Search Results for: blog what makes my spouse act that way

Not Always Joined at the Hip

Jon and I started dating in college, and we were far from the only ones in our social circles to do so. Some of the others would make fun of us, giving us couples’ names, like the media does for dating celebrities (our name was Jangela). It never really bothered me, except for one potential interpretation: was there some truth in the fact that I didn’t do much without Jon? Looking back, I think that I had enough friends and enough things going on in my college life that were separate from my boyfriend. But I could see how it … Continue reading →

Supporting Your Spouse

Long before I met my husband, I was a huge baseball fan…of the Milwaukee Brewers that is. I knew all the players and the positions they played. When I eventually met and married my husband, something changed. I suddenly lost interest in baseball and would sometimes find myself complaining about the fact that all he did was watch sports. Then a few years ago he decided to coach one of our church’s softball teams. That first season I was one of the fans but the following season I became the “stat girl.” When my husband first asked me to do … Continue reading →

Not My Idea of Romance

Not so much for me In my first two marriage posts I mentioned not really adhering to or enjoying “lovey-dovey” relationships. I realized if I’m going to keep using that as a contrast to what my marriage is like, I ought to define how I’m using the term. The simplest way, because otherwise the English major in me will extrapolate the phrase to death, is to do so with a story. My husband and I don’t give each other anniversary gifts, but that wasn’t always the case. When we were younger we did such things because we thought we should … Continue reading →

Walmart Makes Changes to Employee Health Insurance

Walmart will be making changes to its employee health insurance plans. It appears that this will enable the corporation to save money on health care. Unfortunately, the cost of health insurance will increase for employees, and it will be harder for workers to be eligible for it. Walmart might be a good place to shop for people who are looking for low prices. In my opinion, though, Walmart is not the best place to find employment. I’ve never liked the idea of the strange “cheer” that they make workers do every day before the store opens. I also don’t like … Continue reading →

Gamestop Removes Coupon, Sells Game Anyway

Gamestop has done something that frugal people who appreciate the value of a good coupon will consider to be downright vile. They opened brand new boxes of a video game, removed the coupon that was supposed to be inside it, and then sold the game for the full, “new” price! It seems that you cannot be certain that the coupon that is supposed to be inside a product will actually be there. Gamestop sells new and used video games. They call the used ones “pre-owned”. Theoretically, you can bring in used copies of games that you, your spouse, or your … Continue reading →

Getting Your Spouse to Be Frugal

One of the most frustrating things is get your budget down significantly, only to see it blown by a spouse who is not with the program. All of the hard work and careful planning that you do to save money can be unravelled by one impulse purchase or bad decision. So how do you get your spouse or other family member on board? Read on for some tips. Address the Stigmas My friend Bonnie (not her real name because I don’t want to embarrass her) is almost ready to give up on trying to be frugal and save money. Her … Continue reading →

Being Sensitive to Your Spouse’s Needs

My husband gets a little uptight on the freeway. He tenses up, changes lanes, and then says unkind things about the other drivers. Then he’ll calm down again, only to do it all over again a few minutes later. I can’t see what’s stressing him out, but something is. The driver can usually see more than the passenger anyway. This quirkiness of driving shouldn’t really annoy me, but it does. Sixteen years ago, I was in a car accident, and freeway driving makes me nervous in the first place. I’m glad it’s him driving, and not me—in fact, I have … Continue reading →

Do You Know Your Spouse’s Greatest Needs?

I recently got together with a friend who was sharing a secret to her happy marriage. She divulged to me the frequency of her intimate relations with her husband and how in return he met so many of her needs. Those needs weren’t physical, nor were they emotional. They were doing chores around the house. Well I can definitely attest to the fact that I would love to see the dishes emptied, the laundry thrown in or the bathroom cleaned. But does my husband know this? Or do I just assume that he knows? You see, my friend and her … Continue reading →

Responding Instead of Reacting

One of the hardest times to connect to your spouse is when they are acting unlovely. Yes, it is hard to love the unlovely. You almost get this sense of entitlement and say to yourself, “I don’t deserve this treatment.” No one deserves to be treated poorly. Yet not one of us could claim to be without fault in this area. We all slip from time to time and granted, it may last longer than other times but we are all guilty. I always know when things at work are stressing my husband out because he tends to take it … Continue reading →

What Do You Want in a Spouse?

I remember back to when I was about eleven, making a list of all the things I wanted in a husband. I’d been taught that if you write your goals down, they were more likely to come true, so why not set a goal about the kind of guy I wanted to marry? Some of the things on my list were practical, and some weren’t. I had a major crush on Pierce Brosnan at the time (still do, if you want to know the truth) and I decided that I was going to marry someone with dark hair and blue … Continue reading →