He Criticized My Spending — Until I Gave Him The Numbers

Better health insurance. A 401(k) match. Paid time off I’d actually be permitted to use.

When I told Ethan, his first instinct was to pull up the budget spreadsheet.

I told him to close the laptop. We were going out for dinner.

We went to a restaurant with tablecloths and waiters. Ethan ordered carefully, still calculating even when I told him not to.continue reading …