Four married men chose to go fishing together one day. As they threw their lines into the water, they talked about what they had given up to be there.

For starters, the first guy said, “You have no idea what I did this weekend to be able to go fishing with you.” On Saturday, I promised my wife that I would paint the whole house. The other guys nodded to show that they understood how hard it was to negotiate with their wives.

But the second guy’s story quickly beat out his friend’s. He yelled, “That’s nothing!” “I promised my wife I’d build her a new pool deck.” Her dream trip to fish was the only way to make it come true after years of wanting it.”

The third guy, who was paying close attention, added his own story. He told them, “You both have it easy!” “I promised my wife that I would redo the whole kitchen for her.” I know it will be a lot of work, but I just had to join you guys on this fishing trip.”

As they fished some more, they looked over at the fourth man who had been quiet. The boys finally gave in and asked him, “You haven’t said anything about what you had to do to be able to come fishing this weekend.” What’s going on?”

When he told his secret, the fourth guy had a sly grin on his face. “Well,” he began, “I just set my alarm for 5:30”. When the alarm went off, I turned off the clock, gave my wife a light push, and asked, “Fishing or S**?” Do you remember what she said? “Put on a sweater.”

The other guys laughed out loud at how smart he was for getting away for a fishing trip. Things don’t always go as planned when you make a simple, straight choice.

Four married men decided to go fishing together one day. As they cast their lines, they started sharing the sacrifices they’d made to be there.

The first guy kicked things off, saying, “You have no idea what I had to agree to just to come fishing today.” He explained, “On Saturday, I promised my wife I’d paint the entire house.” The others nodded, understanding how tough it could be to negotiate time away from home.

But then the second guy jumped in. “That’s nothing!” he shouted. “I had to promise my wife I’d build her a new deck by the pool. She’s wanted it for years, and this fishing trip was my bargaining chip to finally make it happen.”

The third guy, listening intently, chimed in with his own story. “You both have it easy,” he said. “I promised my wife I’d renovate the entire kitchen. I know it’s going to be a ton of work, but I had to join you guys today.”

As the stories wound down, they noticed the fourth man hadn’t said a word. Curious, one of them finally asked, “Hey, you haven’t told us what you had to promise to make it here. What’s your story?”

The fourth man grinned slyly and said, “Well, I just set my alarm for 5:30. When it went off, I gave my wife a little nudge and whispered, ‘Fishing or…?’ You know what she said? She mumbled, ‘Put on a sweater.’”

The other guys burst out laughing, admiring his clever approach. Sometimes, it turns out, a simple choice can go a long way toward getting what you want!