Man Repeatedly Asks Wife to Stop Opening His Packages. When She Doesn’t Listen, He Takes Drastic Measures

Unboxing a new gadget or package can feel surprisingly personal. For some people, it’s the anticipation, the careful look at the packaging, and the small moment of discovery that makes it enjoyable.

That’s what one 34-year-old man says is causing unexpected friction in his three-year marriage, according to a post he shared on Reddit.

“I work at a public department. We’re childfree, the Government will take care of our retirement and hospital bills,” he wrote. “So, we don’t have any big reason to save a lot of money…hence we spend like 50% of our combined income for upgrading our lifestyle, buying things for fun, travel, etc.”

Because both he and his wife enjoy ordering things online, they average about “20 orders/month.”

The problem: she opens his deliveries first

The issue, he said, is that while he’s at work during the day, his wife often receives his packages—and opens them without him.

“She will unbox my orders behind my back, even though I’ve told her not to,” he wrote.

“I know it sounds petty, but it ruins the unboxing experience for me,” he added, explaining that he likes inspecting “all the contents and packaging the way we received it.”

Even when she puts the items back, he said it never feels the same as opening it himself.

A mistake made things worse

Things escalated when he said she accidentally threw away an instruction manual along with the packaging for a gadget he’d bought.

“I assumed that it didn’t come with a manual and spent my whole evening figuring out its functions,” he wrote.

He says he’s asked her multiple times to stop, but she keeps doing it out of curiosity. Eventually, he decided to have his orders shipped to his mother’s home instead, saying his mom “has no issues with claiming my orders and never opens them.”

The new conflict: “taking it outside the house”

That decision created a different argument. His wife, he said, was upset and accused him of taking a “personal matter out of the house.” Unsure if he’d handled it fairly, he asked Reddit for feedback.

Commenters sided with him

Many people responding to the post backed his choice to change the delivery address, framing it as a reasonable way to enforce a boundary.

“You’re enforcing a boundary. The real issue is why you even had to do that, why isn’t your very simple and reasonable request enough for her,” one commenter wrote.

Another said it wasn’t really about packages at all, but about respecting something he enjoys: “Unboxing something new is an experience all on its own and she’s kinda stealing that from you even after telling her it bothers you. Not cool at all.”