Wealthy Husband Shops at Food Bank

A man receives a box of food from volunteers at a food drive.Photo byDC Studio via Shutterstock

Inflation is wreaking havoc on millions of Americans. More and more are relying on public services and charities such as food banks to make ends meet. As a result, food banks struggle to keep up with demand, and families cannot feed their kids.

Husband Takes Advantage of Food Banks

One woman came to Reddit after her husband came home with a fresh bounty from the food bank. The Original Poster (OP) said she packed her bags and moved in with her brother after 17 years of marriage because her husband won’t stop getting the free food offerings.

Her husband calls her vindictive and says he’ll never stop going to the food bank. He wants her to stop controlling his choices.

Who Food Banks Are For

The crux of the issue is that the wife believes food banks are for needy families. She describes their financial situation as well above the average in their area.

“Our household income exceeds $200k annually, while the average in our area is below $50k,” she says, adding that she has a substantial trust fund and her husband makes a healthy income.

He’s Not Needy, Just Cheap

OP described her husband's intense frugality as an ongoing issue but believes his reliance on food banks takes it too far.

“Despite having more than enough food at home, he insists on going to food banks to save money,” she said, adding that he drives a beat-up car and wears worn-out clothes, so he looks the part.

No Empathy for Struggling Families

OP didn’t want to waste 17 years of partnership, so she tried to reason with him.

“I’ve explained to him the need for food donations in our community, even showing him social media posts from local food banks, but he remains indifferent,” she said, adding that a lot of the food is wasted anyway because they have more than enough.

The Final Straw

The husband refused to budge. OP finally had enough when she came home one day to find the fridge full of fresh perishable items that weren’t from the local grocer.

Of course, it all came from the food bank.

“When I confronted him, he admitted to going to a food bank after seeing a Facebook post about a donation of fresh food,” she said.

OP tried again to teach her husband empathy, showing him social media posts of needy families asking if there’s food left, and the letdown to find out most was gone.

“He brushed them off, claiming people should have gone earlier,” she reported.

She Packs Her Bags

Frustrated with the situation, OP packed her bags and headed off to her brothers. Her husband is blowing up her phone, saying she’s wrong, but she wants some peace to gain clarity on the situation.

So, she came to the popular Reddit community where people can ask if they’re being a jerk.

Husband is Unhinged

Reddit, which leans younger and less well-off, was appalled at the husband’s behavior.

“A man making 200k while married to a woman with a trust fund going to a food bank is unacceptable,” said one user. “I couldn't live like that.”

“I cannot conceive the level of entitlement here,” replied another. “That food is designated for people who literally cannot afford to fill their bellies and the bellies of their families.”

OP Should Tell the Food Bank

Since the husband won’t stop, and OP isn’t ready to end a 17-year marriage, many users advised her to tell the foodbank about his awful behavior.

“I'd repack any box he brought home, take it back to where he got it, show them his picture as he truly is while explaining the truth about what he's doing, & suggest they ban him until he can provide verifiable proof that he's in need,” stated one user.

“I'd take a printed picture of him to every food bank, so they could pin it on the wall with "FRAUD" written under it to help identify him and send him away,” said another.

It Should Be a Permanent Break

OP insisted she wasn’t leaving her husband, but some Redditors asked her to rethink that decision.

“You are absolutely not wrong to want space. I would want permanent space,” said one user.

Another pointed to OP’s statement that her husband likes to “control the money” and warned her to look for other signs of financial abuse.

“The food bank behavior puts this over the top in terms of making him seem like a complete ****, but all you had to say is that he controls your spending. That alone is financial abuse and is not okay. Get away from this guy,” advised one.

We hope OP sees the situation for how truly horrifying it is and gets away from this guy.

This article was produced and syndicated by Partners in Fire.