AITA for taking away my wife’s car keys because she took away my TV?

Picture a guy buzzing with joy, a fat raise in his pocket, splurging on a shiny 65-inch 8K QLED TV and a PS5—$5,000 of pure Super Bowl party dreams! In a cozy three-bedroom home, he’s ready to host buddies, nachos in hand, while his Baptist wife frowns, labeling it “greedy” and “consumerist.” For years, their 50-50 income split and her faith never clashed, but this summer’s haul sparked a fire. She’s mad, he’s defiant—my money, my call, right?

Monday hits like a plot twist: the TV’s vanished, whisked away by his wife! Four days of squabbles later, he snaps, snatching her car keys and tires, vowing no rides till the screen resurfaces. Kids ride the bus, but tension’s thick as she seethes. Was his retaliation a touchdown or a fumble? Hop on for this marital mischief ride!

‘AITA for taking away my wife’s car keys because she took away my TV?’

This couple’s clash rolls from a raise-fueled splurge to a hide-and-seek saga, tossing TVs and car keys into a domestic duel. Here’s the original Reddit post, dishing the full play-by-play of this spousal skirmish:

I have always spilt my income 50-50 with my wife. She is religious (Baptist) but I am not. This has never been a problem for us, until this summer when I got a large raise at my job and I started buying things that she claimed were 'greedy' and 'consumerist.' I just told her I'm using my share of the income and I can buy what I want.

I thought that it was over but last weekend I finally got a Ps5 and bought a 65' 8K QLED TV, in total it was about 5 grand. I was really excited to watch the super bowl with my friends on it (I'm hosting a little party this year) but my wife was furious, she thought it was a terrible decision and she didn't care I used my own money.

When I came home from work on Monday (today's Thursday) my wife said she took away my TV, sure enough it was gone. I looked everywhere for it but we have a modest 3 bedroom house, so who knows where it is now. I have been arguing with her for 4 days and she's not budging, so this morning I finally snapped. I took away her car keys and also removed her tires.

I told her I'll do the grocery shopping and our kids will be fine since they ride the bus, but I am not giving her that car back until she gets me my TV. She is obviously furious but the super bowl is in 3 days and I'll be damned if I'm letting her control what makes me happy. So, AITA?. ​

EDIT: Someone commented 'what if there is an emergency, she doesn't have a car.' Your right, I'll put the tires back on so if something happens I can tell her where the keys are. It's also not a good look on our family to have that car up on blocks by our garage. But unless it's an emergency she's not getting that car back without returning my TV. ​.

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 How do you split the bills? I pay for vacations, the mortgage, and the phone bills. She pays for food, utilities, and basically anything the kids want. Did I tell her before making my purchase? No. Have I returned her car keys yet? No. Wish me luck haha... :/

This TV-tire tussle fumbles like a comedy of errors—wife hides hubby’s prized screen, he yanks her car keys in a wild counterplay! She sees greed in his $5,000 splurge, wielding faith to judge; he defends his half of the cash, then escalates to tire-tricking chaos. Both dig in, leaving kids and groceries in the huddle.

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Marital spats over money aren’t rare—a 2023 Ramsey Solutions study shows 33% of couples clash on spending habits, especially big buys (Source). Her stealth TV grab screams control, while his key heist revs up pettiness—communication’s clearly off the field.

Therapist Dr. John Gottman notes, “Calm talks, not power plays, score trust in a marriage” (Source). Gottman’s play calls it: hiding stuff fuels mistrust, and retaliation’s no win. Both need a timeout—sit down, list priorities, split fun funds fairly. He’ll keep tires on for emergencies—smart!

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Check out how the community responded:

The Reddit squad charged in like rowdy fans, hurling cheers and jeers with a splash of sass—here’s the liveliest calls from the stands, served with a cheeky chuckle:

Queen_Aurelia − ESH - you two should not be married to each other.

Worth-Juice1188 − ESH. You two are not partners and you don't even appear to like each other. Do either of you have the ability to sit down and communicate like actual adults? You two are immature and incompatible and should really just divorce.

battlefield1squaw420 − Holy s**t. You need to realize this is indicative of a problem wayyy bigger than your TV or PlayStation. You guys need to split up and not teach your kids any more bad behavior

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gorwraith − ESH. File for divorce already. You clearly have no respect for one another. Both of your actions are not the actions of a healthy, stable, mature relationship. Perhaps with some counseling or just different partners your be better. But this is a s**t show. You might both be great people but it's not showing and if you keep this up you will not even be decent before much longer.

mandogrogu − ESH, how petty can a couple be? I'm not convinced this is even a legit post.

Scrabblement − ESH. You two have kids together and you're acting like this? Get couples counseling or split up, but don't teach your kids that it's normal to resolve disputes by stealing from each other.

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False-Guess − I am going to disagree with seemingly everyone and say NTA. Your wife is using her religion to control your choices. That is not okay. You are allowed to purchase luxuries for yourself if your obligations are taken care of. If your wife wears makeup, paints her nails, wears perfume, wears nice clothes, buys anything for herself, that can also be considered 'consumerist' too.

She can't expect you to live by her values in general, but especially if she is not doing so herself. A car cost more than a TV and PS5, so she should be happy to walk if it means she gets to live her principles, right? Also, if you have separate finances, she extra does not get to dictate what you do and don't buy with your own money.

You have no right to control what she does with her money, and the same applies to you. I also say NTA because talking to people this unreasonable in a calm, logical, manner doesn't work, despite how much people fetishize that approach. Not everyone is reasonable, and your wife does not sound reasonable. If anyone genuinely thinks you're going to be able to reason with her religious beliefs, then bless their heart.

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At the same time, this is not a healthy situation if you've had to resort to hiding your wife's car keys. At minimum, I would insist on marriage counseling so a therapist can teach your wife how to eliminate her controlling tendencies and the two of you can learn how to communicate like adults.

ChaosNHamHam − Info: Are y’all 12 years old? This is a 12 year old’s relationship… ESH and y’all need to cut each other free, this is one of the most ridiculously posts I’ve ever seen.

[Reddit User] − I have to say justified a**hole. Let us know if you find the TV!

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These rowdy Reddit takes light up the scoreboard, but do they call the game? Is this a tie of tantrums or a solo foul?

From a raise-sparked TV splurge to a wife’s sneaky hideaway and a hubby’s tire-snatching snap, this marital match blitzes through trust and tempers. He’s gunning for Super Bowl glory, she’s blocking with Baptist frugality, and both fumble with petty power moves—TV gone, car stalled! A tire tweak for emergencies softens the play, but the standoff holds. Was his key grab a clever counter, or did both trip over teamwork? What would you do if you found yourself in a similar situation? Drop your game plan, laughs, or couple’s playbook tips in the comments—let’s tackle this domestic drama together!

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