Wants vs. Needs

Brian and I have a budget. Every month we go over our finances and talk about our expenses, savings, upcoming expenditures, blah, blabitty-blah. We are totally on the same page when it comes to our long term financial goals. It's the day-to-day stuff that we don't exactly see eye to eye on.  Every month our differences of opinion lead to conversations like the following.


Brian: Hey sweetie, what did you spend $50 bucks on yesterday?

Me: Umm...a new pair of boots.

Brian: Oh geez. Don't you already have like five pairs of boots?

Me: Please, I only have two pairs, a black pair and a brown pair. The bare minimum for a respectable wardrobe. But they are both dressy boots. Like for church or work, but since I don't work anymore I need more casual boots that I can wear with jeans. Make sense?

Brian: Ok, first of all, you don't NEED anymore shoes. Period. Seriously, whenever I look in your closet I swear your shoes must be reproducing or something.

Me: Look, I know the difference between a need and a want. In fact, the boots I WANTED were $500.

Brian: 500 bucks! What are you going to do with a 500 dollar pair of shoes?

Me: What would I do with them? I would wear them everywhere! Probably for the rest of my life. I would even be buried in them.

Brian: Yes, you would...the day you come home with a $500 pair of shoes will probably be your last.

Me: Hey now, I basically just saved us $450. That's like money in your pocket dear.

Brian: Oh. My. Gosh. I can not talk to you right now.

Me: Fine.

Brian: Fine.

Me: But maybe later we can discuss what to do with the $450 I saved us. I think I should get at least half of it.