I (51F) am beyond annoyed because my husband (55M) continually faces and rotates food items in the refrigerator and pantry to prevent spoilage. My husband has been a fishing boat captain since we have been married for 19 years. Maybe 10 years ago he discovered on the boat, that if he pulls food items from the back of the refrigerator and pantry and puts it up front, the crew will eat the food faster. So he started doing it at home also. However, on the boat, when they leave every inch of the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry are jam packed full and it comes back completely empty. Our home is full of pantry items and condiments that stick around for awhile. I prefer the storage areas to stay organized so I can find items easily. However, when he faces and rotates the food, things get mixed up I feel the urge to organize again. I do not feel we have a problem with waste. He eats twice as much and faster than me, so my snack items do stick around longer. I have food allergies, and we do have many individual items. We buy our own specific likes and snacks, and switch off going grocery shopping for family dinners and child’s lunches.
I have tried discussing this with him. I told him that it has started to make me feel manipulated, that he is trying to get me to eat something faster than I naturally want to. For example, I have opened the refrigerator door and see my sourdough starter is up front and center, when it’s supposed to be in the back corner. So it’s like he doesn’t care that it is not his food, he moves it anyway. I’m tired of both of us wasting our time and it is starting to make me actually angry. AITA, because he is trying to “just help”?
We are both described as “odd/weird” by friends and family, however, any OCD characteristics we have are about equal and we are both able to alter our behaviors. We contribute equally to everything in our relationship.