Let your captain lead

I have been in the market for a new vehicle for a few months now, but have been busy saving up for a down payment. And since I'm close to my target downpayment, my husband and I went to look at vehicles this past weekend. We settled on one car, which will be the most expensive and luxurious car I have ever owned.

I am frugal, so I wanted the base model, but my husband and I really liked the extras in the top tier one. My husband asked me if it had everything I wanted and I told him it did, but the price gave me pause since it would increase my monthly payment past what I wanted to pay per month.

So we got out of the car, and went back into the dealership. When we sat down, I let my husband do all the talking to the sales guy for two reasons. One, I don't know much about cars and have very little haggling skills in that area. Two, my husband and I had already discussed things and I knew he would make the best decision for us.

So what did my husband do? He chose the top tier option and I STFU and nodded in agreement without snark or complaints. We paid a holding fee, since the car we want has to be built still, and left. Then on the drive back home, my husband surprised me and told me he was going to give me 50% of my downpayment and pay for it to get special detailing so it's extra nice when I receive it.and since my downpayment is already 50% of the car, that's no chump change. I was elated.

The old me would've argued with him in the dealership and probably told him how much of a waste the extra couple of thousand dollars was for the top tier, etc. But by respecting my husband's judgement and place as my captain, especially out in public, it paid off for me in the long run. My husband is a capable man and knew that the costlier option was affordable to us and that it would make us both happier in the long run. And he found a solution to make me feel better about it as well.