starbucks - irritating sense of entitlement.

**ladykemma2** · 04-25-2011, 04:50 AM

dollar-here-dollar-there-so-what-wsj: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

ah. the spender and the free spirit clash again.

**Pemberleyan** · 04-25-2011, 07:31 AM

I saw that article. I can't think of a comment -- just want to roll my eyes.

**Ceashels** · 04-25-2011, 07:41 AM

I read it too.... She was even given the opportunity to have her cappuccino's added to the budget prior but didn't want to cut back on any of her other things. I get the impression that her husband budgeted for the cigars he smoked.

Silly girl.

**ladykemma2** · 04-25-2011, 07:54 AM

all he is asking is that they account for the 1500 in the budget.

**Greebo** · 04-25-2011, 08:20 AM

She wants to have her cappuccino and not budget it too. Poor little spoiled princess...

**Telephus44** · 04-25-2011, 09:17 AM

She wants to be able to spend some of her hard earned money without getting hassled for it. Her husband is obviously choosing to hassle her about her coffee, and not her manicures or clothing. They clearly have enough money that they can spend $100 on a hat they don't need, but he just can't get over the fact that she likes expensive coffee and she doesn't. This is the ideal situation that allowances or blow money was created for.

**Greebo** · 04-25-2011, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by Telephus44

She wants to be able to spend some of her hard earned money without getting hassled for it. Her husband is obviously choosing to hassle her about her coffee, and not her manicures or clothing. They clearly have enough money that they can spend $100 on a hat they don't need, but he just can't get over the fact that she likes expensive coffee and she doesn't. This is the ideal situation that allowances or blow money was created for.

By her own admission in the article, they have a household budget, and she had the opportunity to budget for starbucks, didn't, then broke the deal.

In our household, spending money that isn't budgeted is breaking a contract. Cea and I may play fast and loose with the budgeted numbers - but we ONLY play fast and loose when we both agree to play fast and loose. If I started going to Starbucks or Taco Bell or wherever spending JOINT money that had been budgeted elsewhere without it having been pre-approved in committee, she'd have every right to rip me a new one.

**Judi Dial** · 04-25-2011, 10:10 AM

What amazes me is that somehow she thinks that if her DH isn't bitching about it/indulges her once in a while that it's still working towards "our" goals. Don't you think Joe will get tired of carrying her after a while? I would!

I wonder if she indulges herself at work too? And if she can keep a job because of it?

Judi

**Nishu** · 04-25-2011, 10:17 AM

What's the big deal? They're having a minor budget conflict and they're working it out. At says at the end that they're going to budget for it 2-3 times a week.

**Greebo** · 04-25-2011, 10:53 AM

I dunno if the article even had a point other than to bitch about her husband to a national audience...

**Nishu** · 04-25-2011, 10:55 AM

I did not get the sense that she was bitching about him at all.

**Greebo** · 04-25-2011, 11:24 AM

Granted the written word is open to interpretation, but I got the sense of "I'm bitching" from it - cause I don't see any other point to it.

**imagine** · 04-25-2011, 11:47 AM

I think there are a few things going on.

1) they aren't agreeing on how strict a budget it. He seems to see it as a hard and fast rule. She seems to see it as a thing to aspire to ( thus her like a diet comment)

2) it seems like her love language is gifts. She loves being splurged on my Hubby ( the hat) and splurging on the coffee for herself. It makes her feel special/loved. I think the coffee and the hat symbolized more than coffee and a hat to her. Sometimes the fight for Coffee isn't a fight for coffee KWIM?

I say if you have a spouse that's love language is gifts you have to figure out how to give free gifts frequently and or budget money to spontaneously surprise them with gifts.

**Nishu** · 04-25-2011, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by Greebo

Granted the written word is open to interpretation, but I got the sense of "I'm bitching" from it - cause I don't see any other point to it.

Maybe the point is to give us an inside look at a common sticking point in family finances and how the couple is working through it. There's several points in the article where she suggests that she realizes that she's not being reasonable and it concludes with a compromise on the issue.

Something that I've noticed when posting on the internet is that I can't post about completely normal, friendly disagreements with my husband because people tend to overdramatize it and take sides when it's not necessary. I don't get the feeling that her cappuccino purchases are going to end their marriage.

She doesn't have a crack habit. She's not on food stamps. She has her own job and the article doesn't really give any specifics on their finances. Her mistake here was not creating a separate budget category. We all have indulgences. I really just don't see what the big deal is.

**Greebo** · 04-25-2011, 11:58 AM

Well if she hadn't turned it into a WSJ article it probably wouldn't have been a big deal.

But since she hung her and her husband's laundry out on the line, people are gonna comment on the spots...