When David revealed he’d spent our car savings, I was ashy. But when he said it was for a Paris trip for his mom, I sh0cked. I couldn’t believe it, but I knew I had to do something to teach him a lesson.
As a mom of three kids under 10, there’s never a boring moment. My husband, David, is a great man. But he also has a QUIRK.
Over the years, I’ve learned to brace myself when he starts a sentence with “So, I’ve been thinking…”
He decided to convert our garage into a home gym. “Think of the savings!” he said. “No more gym memberships!”
Despite these quirks, we’ve always been good at handling our finances. We make plans, set goals, and stick to them. Or at least, I do.
After three years, our big goal was to save for a new car.
Now, with three growing kids, we needed something bigger, safer. And we were so close to reaching our goal.
At that point, I thought David and I have same thought. Little did I know he had other ideas. Ideas that would changed my world.
One Friday evening, after a long day of wrangling the kids, I finally got them crammed bed.
That’s when David strolled into the living room, hands in his pockets, with a strange look on his face.
“I did something today,” he said.
“Oh?” I said. “Something good or… one of those somethings?”
David grinned like a kid about to show off a science experiment. “Good! I mean, really good.”
He took a deep breath like he’d been waiting all day to drop this bombshell.
“I bought Mom a trip to Paris!” he exclaimed as his eyes lit up.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “You bought what?”
“A trip to Paris!” he repeated.
“She’s always dreamed of going, and I thought, why not make it happen? She’s done so much for us, so I wanted to give her something special.”
“David… that’s… really generous.” My heart was racing, though. Something wasn’t adding up. “Where did you get the money for this?”
“What savings?” I asked.
“I…uh…used the car fund,” he said.
I couldn’t believe it.
“Wait. You used the car fund? The money we’ve been saving for three years?”
“You figured?” My voice rose, incredulous.
“David, that’s not your decision to make alone! You spent the money we need for a safe car for our kids on a vacation for your mom! That’s crazy! That money was for our kids! For us!”
“It’s my money too! And this is my mom we’re talking about. You can’t put a price on showing gratitude.”
“Gratitude?”
“David, you didn’t just buy her a nice gift or treat her to dinner. You spent our family’s savings on a trip to Paris! Do you even hear yourself?”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The tension hung heavy between us.
“I thought you’d understand,” he finally muttered.
“I would have,” I said, my voice calmer now but still firm, “if you’d talked to me about it first.”
But he didn’t. And as he walked away, I realized that my silence wasn’t acceptance.
Over the next few days, I executed as the supportive wife, nodding along as David talked about the surprise trip for his mom.
“She’s going to love it,” he kept saying, beaming with pride. “She’s always dreamed of seeing the Eiffel Tower. Can you imagine the look on her face when she finds out?”
I smiled through gritted teeth, but my mind was already plotting.
Step one: Call Melissa.
David’s mom, Melissa, has always been sweet and kind to me.
“Lisa! What a nice surprise. How are you, dear?”
“I’m good, Melissa. But I wanted to talk to you about something important.” I took a deep breath. “David bought you a trip to Paris.”
“He what?” she finally asked.
“He used our car fund to pay for it,” I explained. “The one we’ve been saving for three years to buy a safe, reliable vehicle for the kids.”
“Oh, honey…”
“I had no idea. If I’d known, I never would have accepted it! I don’t need Paris. I just want to know you and the kids are okay.”
“Of course,” she replied. “Cancel the trip, Lisa. Family comes first.”
Step two: Call the travel agency.
Fortunately, David had booked a fully refundable package. I wasted no time getting the money back into our savings account.
Step three: Wait for the fallout.
I didn’t have to wait long.
A week later, David came home looking sad. He said, “I just got a call from Mom.”
“Oh?”, I saw him suprisingly.
“She said you canceled the trip?” “What the hell, Lisa?”
I closed my book and smiled sweetly. “Don’t worry, honey. I used the money for something even better.”
David’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? What did you do?”
“I bought the car,” I said.
“You know, the one we’ve been saving for? The one our family actually needs?”
His jaw dropped. “Wait… what?”
“You spent all the money without consulting me?” he finally asked.
“Kind of like how you spent it without consulting me?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Except I spent it on something that benefits our entire family. I think that’s a little different, don’t you?”
David sighed, rubbing his temples. “Lisa…”
I leaned forward, my voice firm but calm. “This isn’t negotiable. We’ve got three kids to think about. We can’t afford any more surprises like this.”
After a long pause, he finally responded.
“Alright,” he said. “You’re right.”
From that day on, our money became a joint effort. Not his, not mine, but ours.
Sometimes, the best lessons aren’t taught with words. They’re taught with actions.
