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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Massive disagreement over the way of food shopping (DH and I)

232 replies

igotvegandbreadforyou · 23/04/2020 11:11

NC for this topic as I'm going to discuss an argument/disagreement between DH and me had last night and he would hate to be identified in RL.

We have been strictly sticking to the lockdown rules and I've stepped out of our home only three times so far, all for food shopping. DH has been out almost everyday but for his once a day exercise or/and visiting his very isolated allotment. He goes out only early morning, usually comes back home at around 7 am. He says no one is around as it's so early.

My first trip to our local Tesco Express was with DH - he drove and waited in a car and I went grab stuff. It was at the opening time so very quiet.

The second trip was to our local corner shop and I went alone on foot (3 mins) in an evening. My friend told me the shop was usually very quiet in the evenings (7-8 pm) and I needed milk and bread for DH (I don't need them). DH didn't like it as he believed early morning was the best time to go but it was quiet as my friend said and I got what he needed - he needs lots of milk for his cereal and snacks on toasts daytime. So this didn't develop into an argument.

The third trip was to our local Tesco Express by car - this was last night and I went alone. Earlier the day, DH said we were running out a few essentials such as vegs and bread so we would need to go shopping again soon. I heard our local Tesco was fairly quiet in the evenings so decided to go. I am the cook in our household so I really wanted to fill our fridge to feed my family the next day.

When I got back home with three huge shopping bags, I started sterilizing them as I always do then had a shower as I always do. I got a lot of yummy stuff which would make DH super happy the next day. But he wasn't happy and he got very very angry that I went shopping...

His point was that I was risking my family by going out for shopping. Apparently I was being selfish and irresponsible. He thinks we should only go out once two weeks and only very early morning.

I can see what he means but as the one who plans meals, once two weeks is a bit too ambitious. I would like to go at least once a week. Some of my friends go twice a week! We have a teen boy who eats like a horse too. Also, I think it doesn't matter if I go in the evening or morning as long as the shop is quiet. I can see early morning may be 'cleaner' as fewer people have entered the shop on the day but evenings work better for my schedule.

I argued back to him that if I was selfish because I went shopping for family (and it happened only three times so far) he would also be selfish that he would go out for his exercise every single day. I had asked him to buy milk and bread on way home sometimes (then I don't need to go shopping so often) but so far he hasn't done this and always comes back home empty-handed. I think he thinks going to shop is high risk in general, but it's very early morning which is the time he thinks the safest to shop.... I have no intention to push anyone to do something they feel unsafe or uncomfortable so I had never ever complained about it. But last night I pointed this out too. At this point he wasn't listening to me so I am not sure how much he heard what I said.

This morning, I said 'good morning' to him but he ignored. Clearly he is still very angry. But I know he would happily eat whatever I prepare using the stuff I bought yesterday.

I understand he is only trying to protect us so his anger is coming from good intention but I feel he is forcing me what he believes best and zero understanding nor flexibility to try to see what I think fine to do. I wear a mask and gloves, clean all the items I bring into our family home, have a shower straight and wash all the clothes I wore outside. I think I am doing all I can to be responsible and at very least I go out to get what my family need not just for exercise to fulfil my need.

Am I missing anything here? How could I make him see my point? Or phahaps I need to understand his views more? Please tell me your thoughts! I may show DH this thread if needed...

OP posts:
QuestionMarkNow · 23/04/2020 12:10

Stop cooking and tell him he is the one in charge of the cooking AND the shopping.

Let him deal with it his way (and struggle)

artistformerlyknownas · 23/04/2020 12:10

I need more than milk and bread as I need to feed our teen so I still have to go even if DH starts shopping them by himself. DH has two boxes full of emergency foods so he can survive without shopping for many days I guess.

Hang on, why on earth don't you share food? Why do you have the responsibility of feeding your teen rather than both of you having it, and why does your DH have boxes of his own food??

vanillandhoney · 23/04/2020 12:12

I need more than milk and bread as I need to feed our teen so I still have to go even if DH starts shopping them by himself. DH has two boxes full of emergency foods so he can survive without shopping for many days I guess.

What do you mean you need to feed the teenager, but your DH has boxes of food for himself?

BarbedBloom · 23/04/2020 12:14

We have to shop twice a week as our fridge and freezer are absolutely tiny and the landlord won't let us get a larger one - it was an issue before the pandemic. Well my DH does as I can't go out. I let him decide when he goes and we both meal plan.

I think he is being unreasonable. I also don't blame you for showering and disinfecting. Someone we know has just died from Covid, same age as DH without underlying health conditions. It has made a few people we know a lot more cautious

Sn0tnose · 23/04/2020 12:15

DH didn't like it...I got what he needed...So this didn't develop into an argument.

he wasn't happy and he got very very angry that I went shopping

Clearly he is still very angry

his anger is coming from good intention

All I’m hearing is either a man with anxiety who isn’t coping well with the current situation or a controlling man with anger issues.

You are taking every reasonable precaution you can. He’s not willing to help by doing the shopping himself on his way home from his exercise or his allotment so that only one person from the household has to go out. He’s not willing to cut down on his daily snacks and milk consumption. He needs to help out and calm himself down.

DrinkingInTheNightGarden · 23/04/2020 12:15

It worries me you’re so caught up in this. I’d be telling my husband to basically shut the fuck up (even those exact words if he dared be like your DH)....I’m the chef so I do the shopping as and when I see fit.

The dynamics of your relationship sounds very uneven and if I was a friend of yours I’d be concerned.

CrystalTipped · 23/04/2020 12:17

Early morning is probably one of the busiest times of day. Everyone gets the same bright idea, must avoid the rush "later" and you end up standing in a queue for 45 minutes.

We went to Tesco at 3pm on Friday and it was very quiet, no queue to get in, no queue to pay..

Wearywithteens · 23/04/2020 12:18

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

Rubyroost · 23/04/2020 12:18

I live in the middle of nowhere and even I can access click and collect. Are there any deliveries or c and c you can get?

CrystalTipped · 23/04/2020 12:18

Are you guys shielding?

BarbaraofSeville · 23/04/2020 12:19

Sounds like another man who has never given grocery shopping any kind of thought, but is now wading in with ideas about how it should be done that simply do not work, in the world that we live in now, or at any time at all for that matter.

If he wants to dictate how it is done, he needs to do it himself. He also needs to make sure he sticks to the household budget, buy sufficient food to last until he deems it is allowed to go shopping again, and is suitable for making into actual meals for everyone, plus makes sure he buys necessary non food items like toilet paper, cleaning products, sanitary protection, toiletries, etc etc. Not just a load of bread, milk and emergency food for him alone.

You also need to get yourself out for some long walks too OP and forget about all this mask, gloves, showering, washing and sanitising nonsense. It's really not healthy.

Cambionome · 23/04/2020 12:19

You are an intelligent sounding adult and as such are perfectly capable of making your own decisions on when and where you go shopping, especially as you do all the cooking! Who put him in charge??

He sounds like a controlling arse and you sound like you are tiptoeing around him, op. And what's all this about him having boxes of his own food?? Confused

Something not quite right here tbh.

saraclara · 23/04/2020 12:20

@Rubyroost I don't live in the middle of nowhere, and have two decent sized supermarkets nearby. But my nearest click and collect supermarket is ten miles (30 minutes) away.

Not everyone lives your life.

Rubyroost · 23/04/2020 12:21

Just saw that about him having boxes of emergency food. Now that IS weird. Is he in the army or something and has loads of dehydrated meals in packets?

HollowTalk · 23/04/2020 12:21

DH has two boxes full of emergency foods so he can survive without shopping for many days I guess.

What? He has his own boxes of food?

AmelieTaylor · 23/04/2020 12:21

Why doesn't he do the family shopping then?

Lots of things sound odd,but there's possibly a cultural difference too.

If necessary you could write a list.

Why does HE have 'emergency boxes of food'? Why aren't they for all of you?

Xiaoxiong · 23/04/2020 12:21

he believed early morning was the best time to go

On what basis does he believe this? The corner shop people said the opposite. Everyone who actually goes out to shop says the opposite. Certainly round here, afternoon/evening is MUCH quieter to shop than early morning.

If you are doing the meal planning and the shopping, then you decide when and how you buy the food. I'm amazed you even have storage space for 2 weeks' worth of food, we certainly don't if we're not going to eat veg from the freezer and tins in the second week. If we were shielding it would be a different matter of course, but then no one would be leaving the house at all, no exercise, no allotments, nada.

igotvegandbreadforyou · 23/04/2020 12:21

We both have a bit of health-related history. I am more so than him perhaps as my weak area is the lung and bronchi.

OP posts:
igotvegandbreadforyou · 23/04/2020 12:22

No delivery nor click and collect available in my area.

OP posts:
CrystalTipped · 23/04/2020 12:24

If you're more vulnerable than he is, he should be doing the food shopping!

TimeForChange123 · 23/04/2020 12:27

He needs to sort himself out sharpish. This virus seems to have made a lot of people start to lose their minds.

Rebootingagain · 23/04/2020 12:28

You must literaly live in the middle of nowhere? Yet have a corner shop?

Nearly everywhere round here has adapted to doing deliveries or click and collect. Farm shops, corner shops, pubs, restaurants, takeaways, cleaning supplies.

If you chose to never leave the house it would be very easy. I am surprised any area hasn’t adapted the same to be honest

PipGirl404 · 23/04/2020 12:28

Missing the point of the thread but I'm still finding it crazy that people actually wash their shopping...

JudyCoolibar · 23/04/2020 12:31

You don't need to sterilise all the shopping. You can simply wait three days before unpacking the stuff that you don't need immediately or that has to go in the fridge.

Maduixa · 23/04/2020 12:32

How often to go out and under what circumstances is of course open to discussion, especially if there are existing health issues and someone in the household genuinely feels someone else is endangering the household by going out too often and/or in unsafe circumstances. But it has to BE a discussion, not a decree from him (with him sulking rather than continuing the discussion if he doesn't immediately get his way).

Unless your household can do without fresh food for several days and have ample space for frozen/tinned/dried, I'd think once a week is a minimum if you have no access to delievery. But do plan that once a week trip, with a shared list everyone can add items to and review before the shopping trip. Then you can also see how many things on your list wouldn't keep for two weeks or can't be bought in bulk. (If he's able to bring back loads of fresh veg and fruit from his allotment that might make a difference, but it seems too early in the year for that.)

What time of day to go has to be up to the person going. "Mornings are best" is just his opinion/(limited) experience, and yours is no less valid - probably better informed as you've been shopping and he hasn't. If he's willing and able to do the shopping himself, following a detailed list, and get everything necessary even if it involves substitutions, then let him pick the time and go next time.