. Op send him to the supermarket with your set amount and no list and let him do all the planning and shopping himself.

I think as well, everything that has gone up 50p or £1 doesn't seem a lot to be increasing the bill by when you say it like that - but when you add it all together then it's an extra £20 for the same family shop, it does seem a lot.

ComposHat - i think that might be true, we can just up our monthly food budget by £200 and it's not really a big deal, but I know most people don't live like that.

And they say there's no need for feminism......

The only thing I knew on your list was the first class stamp (12 shillings in old money). And that's because I buy a book of them for cash now and then. I have noticed, in my defence, that chicken breasts have got hugely expensive. And that a jar of Kenco decaff was cheaper than the refill yesterday. How is that? (£/g).

I think that you are BOTH stuck in the past if he thinks that those are realistic prices, and you think it's acceptable for you to have sole responsibility for your domestic shopping. It's not funny, or quaint or cute.

When he was working he never got how much stuff actually cost, I was the one who did all the shopping. But since being unemployed and doing the shopping himself quite a lot now he never moans about how much I spend (as he usually spends more when he goes).

Absolutely he does - we do the shopping together so he's fully aware of what things cost and how long things last.

My husband probably does more of the grocery shopping than me at the moment. I'm not sure if he would know how much stuff costs, probably not. However, neither would I!

I am shocked at the price of half a dozen eggs though! We buy 6 eggs for 75p from our neighbours.

Feel your pain, OP. My DH cannot understand how I can spend so much money in the supermarket. He has never bought a stamp in the ten years that I've known him. Why would he? He knows I'll always have some! He also apparently thinks that all baby products are free, as he has expressed surprise that I've been spending even more since DD was born 10 months ago!

My DH is good with food but seems to think the DC clothes grow on trees....he's all when I explain that a pack of good quality undies is almost a tenner for the DC. I won't buy cheapo undies because they go awful so fast and are a false economy.

Mine has no idea. And he always want coke. Proper coca cola, never supermarket own. I wouldn't mind, but he works in the same place where I do the shopping

I think we need an Aldi intervention.

I had this with my Dh constantly bring moaned at - this being the man that wants 2 chicken breasts for dinner for example, won't eat Pasta or jacket potatoes for dinner only really expensive stuff like fillet steak and fancy fruit - not just a bag of cheap apples, won't eat sandwiches for lunch but wants fancy salads with cooked chicken and loads of it - you get the picture.

I sat down wrote down an average monthly meal then costed them out plus toiletries etc.

Guess what it can to what I was spending.

He finally shut up and if he ever moans again he gets pasta for dinner which he hates and he's suddenly not so bothered about the cost. Funny that.

We spend £700-£800 a month for 3 of us which is a lot but unless dh is prepared to change his eating habits I don't see what we can do!

DH knows what things cost. Or to be more realistic, might not be able to quote exact sums if tested but has a pretty good idea and, more importantly, has never been known to whinge at the cost of the shopping. We eat well, he recognises that this isn't going to result in tiny little shopping bills.

Unlike my ex who assumed I could easily feed a family of four on less than a tenner.

Yep my Dh would know, as he eats in our house he also does part of the shopping, baffled at how many men apparently think the cupboards refill by magic.

First time I sent dh out to do a weekly shop for our then 3 person family he spent ?300 I nearly fell over. He bought mops and ironing board covers even though we already had them, every fruit, vegetable and type of bread known to man he was tescos dream customer if they had it he bought it but I persisted he has got the hang of it now .

I don't think that good quality food counts as a waste of money if you can afford it. Yes, it's good to count the pennies and save what you can, but good health is the best investment you can ever make. You can't buy your health back.