Convincing your wife to let you get an AR15

[Arthur1]

To those saying just do it, or 'blow her off', etc., that would be a hell of a marriage to be trapped in. It sounds like they are communicating and that is the key to a good one. If he just did it, it would cause friction and diminish the joy of the purchase. Wife >>>> any frickin' object.

OP: I would approach it slightly differently, because honestly, most women generally have a better grasp of household finances than the man does (I make the money, you keep track of it syndrome, my wife is the purser), and it sounds like she is looking out for BOTH of you as a unit, not herself alone.

Now, to my tact: Does she work? If so make a deal: both can save some side money (OT, brown bag lunches, less beer, less beauty shop/clothes, maybe slip a dinner out, etc.) to accumulate some cash for a purchase for each of you. If you each save $500, you can use $1000 from the regular funds, and each buy something for $1000. Make it a game. Use it as birthday and/or Christmas presents for the next year. Honestly sometimes the planning/shopping/anticipation is as good as the obtaining.

Toys are nice but someday this woman is going to be feeding you and changing your diapers.
Seriously, work with her, she might just be right, and finances are a common cause for marital discord.

[HI629]

Should be "Convincing your wife to HELP you get an AR15". Worked for me many years ago......

[RSGSRT]

Buy piece by piece if you are going to build. Equal to the latte and slurpies every month.
Cash back at the grocery store and any vendor using the card.
Bonus or off duty paychecks that she may not see.
My favorite, bank overpays taxes and sends overage check..have to get to mail first. Missed last one.
Buying items at store then returning them and keepin cash for jar.
Selling things on CL and pocketing the cash.
My personal choice to prevent spending of cash until time is right. I used my bonus and liquidated the stuff around the house using CL, and went and bought silver oz from local coin store. Paid spot plus 1 buck over. When I decide to liquidate silver has to be above 1.50 from what I purchased to break even. Right now its value is moving upwards a lil at a time.

Your wife clearly wears the pants in your household if you're doing all that just to buy yourself something you want.

[JohnnyG]

I'm a few months away before my academy starts but have 9 years military and have also been dying to get an AR-15. Your wife sounds like mine in a lot of ways and I think building a financial argument would be the route to go from what I've read. If I suggested dropping $1,000 on a weapon she would look at me like I was crazy unless I could back it up with a game plan such as selling things I don't need or would be willing to part with, and putting "X" amount away every month until I had enough to pay cash for it.

I know it's not the golden selling point you're looking for, but it might be easier for her to swallow putting $100/mo (cash into a jar or someplace in the house so it won't feel like you're missing it at the end of the month) than spending the full $1,000 at once. You could argue that if the stuff hit the fan the $ would still be availible if needed, and if it turns out it's not needed when you get the full amount it won't feel to her like you're simply "blowing" money as it was allocated money to begin with. Hope this helps and hope you can swing it!

[Marine0083]

Put a red bow on it, place it under the tree and say it is for her.

This actually works quite well. My wife and I were watching something about snipers on the military channel one night. She looks at me and says "We should get a sniper rifle". I simply asked her how much I could spend. She didn't really have a solid answer since she doesn't know gun prices much.

I kept her primed over the next few months as I shopped for the rifle, optics, etc. I would show her photos of two sniper rifles and ask her which she preferred, etc. I resisted the urge to go straight to a Barrett and instead bought a .308 with a muzzle brake. This way it shoots gentle and won't cause her to flinch much.

When the big day came, I handed her the complete system in a new pelikan case and then we went to the range. I zeroed the scope, and then handed it over to her. She hit an 8" steel plate at 300 yards on her first round, and has been hooked every since! She loves "her" rifle", and is kind enough to let me shoot it when I want.

I hear she is looking at something in .338 Lapua lately. I will see what I can do...

[-Erik-]

Ummm..your new to this whole marriage thing aren't you?

Not even married

[The State]

Put a red bow on it, place it under the tree and say it is for her.

[Zeitgeist]

Sounds like a work related piece of equipment. I would never ever offer tax advice to anyone, but when I was working bike patrol, I was able to write off (legally) a bunch of bike equipment on my taxes. Completely legit. I could articulate an AR 15 as work related, if I were so inclined.

Another thought, an AR-15 is much much cheaper than the bike (as in bicycle) that I hope to buy soon.
I think we all have our expensive toys.......

[Multi Tasker]

Just buy it. You are a grown man and an adult and if you feel you can afford one without sacrificing any of the financial duties you perform within the home then oh well. She will get over it. Besides I am sure she has countless items (jewlery, purses, handbags, assorted clothing etc) that she has just sitting around never to be touched again that you can sell to buy the rifle with

Ummm..your new to this whole marriage thing aren't you?

[M1garand]

I have a almost twenty year marriage and a gun safe full of firearms. The only decent way to get your toy is to lie. . I assure you she does the same thing, all women do.

Just A GUN safe? Then you are not doing a good job of lying

So true, my wife's collection of bags easily tops my collection

[Driven]

There have been a fantastic number of replies to this thread and they have all been great to read. Many have given some good insight and other have given some good levity.
Thank you for all of them so far and Keep them coming.
Even if she is "convinced" it is still awesome to hear what people have to say about this topic.
Thanks again!

[Nightshift va]

wow...very cool

My wife is not against guns, but she wasn't really into it when I first met her. One day, she asked me if I could take her friend and his wife to the range, so we went and started shooting. My wife saw his friend's wife having so much fun shooting the AR-15 and asked me if she could try. I gave her one single round, she fired... asked for more, so gave her 3 more, she fired and she pointed at the magazine and asked me how many bullets can this thingy hold, so I told her 30. She asked me to fill it up and rest of the story is history.... She enjoys shooting trap and rifle, recently got her pistol license. She went and got me quite number of guns for Christmas and birthday gifts for me.

When I go out to the range, it is now a family event as my side of family all shoots and now my wife.

Include her and her friends when you go out to the range and she'll at least understand why you would want an AR-15.

never thought of that, cool...good job

[Nightshift va]

firearms are cool

My wife is a fantastic woman... absolutely awesome.

But I'm having a hard time convincing her to get on board with the AR15 purchase right now.
She says there are better things to do with the money.

I'd like to give her a bunch of reasons why getting it now is good.

So what reasons do you have that I may not have thought of?

Thanks

I have a almost twenty year marriage and a gun safe full of firearms. The only decent way to get your toy is to lie. hahahahaha....sorry but that is it. Because there is never really a reason you need any other firearms once you have the one for off duty the one for off duty in the summer time the one for each room incase of home invasion and the other ten or twenty. Oh and by the way, the "what if our town turns into a bunch of zombies" isn't going to work either, it'll just assist her in securing a protective or restraining order against you when she's ready for a divorce.

Work cash overtime gigs and hide some of it away for your toys you have earned. I assure you she does the same thing, all women do.

[M-11]

OP,

Save up your money and move out of New York.

Anywhere else the gun will be cheaper, easier to get, and your neighbors will not think you are insane for buying it.

M-11

[M1garand]

My wife is not against guns, but she wasn't really into it when I first met her. One day, she asked me if I could take her friend and his wife to the range, so we went and started shooting. My wife saw his friend's wife having so much fun shooting the AR-15 and asked me if she could try. I gave her one single round, she fired... asked for more, so gave her 3 more, she fired and she pointed at the magazine and asked me how many bullets can this thingy hold, so I told her 30. She asked me to fill it up and rest of the story is history.... She enjoys shooting trap and rifle, recently got her pistol license. She went and got me quite number of guns for Christmas and birthday gifts for me.

When I go out to the range, it is now a family event as my side of family all shoots and now my wife.

Include her and her friends when you go out to the range and she'll at least understand why you would want an AR-15.