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Thread: Ever hide tools from your wife??

  1. #61
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    Northern Illinois
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    739
    Quote Originally Posted by Rich Engelhardt View Post
    The two edged sword....

    When we first got married (32 years ago), I did all the bill paying.
    I let a credit card bill go one month and got tagged a $10.00 late fee.
    I blew it off - but my wife had a conniption over it.
    Ever since then, she's the one that pays the bills .
    (Best $10 I ever spent in my life!)

    The downside is that she goes through each bill with a fine tooth comb.
    I can't sneak anything past her so I don't even try.

    She's got me trained pretty well though. All she asks when I buy something is if I shopped around for the best price.
    I had the same checkbook experience. It took several deliquent notices and late fees but now my wife pays the bills. However, she has learned how to monitor both the checkbook and credit cards on-line. So there is no slipping any of those expenses past her. However, cash is not tracked so I simply need to save up cash and pay for tools that way. In general I simply tell her after the fact, and that I used my "tool fund".
    Wood'N'Scout

  2. #62
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Salt Lake City
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    1,506
    Every time I buy an expensive tool or piece of audio gear I am grateful I am not married.

  3. #63
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    Grottoes, VA.
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    905
    Quote Originally Posted by Zach England View Post
    Every time I buy an expensive tool or piece of audio gear I am grateful I am not married.

    You just have to marry a supportive woman....

  4. #64
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    Jun 2009
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    Salt Lake City
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin W Johnson View Post
    You just have to marry a supportive woman....
    And keep separate bank accounts.

  5. #65
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Trussville, AL
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    3,589
    My Wife just green lighted buying a Record 405 from Patrick Leach and said happy Father's day!

  6. #66
    I never hide anything. My wife is diametrically opposed to sharpening stones, because I sort of have a thing for them. I have another one coming tomorrow. guess who will be there when it arrives - not me!

    I had a box of planes sent to a buddy's house one year when the seller wanted to ship them while I was away for vacation. My wife still thinks I'm getting stuff shipped there and picking it up on the sly.

  7. #67
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Carlsbad, CA
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    Best thread ever - I just blew coffee out of my nose Laughing!

    I LOVE the whole "shoe vs. tool" economic equilibrium calculus and the "not an addiction but an occupational hazard implying a sacrifice for the greater good" - Awesome!

    And here I thought I was the only one. Thanks all for the laughs!
    Mike

  8. #68
    Sue and I reached an agreement 25+ years ago when we became empty nesters and the disposable income shot up significantly. I don't ask her about what she spends on golf and she doesn't ask about my tools. The only corrollary to this rule is that if the joint account is to be used for any amount over $500 notice must be served that a purchase is to be made. Since starting Chester Toolworks as a side business 7 years ago none of "our" money has been used to buy tools. Having a woodworking related business has great benefits. We have always been honest with each other and I have never tried to sneak a tool into the house. Spousal presents yes, but tools no.
    Dave Anderson

    Chester, NH

  9. #69
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    The Hartland of Michigan
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    7,628
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Kent View Post
    I value my wife's trust more than any tool.
    Same here.
    Neither one of us makes a purchase without the other knowing about it.
    Has kept us together for 44 years.

    If I had to hide something I bought, so she wouldn't know about it, then I really didn't need it.
    Never, under any circumstances, consume a laxative and sleeping pill, on the same night

  10. #70
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Las Cruces, NM
    Posts
    125
    When we first started out I explained two very important rules.

    1. You will buy "cheap" the rest of your life, or have "quality" for a lifetime.

    2. Every job requires a new tool.

    Once she found out these rules apply to her as well as me, she was convinced!

  11. #71
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    2,460
    I never hide tool purchases from my wife.

    But there have been numerous times when I might 'forget to mention' them.

    The goal is to last at least a few months without being discovered and then when she sees it and says "When did you get that?", I can say, "That? Oh I've had that for a while".

    Then change the subject.

    She doesn't really mind because that's where her new kitchen is coming from.

  12. #72
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Terrace, BC
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    519
    My wife of 32 years is very understanding - but not ALL the time. Over the years, I've found that by including tool purchase "overhead" into cost estimates for household projects, I get the tool, she doesn't begrudge the expense, and domestic peace is kept.

    For instance - when doing a renovation which I estimate will cost $1000.00 (just for ease of math), I ALWAYS add 25% for unforeseen "stuff", bringing the estimate to $1250.00 - I THEN add 10% to THAT for tool purchases, in this case bringing the total to $1375.00. The $1375.00 is the number I bring to her for approval. If I end up spending $1100.00 for the actual project, that leaves $275.00 for tool purchases. For larger tool purchases, I keep the "saved" funds from past projects in a separate household account until I have accumulated the required amount.

    SWAMBO is aware of the whole procedure, and has no problem with it - it is UNEXPECTED/UNFORECASTED expenditures that make her see red. As I said earlier - I've been married for 32 years - I haven't made an UNEXPECTED/UNFORECASTED expenditure for well over 25 years, and I have a shop full of tools as well as a happy wife.
    I love mankind. It's people I can't stand.

  13. #73
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Cicero (syracuse) NY
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    104
    A couple years ago, I bought a Domino. I was really excited because I had been wanting it for a while. I MADE my wife come down to the shop and check it out. "see the cool box it comes in"... A year later I go buy a rotex and sneak it into my shop. A couple weeks go buy and she's in the shop. She has no idea what tools I have, so I figure I'm safe. She sees the other Festool box and says "when did you buy that new festool?" Of course I say that's an old tool. She say "no it's not, you showed me that Festool thingy and made a big deal out of the fact that it was your first Festool and that they were really expensive tools, now what's in the other box?" Busted!

  14. #74
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    walnut creek, california
    Posts
    2,347
    rofl but you should be flattered you're married to someone so insightful!

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