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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think DP is being selfish

307 replies

kiana2015 · 27/01/2025 23:28

We've just moved home, I would like to get a couple of bits for the house, new rug, curtains etc, the bits I've picked doesn't amount to more than £200. I was about to buy and my DP insisted I wait until payday which is 2 weeks away, baring in mind he had just spend 400 on a new gaming set up and spends about 200 every 2 weeks on pints after work.
Aibu to think he's being selfish

OP posts:
kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 14:40

@Nanny0gg I wouldn't be able to afford the rent, bills and everything. Else without him

OP posts:
kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 14:39

Ph3 · 28/01/2025 13:54

OP - personally I think if you share a life you should share a budget. You mentioned you are not controlling - but I don’t think it’s about control it’s about respect and working together. If he spends more than he has on non essentials and then asks you to bail him out he not showing you respect and not working as a team

edited to ask if you’re married? I’m assuming not but want to clarify

edited again - to say buy the bits you want. I wouldn’t let a partner (husband or not) to dictate what I can or can not buy so I can have enough money left to bail them out.

Edited

No, we are engaged. I didn't end up buying them last night as I was too annoyed this morning he said I should buy them and offered to pay half

OP posts:
sweetpickle2 · 28/01/2025 14:39

OP if this is all real then your posts make me very sad.

Would he bail you out if the money situations were reversed? I doubt it.

His priority should be paying towards his child's life- do you really think him spending 200 quid a month on booze when he doesn't pay to feed his child is acceptable?

There a million reasons to leave a relationship besides cheating. Raise your bar.

midgetastic · 28/01/2025 14:38

Because he isn't treating you right - he is financially abusing you for starters , he is controlling you for seconds ...

Rickrolypoly · 28/01/2025 14:37

kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 14:33

All my relationships have relatively been the same so if there's no cheating, why would I leave

Really??

Tiswa · 28/01/2025 14:37

kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 14:33

All my relationships have relatively been the same so if there's no cheating, why would I leave

Because his drinking comes before everything including you spending his money. He doesn’t support you at all or give you anything

because you deserve better than him

BusySquid · 28/01/2025 14:37

My partner is exactly the same, an alcoholic too. I pay everything in the house including for our daughter. He pays for his other children and spends on the things he wants (bought himself a brand new ps5 in December while i was left shuffling bills to pay for the last xmas bits). I also used to 'bail' him out every month. Until I couldn't do it anymore. If he wants something and hasn't got any money then it's tough. It has caused many arguments but we aren't their mothers.

Money isn't important in a relationship but being equal to one another is.

kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 14:36

@Shelby2010 yes but we have had this argument over and over about him spending more time with us and I'll give it to him since the last time we argued about it, he does spend all day on his day off with us then goes to play in the evening. No he only ever has the two but if I had to leave her with him I wouldn't want him drinking anything

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 28/01/2025 14:35

Because you deserve to be in a relationship with an actual adult, rather than a man child who needs mummy to bail him out when he overspends his pocket money, @kiana2015.

kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 14:33

midgetastic · 28/01/2025 13:46

You sound like no one ever really considered you and your feelings ? That you always place yourself and your needs last ? That you don't know how to have a fair sharing relationship ?

All my relationships have relatively been the same so if there's no cheating, why would I leave

OP posts:
Snapplepie · 28/01/2025 14:27

It's not controlling to not bail him our financially and facilitate all of his drinking. Arguably it's a bit controlling of him to stop you spending your own money on things for your home so he doesn't have to adjust his activities to his budget. I mean this really kindly, but are some of the things you are saying things that he has said when you have tried to talk to him about this in the past? Has he told that it's controlling if he doesn't get to have complete freedom? Has he been telling you he does more than other men and that you should be grateful? Because it doesn't sound like this is true.

I get that you just posted in frustration because you couldn't do what you wanted with your money and that the unanimous response has been about how unacceptable his behaviour has been which must have come as a bit of a shock. But the thing is, he has all the reason in the world to con you into thinking that this is how things should be. These random women on the internet with all kinds of different life experiences have no skin in the game at all, no reason to take the time to tell you this isn't OK. Except the hope that if you were our mum, sister, friend etc someone would help you see what's going on here isn't great. If you love him, you are well within your rights to ask for change, supported by a counsellor to facilitate communication if that helps. If you stay the way you are, this is what your kids grow up thinking a marriage is.

Rainbow1901 · 28/01/2025 14:23

As others have said put the bills together and add a bit for household expenses like curtains (it's his home too) then split the lot down the middle. Whatever you each have left is yours to spend as you choose.
If you are going to the use the argument that he pays maintenance for his child then add that in too and then split the total (at least that way you'll get something towards food shopping and his beers at home!!)
I agree you can't dictate what he can and can't do but don't facilitate his gaming and nights outs to your detriment. In other words don't give him any money - what's yours is yours and his is his own. Start being selfish OP - he has no problem doing it!

CoffeeBeansGalore · 28/01/2025 14:21

@kiana2015 When your daughter is an adult, what would you think if she came to you and said the following -

Mum, I want to buy curtains & rugs out of the money I've saved up to make the new house nice & cosy for us.
But Jonny says I have to wait for payday.

Why is that DD if you already have the money?

Well he goes to the pub & games and runs out of money and then wants mine so he can keep going to the pub with his mates. I don't go out drinking & waste mine so have a bit left over & he knows this.

But he's a good dad. He always says bye bye to dd on his way out to the pub & tells her nicely to be quiet when he's gaming. He even cooks dinner once a month. I always clear up though because I can't expect him to do that as well.

Seriously, would you want this for your DD? Because that's what you are showing her is ok.

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 28/01/2025 14:20

kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 12:02

@Billyblue47 no I haven't drank since before I was pregnant with DD, no I don't get time to play games I barely get time to eat my dinner and wash my hair

Wait.....what?

You says he's a good dad and helps more than most men, yet you have no time to eat or even wash your hair?

I gotta say, I had 3 kids under 3, a DH who worked 12 hour days 6 days a week and he ALWAYS made sure I had time to eat and shower when he was home. He would go without sleep after getting home from a nightshift to ensure I could get a nice bath, he would come home with breakfast for me.

You don't have a good partner OP, you have a selfish man-child living in your home.

Otterparty · 28/01/2025 14:20

OP: I think my DP is being selfish
Mumsnet: Yes you’re right he is.

OP: actually it’s fine because he sometimes spends time with his own child and if I don’t continue bailing him out financially each month then he gets grumpy 🤦‍♀️

seriously OP if you’re not winding us up then I’m very worried about how deep in denial you are about how unfair this relationship is.
He needs to be an actual team member if he wants to be in a team which means pulling his weight financially, with his child and house.

Hotflushesandchilblains · 28/01/2025 14:15

kiana2015 · 27/01/2025 23:38

@HeronWing I think there's more to life than money

Come on now! Yes, money and material goods are not the be all and end all. But this is not about money is it? It is about irresponsible behaviour and you enabling it by bailing him out. Unless you have a massive reset in your relationship, this does not bode well for the future.

Tiswa · 28/01/2025 14:13

kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 13:40

You're right I don't care about his drinking, if he wants to go to the pub to wind down after a long day at work, then come home and play games, who am I to say he shouldn't?

Because he can’t afford it for a start

Duckyfondant · 28/01/2025 14:13

Ah this is sad because I bet you think that you're helping him out of love and that he will love you back.
He will not respect you for being such a pushover. He will likely end up resenting you for having so little self respect. Pushing and pushing to find your non-existent boundaries.

PeppyTealDuck · 28/01/2025 14:12

How about you start with telling yourself: I am responsible for me and my child, not for my partner, because be is an adult.
I won’t bail him out at the end of the month. He can be as grumpy as he likes.
Step 2, he will start paying half of the food bill, because he is an adult and the food is for him and his child.

OP, it’s in your hands. Stop being a constant people pleaser who shuts up the moment the other person gets grumpy. Let him get grumpy. You are upset too and have reasons to.

Han86 · 28/01/2025 14:12

Is this a wind up post?

You have moaned he wouldn't let you buy the items you wanted for the house, which was out of your money but you are happy for him to spend his money on whatever he wants because you aren't controlling. Don't you see that he is controlling you? Do you think that is fair?

If all the bills are covered and he runs out of money you bail him out because 'its not nice' to leave him with nothing. Why are you paying for his leisure activities? If he runs out it is not essential he goes to the pub, that is a him problem not a you problem.

The food bill. Why is he not paying this? Why are you letting him get away with this, as others say it is you basically paying for his other child and you are rightly upset he isn't contributing to your family. You are enabling this though.

If this is all real you need to make sure he pays his fair share of all the bills and then stop giving him money. If he whines about it, tough luck, tell him you have put it in savings and cannot touch it

BigSkies2022 · 28/01/2025 14:12

OP, from what I understand from your posts, is that he will run out of money to do fun stuff (pub after work, new games) before the end of the month and look to you to sub him. But if you have spent YOUR money, that you have budgeted for, from your earnings, on nice things for the house that everyone benefits from, then you can't sub him for beer money, can you? And nor should you feel you have to. And then he would need to learn to budget his expenditure so he doesn't run out of money half way through the month. What would be wrong with that?

ForZanyAquaViewer · 28/01/2025 14:12

Nanny0gg · 28/01/2025 13:57

Either this is fake or you're monumentally stupid

Not very nice

Grow up!

I think it’s fake. Nobody is this thick.

‘We’re a team’ and ‘I’m not controlling’ jumped the shark for me.

Dibble135 · 28/01/2025 14:11

kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 10:30

@thepariscrimefiles no of course I'm not scared but what else can I do, leave him with absolutely nothing until he gets paid, that's not very nice

By nothing do you mean no beer money?

Only it sounds like he would still have a nice home, food and his children clothed and cared for.

Hardly nothing is it.

Yet he makes you feel bad if you don’t enable his drinking?

ForZanyAquaViewer · 28/01/2025 14:10

kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 13:40

You're right I don't care about his drinking, if he wants to go to the pub to wind down after a long day at work, then come home and play games, who am I to say he shouldn't?

The person who will have to give him money when he’s broke from spending £800 on booze and gaming (while not contributing to food for his family and forbidding you from decorating his home). That’s who you are.

I’ve read all your comments and I’m starting to think this is a windup. If it’s not, and a woman who is this level of doormat genuinely exists, I’d be quite scared.

CautiousLurker01 · 28/01/2025 14:08

Screamingabdabz · 27/01/2025 23:34

Mmmm… I sense that there is more to this. Why are you ‘bailing him out’? What would happen if you didn’t?

And why on earth have you moved into a new home with him (or jointly purchased one if it’s not a rental)?

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