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AIBU?

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To be upset that I have to cancel my plans for DH’s plans?

128 replies

Cinai2 · 02/04/2026 15:25

DH mentioned a couple weeks ago that he’s made plans to see a friend on a certain date. At the beginning of this week, I told him that I want to go to the theatre and asked him if Wednesday or Thursday is better for him (we have a DC, so one can go out and the other one looks after DC) to which he replied ‘either‘. I booked my ticket for Thursday. This morning he tells me that he’s seeing his friend tonight. He acknowledged that he’d forgotten about it when I discussed my theatre plans earlier this week, but said that he had already plans in place for the 2nd April at the time I booked my theatre ticket and did mention this to me a couple of weeks ago, so his plans have priority. I kind of see his point but I’m also gutted, I don’t often go out and I’ve wasted the money on the theatre ticket now. I find it very hard not to be upset with DH. We don’t have childcare available unfortunately.

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TiredMummma · 03/04/2026 21:03

KookyKoala007 · 03/04/2026 20:51

Why are you still with this guy? Seriously. So he forgets a random get together with one person he knows and some others he doesn’t (so not that important then). You check the date and make plans which involve buying tickets. He eventually realises HIS mistake but he expects you to be the one who changes your plans and ultimately wastes money?? You’ve bought tickets while he is planning to do what, drink with people he doesn’t know? Why can’t he bow out of his none-event?

The gentlemanly thing to do is for him to accept that he gave you the green light for a night off, so you invested money in tickets and it’s not fair to go back on that now and expect you to fix his mistake by sacrificing your plans.

If it was his brothers stag do or something maybe he’d have an exceptional case, but it sounds like a nothing-important night with people he doesn’t even known? He can easily skip it.

It’s so irritating to see men’s bad behaviour reinforced. Why would he ever bother being a grown up and keep tabs on his plans if he can royally mess-up but their are no consequences because someone else changes things and makes it okay.

Throwing money at new tickets is a dick way to deal with it. He should’ve cancelled with his friend (he doesn’t know the others to even cancel with) and rearranged something with this friend, not difficult.

Absolutely this. Why is bad behaviour always excused in men? I know the second of April has past but if he did go out and you do not, please question this. It’s not your responsibility to remember a random date, it is his.

TiredMummma · 03/04/2026 21:00

Sorry this is his fault so his plans can’t happen. Or he pays for and organises a babysitter

KookyKoala007 · 03/04/2026 20:51

Why are you still with this guy? Seriously. So he forgets a random get together with one person he knows and some others he doesn’t (so not that important then). You check the date and make plans which involve buying tickets. He eventually realises HIS mistake but he expects you to be the one who changes your plans and ultimately wastes money?? You’ve bought tickets while he is planning to do what, drink with people he doesn’t know? Why can’t he bow out of his none-event?

The gentlemanly thing to do is for him to accept that he gave you the green light for a night off, so you invested money in tickets and it’s not fair to go back on that now and expect you to fix his mistake by sacrificing your plans.

If it was his brothers stag do or something maybe he’d have an exceptional case, but it sounds like a nothing-important night with people he doesn’t even known? He can easily skip it.

It’s so irritating to see men’s bad behaviour reinforced. Why would he ever bother being a grown up and keep tabs on his plans if he can royally mess-up but their are no consequences because someone else changes things and makes it okay.

Throwing money at new tickets is a dick way to deal with it. He should’ve cancelled with his friend (he doesn’t know the others to even cancel with) and rearranged something with this friend, not difficult.

Jane143 · 03/04/2026 20:15

ClaredeBear · 02/04/2026 15:38

you can usually change theatre tickets on your account these day - eg. Exchange for a different night. Not sure if that’s helpful. Do you have a wall calendar? We have one to avoid this exact situation and still double book!

First sensible suggestion so far!

Socksey · 03/04/2026 18:36

So your answer..
"Wonderful... we're both going out.... what childcare have you organised? "

Judecb · 03/04/2026 18:08

Can you really not get childcare? If you can sort that, go with a friend and forget about him!! You'll probably have a better time!! He's just selfishly putting himself above you.

Justnetballandcoffee · 03/04/2026 18:04

Just seen that you both forgot. It happens.

You need a better way to keep dates. We have a family calendar on which we each write our plans and we know to check that before making other plans as we also have young DC.

Justnetballandcoffee · 03/04/2026 18:02

I think, given you booked theatre tickets based on what he said, he should be the one to cancel. Sounds like his friend has invited other people anyway so might not be letting him down as much as if it were just the two of them.

Reasonstobelieve · 03/04/2026 18:00

ForNoisyCat · 03/04/2026 08:22

But you’ve paid for a ticket that can’t be changed. Yours takes priority

This. My DH would cancel & say he'd catch up with them soon. He's far from a doormat but in a situation like this he wouldn't get a choice 😂

ParmaVioletTea · 03/04/2026 14:06

dadtoateen · 03/04/2026 09:47

He did tell her the exact date.

Indeed he did. The OP forgot, and then so did he, when she asked him again. But he did tell her the date. Why should he be expected to remember her activities, when @Cinai2 doesn't have to?

dadtoateen · 03/04/2026 09:47

Maria1982 · 02/04/2026 21:11

In my house, this would’ve a clear case of, it’s not in the shared calendar, he didn’t tell you the exact date, and when you gave him the choice of two evenings this week he said ‘either’- it’s clearly his mistake !!! And mistakes happen and that’s fine, but either he buys you a ticket for the other evening, or he cancels his evening and you go out.

you losing money because of his forgetfulness - that’s not on at all!

He did tell her the exact date.

OneCheekySwan · 03/04/2026 09:15

Shared household calendars are the only way. Put your events in then everyone knows where they are. It’s not on, you don’t do it.

I like a physical one in the kitchen, but Google Calendars are easier.

Everybodys · 03/04/2026 08:49

Echoing the joint calendar crew. It can be electronic, physical one on the fridge, whatever works for you two, but if you have a young child and limited potential babysitters it's a necessity.

It sounds like his fuck up was the bigger one, but if he's paying the difference from his own fun money (as opposed to any joint pot) makes more sense for you to go another night. But this depends on how your finances are organised of course. I'd also insist he does the organisational labour of finding and booking the new ticket. Just on principle.

somanychristmaslights · 03/04/2026 08:32

Get yourself a wall calendar then things like this won’t happen.

ForNoisyCat · 03/04/2026 08:22

Cinai2 · 02/04/2026 15:34

Apparently this friend is also inviting other friends along (but DH doesn’t know them) and therefore time/location can’t be changed…I did ask whether it can be moved to tomorrow but he said it involves more than one person.

But you’ve paid for a ticket that can’t be changed. Yours takes priority

Toiletbrushanswer · 03/04/2026 08:16

From a totally logical point of view, his plans have consequences for more people. He has offered to pay for the rebooked ticket so you can still do your plans and he can still do his. I don't see the issue with this. An easy mistake to make and it sounds like a reasonable solution has been proposed so I would have thought that was it?

BUT. If you still feel annoyed after this solution is it because this is a pattern? Do you often feel his needs are prioritised? Is this part of a bigger issue?

If not, maybe you just were so looking forward to it that the disappointment that you have to wait is grating? Reasonable reaction, totally valid of course but I would just try and remind yourself that it was an accident and you'll get the enjoyment another day.

Shedmistress · 03/04/2026 08:10

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

If he'd made his plans weeks ago why did he say 'either' when asked by the OP?

Tessa92 · 03/04/2026 08:05

When our DC were young we used to have a ‘rule’ that whoever wrote their activity on the wall calendar first had priority.

Mmmm19 · 03/04/2026 07:38

pinkspeakers · 02/04/2026 16:16

Unless you have very separate finances, him paying for a new ticket seems quite pointless. The money is lost to the household either way. But I guess we have very shared finances so I find it hard to get my head around the idea that I would be compensated by DH paying.

I completely agree. when I see these comments, I think its still wasting our money

Booboobagins · 03/04/2026 07:32

If he'd made plans that long ago why couldn't he tell you the date? He hadn't actually made firm plans is why.
What a sh1tty thing to do.
YANBU. Don't make excuses for this behaviour, be clear, next time I need a date. If you can't give me a date you have not made plans and my trips take precedence. In any case, meeting a friend can be easily rearranged, theatre trips can't. He was being an AH.

Lauzg90 · 03/04/2026 07:23

Family wall app.
Genuinely.
My husband installed it on both of our phones. If either of is book anything or have any late work nights etc we add it to the app. The other can then instantly see it. So we both check the app before sorting anything. Once it’s in the app it is sorted!

LeopardPants · 02/04/2026 23:51

pinkspeakers · 02/04/2026 16:16

Unless you have very separate finances, him paying for a new ticket seems quite pointless. The money is lost to the household either way. But I guess we have very shared finances so I find it hard to get my head around the idea that I would be compensated by DH paying.

I was thinking exactly this - I find it so bizarre to talk about who pays what like this. Splitting a few quid down the middle when they have a child and are married.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 02/04/2026 23:28

I think it’s very clear that his plans should go. You asked him at the time you were about to book and he said either night - it was his mistake not yours!

He also failed to write down his plans anywhere - did he expect you to do that for him? Or did he expect you to be able to remember them even though he, the one who made that plan, forgot?

Also you spend money on yours!

From every point of you, you are the one who should get to go out!

Namechange6578 · 02/04/2026 23:23

Ponderingwindow · 02/04/2026 15:34

He didn’t put it on the calendar and money has been spent on your outing. It seems obvious to me that your event takes priority.

if it’s not on the shared calendar, it isn’t reserved in our household. It takes two seconds from a cell phone to add so it’s not a burden.

We have the same rule. Calendar is on the wall in the kitchen, once it's on there it's booked in!

ReadingSoManyThreads · 02/04/2026 22:58

JustGiveMeReason · 02/04/2026 16:37

DS is only 18 months and we don’t really want to leave him with a random sitter we’ve never met before at this age, he’s also not that easy to settle and I don’t think it would work with someone he’s never met.

Oddly enough, most of us don't leave our dc with "a random sitter we've never met before". We use babysitters we have taken the time to get to know.

No need to be obtuse. OP made it clear she didn't have childcare (as her usual childcare is unavailable), therefore to find a babysitter as others are suggesting would indeed be "a random sitter we've never met before". Considering the event was today and this misunderstanding was only realised today, that hardly gives her the time to get to know a new babysitter.