Ask Permission or Beg Forgiveness Royal Mess

Model Grandpa wrote:

In my further attempt to find out which is easier, to ask permission or beg forgiveness from the wife, last week I ordered both the Eduard Fw190A-8/R2 and the Polikarpov I-16 Royal Class kits that a certain mail order company had on their sale flyer.  Low and behold when the wife brought me home from chemo today there was a box sitting on the porch.  The wife asks, "What did you order?"  So I guess you already know I didn't ask permission.  So I answer "couple kits that a mail order company had on sale. On sale, had to buy them Dear."  Now I don't know why that works with women shoes and not with model kits but it doesn't. The next excuse didn't go over much better, which was "I'll sit on them a couple months and sell them at a profit."  She mumbled something under her breath like "just like the last fifty kits you bought" or something to that effect.  So I guess my question is which excuse should I try next?

Dan,

How about the "I'm sorry Honey, I thought I was entering the part number for a jar of paint but must have accidentally entered the wrong one and got this kit instead.  It would cost as much to return ship it as the kit cost."  How about that one?

Give it a try...

If it doesn't work, check back here IMMEDIATELY and we'll find you another one.

Sheesh.....

Amateurs.

That's not going to work....

Try this:

"Oh look honey- there's a model kit attached to this diamond necklace!"

Works every time......

No luck Frank.

Jon, funny thing is a picked up one of those for her for Christmas yesterday.  Do you think I should buy another and give it to her now?

Wow, I don't have an answer for you.  I know my wife probably wouldn't say much.  Her usual line is 'You never buy anything for yourself.' Today she just put a bid on a silent auction for a painting.  I saw the painting (pretty nice) and didn't say anything to her.  I think this surprised her. 

One thing I have going for me, I can run faster scared that she can mad.  .  Makes Speedy Gongales look slow. 

Sleep with one eye open.

PaPa-John

PaPa-John wrote:

One thing I have going for me, I can run faster scared that she can mad.  .  Makes Speedy Gongales look slow.  Sleep with one eye open.

Now THAT'S funny!

I've found that I have very little success trying to convince my family of the great benefit of very low pricing, of online shopping, especially my step-father.  But I'd have better luck bleeding a turnip than convincing him to open his wallet to buy anything a'tall, much less on a measly hobby.

Instead of having to deal with the hassles of that stuff, I worked out an agreement with another family member to have my stuff shipped to her place.  I can then sneak it in when nobody's paying attention.  I have also worked out the same deal with the neighbor, depending on how quickly I need the item being ordered.  There's no need for lengthy explanations about why I had to buy something when they don't know about it. 

Sorry to break it to you Dan, but after trying different excuses eventually none will work... she'll catch-on, sometimes sooner than later. 

What I found worked best... 

First I reminded her how much I miss my old hobbies - racing, building my old muscle cars, drinking with the boys, my Harley, etc...
Then a few days later I mention to her I'm looking at an old car to restore or a new canoe or motorcycle that I want.
Now she knows I'm getting restless and feeling antsy. She realizes cabin-fever is setting in again so starts asking me what can we do that won't break the bank. I sulk and mope around the house for awhile feeling all misrable.
Finally I quietly say - "Well if I can't get the car I was looking at, think I can pickup a model so I can at least pretend I'm rebuilding an old car?"
Usually all she'll say is make sure we can afford it. She doesn't even ask me how much it will be any more, as long as I shut-up and stop moping around the house.

Note: Eventually she will say - "Stop acting like a little kid and just tell me you want another model kit. This sulking and moping routine is getting old."

Or you can just keep bugging her that you are in the mood for whoopie.

And with that my friend you can start to feel as though you might wear the pants in the house once again... someday.  

Model Grandpa wrote:

No luck Frank. Jon, funny thing is a picked up one of those for her for Christmas yesterday.  Do you think I should buy another and give it to her now?

Only if there's a model attached to it!

Seriously though, my wife and had some minor conflicts over my model buying. But she knows the hobby means a lot to me, not only for enjoyment, but also for a ministry I have with modeling. Yet she also pointed out that at times my spending was getting out of hand. (The Ebay bug hit me hard at one point....) So we basically came up with a budget for my modeling, and really just made sure we both removed it as a point of conflict. Since we both approached it with the attitude of not just meeting halway- but going all the way to meet each other's needs- we grew in the process!

So I'd encourage you do maybe try that. It helps to do so over a nice dinner. LOL 

jwb wrote:

Model Grandpa wrote: No luck Frank. Jon, funny thing is a picked up one of those for her for Christmas yesterday.  Do you think I should buy another and give it to her now? Only if there's a model attached to it! Seriously though, my wife and had some minor conflicts over my model buying. But she knows the hobby means a lot to me, not only for enjoyment, but also for a ministry I have with modeling. Yet she also pointed out that at times my spending was getting out of hand. (The Ebay bug hit me hard at one point....) So we basically came up with a budget for my modeling, and really just made sure we both removed it as a point of conflict. Since we both approached it with the attitude of not just meeting halway- but going all the way to meet each other's needs- we grew in the process! So I'd encourage you do maybe try that. It helps to do so over a nice dinner. LOL

And another diamond necklace!!

Oh you guys, I'm just kidding, the wife and my relationship is great, we never question each other hobby purchases, she quilts and as long as we're not spending the mortgage monies it all good.  I also paint paintings and she never question when they're a box of art supplies on the front porch, she knows I needed something.  She'd probably be upset if I stopped hobbying and because a total couch TV spud. 

mfsob wrote:

Ummmm, guys? If you feel you have to bribe your wife with a hideously expensive piece of jewelry so you can pursue your hobby, then you have a seriously unbalanced relationship that needs some major overhauls. Where is it written that the wife gets to dictate everything? Just my as one of the happily formerly marrieds.

Uh, I think this was a stab at humor.

I'm sorry your marriage didn't work out. Mine happens to be just fine, I just happen to enjoy kidding around and my wife knows that. She has no problems with any of my hobbies. Hunting, shooting, reloading, fishing, my guitars and, yes, model building.

Hey, you guys know that you can have UPS OR Fedex deliver to where you work, right?

I also always offer to stop at the post office to check the box.

Now explaining away that closet full of kits, that's another story...

ok this works ALL the time

i'll use squadron for this example

they ALways have decals on sale for 99-1.99 each always

order one  with your order

i tell her i ordered a sheet of decal and 1-2 jars of paint  before the pkg arrives

then i explain how they get special shipping rates (and it keeps costs down) by using a uniform size box  no matter what they ship   when the box arrives     you only should have to do this once   (twice if she's polish)

works every time

C'mon guys, MAN UP! Just tell the girls that we work hard for our money, we'll spend it any way we want, and to start worrying about what they're going to cook us for dinner and not about what we're buying. Sure, throw them a bone or two every now and then, like a new vacuum or frying pan. Heck, maybe even splurge and get 'em a new blender for your after-work marguarita. They deserve it.

Now you'll have to excuse me as I'm tired and have to go make up the couch! Oh and sleeping with one eye open is easy. It just takes practice!

cwalker3 wrote:

C'mon guys, MAN UP! Just tell the girls that we work hard for our money, we'll spend it any way we want, and to start worrying about what they're going to cook us for dinner and not about what we're buying. Sure, throw them a bone or two every now and then, like a new vacuum or frying pan. Heck, maybe even splurge and get 'em a new blender for your after-work marguarita. They deserve it. Now you'll have to excuse me as I'm tired and have to go make up the couch! Oh and sleeping with one eye open is easy. It just takes practice!

Chuckle.So are we to take it that this is what you want carved on your headstone, or simply read at the wake afterwards... 

Model Grandpa wrote:

Oh you guys, I'm just kidding, the wife and my relationship is great, we never question each other hobby purchases, she quilts and as long as we're not spending the mortgage monies it all good.  I also paint paintings and she never question when they're a box of art supplies on the front porch, she knows I needed something.  She'd probably be upset if I stopped hobbying and because a total couch TV spud.

Couch Spud.  Haven't used that turn in quite awhile.  I'm beyond that point, I have turned into a Couch Potato Chip.  Like a piece of coal, is nothing but a diamond in the rough.

PaPa-John

Just fess up: you're a bargain shopper and a kit collector. No need to sugar coat it or dodge the fact. She can relate to that, I'm sure (I wouldn't get petty about her shoes or Beanie Baby collections, though).

Robert Loius Stevenson said we're all born salesmen, starting from our first cries for milk and drooly, toothless smiles. Since this is really about selling her on something you want, try a tidbit from "Sell Anything," by Deaver Brown:

Turn this whole thing around - ask her what she would like to see you spend and then work with her on it. Notice its not an option, you're gonna spend. But, you need her input, to see to it that she is satisfied on the matter. Work with her to meet your needs, instead of trying to slip one past her. She won;t be expecting that. It takes two to tango... and make a deal, after all.

What's all this nonsense I'm seeing about a second diamond necklace?!  Sakes alive, man - didn't you already pay way more than you should have for the first one?

Get her the matching earrings instead.

alumni72 wrote:

What's all this nonsense I'm seeing about a second diamond necklace?!  Sakes alive, man - didn't you already pay way more than you should have for the first one? Get her the matching earrings instead.

alumni72 wrote:

What's all this nonsense I'm seeing about a second diamond necklace?!  Sakes alive, man - didn't you already pay way more than you should have for the first one? Get her the matching earrings instead.

lol...good angle, I like it.

You cats are hopeless! What makes you think any of this is even working? there is nothing a man can hide or secret that a woman cant cipher out. She may not know all the details, but she KNOWS something is afoot.

Take my advice and come clean. Get out of the shadows, follow my sales pitch and youll be a lot better off. Its painful at first, but it is the best way to go.

dahut wrote:

You cats are hopeless! What makes you think any of this is even working? there is nothing a man can hide or secret that a woman cant cipher out. She may not know all the details, but she KNOWS something is afoot. Take my advice and come clean. Get out of the shadows, follow my sales pitch and youll be a lot better off. Its painful at first, but it is the best way to go.

Dahut! I don't know about the rest of the guys on here but, I do believe that a lot of these posts are an attempt at humor. Have you heard of that? Now, don't get upset. Just trying to show this in it's perspective. There was a post earlier about the fact that he was proud to be formerly married and basically insinuating that we, who were posting in humor, were a bunch of woose's. 

To be serious. I used to be a licensed firearms dealer. More of my 'buys' and 'deals' were more for me than any customers. My wife didn't have a problem with that and she sure doesn't have a problem with my models. Really. Just trying to have a little fun here. It's suppose to be fun and enjoyable.