Im not sure, maybe Im the only one who struggles with this. Lately, Ive started dividing meals with my husband, splitting everything down the middle. I just cant see another solution. If I dont portion things at the start, my husband will eat my share as well. Then I end up with nothingabsolutely starving.
Let me explain a bit. My husband and I have been married for three years now. Were not planning kids yettheres time for that. We both work and have roughly the same income. When we first got married, I didnt pay much attention to his funny habit. Hes a man who loves foodfair enough!
But bit by bit, I started noticing that the food we buy or the meals I cookmost of it gets eaten by my husband. Id only get a small portion of what was cooked or picked up from the shop. This carried on for a year.
For example, if I roasted a chicken, Id barely get a taste. But I like chicken thighs and a good breaded fillet too. Having only dry chicken breast or a wing now and then hardly feels like a treat. Same goes for sweets and biscuits: if I manage to grab one or two, I count myself lucky. Even then, were supposedly sharing equallymy husbands already eaten his favourite bit of the topping.
At first, I tried dropping hints, saying that I liked chocolates and the chicken too, not just him. My husband would laugh it off:
“You cook so well, I just dont realise how much Im eating. Dont take it the wrong way. I hadnt a clue you wanted more as well. You shouldve told me.”
I wasnt exactly hurt, but it didnt feel great either. The last straw came on my birthday. The night before, I made a couple of salads and roasted our favourite chicken, just to save myself being stuck in the kitchen the next day. All Id have to do was warm things up, and we could sit down together for a proper birthday tea.
My husband always gets back from work before I do. The thought that hed eat everything never crossed my mind. But when I got home, all the salads were scooped outhe left just a spoonful of each. As for the chicken, I found myself left with a lonely drumstick.
“I was so hungry. I didnt wait for you,” my husband said to me.
The birthday cake got split, half for me, half for him. And thats when Id just had enough. I couldnt take it anymore. Whatever good mood Id been in on my way home had vanished.
“Thats it, love. I cant go on like this. Ive put up with it for ages, but enoughs enough. From now on, lets split everything fifty-fifty. Well divvy up the chickenhalf for you, half for me. Chocolates and biscuits, a packet each. Fruit and everything elsewe divide it all. You can eat your share all in one go or make it last, however you like. Im tired of going hungry and finishing off whatever scraps you leave. You dont even ask if you should save me some. So, either we share properly, or we do our own separate food shops.”
My husband didnt arguehe agreed. Now, every shop is split fairly between us. Theres his and theres mine, and neither of us misses out.
