Happier Abroad Forum Community

I work in a High-End Audio/Video Retail Store in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It has been my only job for 18 years running now!
Needless to say I have talked to a lot of people over that time and sold a lot of equipment. I was interested to know if any one else had input on if the subject of men unable to buy things without talking to their wives or girlfriends first. It is an absolute epidemic here! I think the whole issue relates back to Western Women controlling men. I can't tell you how many men say they can't buy things without talking to "The Boss" or "The Wife" as they call her. It is absolutely pathetic, they can't do anything without asking first. Even though chances are they make the money, they can't spend it without asking. Even worse, they ask their wives for advice on stuff they know nothing about! I think that most men have an interest in Electronics, and are always looking to upgrade their Equipment. Just like most women have an interest in makeup and shoes and clothes. The difference is that Western Men have to ask their wives about which Blu-ray player they can buy, or which size TV they can buy, or what size and color speakers they can buy, even though the Women know nothing about the equipment, and didn't make any of the money used to buy it. On the other hand the Women will go out and buy whatever shoes, perfume, clothes and makeup they want without ever asking the men, and will spend money the Man made working hard! Is this only a Western culture problem? What is it like elsewhere? Here it is completely ridiculous, Western Men are whipped p**sies, they can't even spend their own money on things they want and know more about, without talking to the so-called "Boss". Even calling their wives the Boss shows what wimps they are.

A lot of men will come back to the store after I spoke to them. They will bring in "the Boss" and all the products they looked at alone will be vetoed because the color is wrong, the design is bad, the price is too high etc... In the end they will end up buying what their wife likes, but knows nothing about, or buying nothing, because their wife likes nothing!

I would love to hear other peoples opinions on the subject, it really fascinates me.

Well I live in Vancouver too - well to be honest a Richmond man.

Ya it is quite unbelievable to see. I mean, purchases should be joint decision. So yes the woman should have some imput. But she shouldn`t dominate the decision. It should be made in a loving way together as a couple.

It is sad though to see a woman dominate a man.

My friend is a physician and he makes $250,000 a year, his wife threatened to divorce him if he bought a moterbike before there house was paid for. If she was my wife I'd kick her in the head and then I'd call her bluff and divorce her. If a stranger threatened you theres no way you would put up with it, but wifes do it all the time and get away with it. I'm constantly surprised how stupid men have become.

I believe that if the person buying the thing makes the money for it as well as knows all about it & the other person knows nothing about the product and is contributing nothing toward the purchase, that other person shouldn't be thinking they have any say in the matter. Now if they are both putting money out together for it, they both ought to decide together.

OK, I've worked at Best Buy for a few years selling electronics, so I know EXACTLY what you are talking about. It looks especially funny and retarded when a masculine pumped up tough guy comes in and asks you about some expensive laptop with a strong deep voice and then his wife walks in and he just licks up her ass by saying "please honey, can we afford this one?" It makes me wanna puke. What a loser!

No, it is not the same in other countries. I grew up in Ukraine and Ukrainian girls are totally fine with "the MAN" being in charge of every "manly" purchase, like car, truck, TV, stereo or other appliance/electronics. Men make jokes about women "not understanding shit about electronics" and women giggle to it and approve that it is true because they are proud to know their own "girly stuff", like fragrances, clothes, fashion, cosmetics, house decor etc. I see Ukrainian way of doing things much more "normal" and "natural".

Why American women are trying to prove they know everything as good or better than men? Usually people who try to prove that "they are better at something" are the people that are not better at anything. You know, rich people don't have to drive a Bentley to prove they are rich, they just "know" that they are Same here. American women are showing that they are "needy" and have desperately low self-esteem by wanting to do everything men do, for what reason? Why? To prove what? To prove to whom? I'm sorry, but I would not keep up with a woman telling me what to buy! That's just wrong! I am not a women-hater, but I want to have my own opinion and feel that I am a guy at least, at least I have some knowledge or power of decision left in me.

Well thanks for the replies and opinions, glad to know that I am not the only one that feels this way! I will never be like this! When I want to buy something, I go out and buy it. If I ever had a GF that told me I couldn't or shouldn't buy something just because she doesn't like it I'd say too bad, it's not your place or your money. Luckily my recent GF's have all been foreign so no problem there...
I've now started to point out to customers at work that the number one reason people will buy a particular product from the store I work at is which one their wife has allowed them to buy. When I mention this to them, they always laugh uncomfortably, knowing that they themselves are in the same sinking boat.
Western men that have not lived abroad and/or had foreign GF's are completely clueless how crap they have it here. I always love it when I hear stories about western girls working and living in Asia who can't get a date to save their lives, because all the Western men they know there have got incurable yellow fever and won't go back to white girls ever again!
I've started to realize now that I'm almost 40 that I don't think you can ever beat being single and living alone, being able to do whatever you want whenever you want.
Don't get me wrong, I love girls and having GF's, but living with someone is another matter. I've lived with three different GF's now and I have to say that living alone can't be beat.