Marriage Advice - Smarter Every Day 181

Okay, story time. About 15 years ago, I was just about to get married, and like in the tux is the whole bit. My dad looks at me, and he says, "Son, no matter what your wife makes to eat, you eat it, and you ask for seconds, no questions asked."

Well, a strange thing happened. I'm in this small town that I used to live in, like immediately after we got married. And we didn't have much money, and we had to just save as much as we could by shopping at the bent and dent store. So this is the bent and dent store that we used to shop at.

One day my wife thought it would be a good idea to economize on one particular product that you just don't economize on. It was a defining moment in our marriage, so let's go see if they have it still. Here we go.

Sauces, it's on this aisle. I've got to say the quality of this grocery store has gone through the roof, like they're selling good stuff these days. Look how shiny the floor is!

But here we go all right, this is the Sloppy Joe, there it is. This was a turning point in my marriage, and if I get this for my wife, she's instantly going to know what this means.

"What are you doing?"

"All right, so I got something for you. Yeah, I want to see what you think about it. You know where I shopped, right?"

"I just okay. I didn't know where you shopped."

"Please please say... It's the worst meal I've ever made ever. Would you like to explain the history of this?"

"So when we were first married, we didn't have a lot of money, and I shopped at basically the bent and dent grocery store. One night I made some sloppy joes not with Manwich, but with a dented can of the off-brand at the store. So... And I made it, and I took a bite of it. And the first bite I took, I got up from the dinner table, I threw my entire sandwich out, and said that I refused to eat dinner even though I cooked it. And you, on the other hand, ate the sandwich and asked for seconds in fear that I would never cook again. And what did that do for our marriage?

"We're 15 years in; there in the future, what's happening right here?"

"Yes, so did that play out well for me?"

"It did play out well for you, very well for you."

"All right, so... young man, young woman, if your spouse cooks for you, eat it and ask for seconds, even if it's awful."

"And she stands up and throws it away yourself smarter every day."

"I thought you'd like that."

"That's very funny. Isn't that cool? Did you have to hunt it down?"

"I did. That store has changed, by the way."

"How could it have changed?"

"It's like, it's got like really good products now. It was literally dented cans."

"Yeah, it's like really nice now. What is this?"

"It was a Parmesan chicken. Nice, and roasted potatoes... That's what I'm talking about. And there's spinach salad under here. And I have added into a HelloFresh with some corn and feta cheese."

"Sounds good to me."

"Gall, those potatoes are good, hey! You cook a lot better now."

"It's a lot healthier too. This place has changed."

"Yes. How has it changed? Like it used to not be this good. Your products are better too, aren't they?"

"I would hope so. I think they are."