There are many things that must be negotiated between a couple once they agree to be joined either in marriage or a committed relationship.  Who will pay the bills, who sleeps on which side of the bed, who gets to shower first, etc.   The newspaper was non-negotiable, a deal-breaker on my husband's part.  The man must have his newspaper     During recession times, we attempted to live without a daily delivery of our local news when the prices were too high to fit into our budget.   It got ugly for awhile.  He would go to the driveway in the morning, but nothing was there.  He seemed lost in the morning as he left for work - he always felt like he was "forgetting something".  At lunch, he would scavenger for papers left behind by other readers.  I felt for the guy.  He worked so hard, and one of the few things he really wanted was his newspaper.

Luckily, we were not alone in cancelling our subscription, and our local paper soon called with a "come back" reduced rate when their readership declined rapidly.  Life returned to normal and my husband can now enjoy his daily newspaper over lunch.  He reads a lot of news online, but he says nothing compares to spreading the paper out on the table and reading from front to back.  There is something special about the feel and smell of the newspaper.

Of course, the Sunday edition is special -- there is nothing better than sharing the Sunday paper over breakfast.  As he reads all 14 sections of the paper, I move onto my magazines but at least the man is happy.  He deserves it.