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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should I dump my boyfriend because he won't stop eating crisps?

609 replies

Spicyseniorita7 · 29/06/2026 23:26

I'm in a relatively new relationship (7 months) after over 2 years of being single with some dating disasters along the way. Everything seems great on paper, he is kind, has a good job that pays well, not bad looking, treats me well and never allows me to pay for anything. For context, I am 28F and he is 32M- we both live separately at present. I would like to settle down soon.

I'm unsure if I am self-sabotaging, but some of his eating/snacking habits disgust me, to the point that I think I've developed the ick. This came to light properly on our recent 2 week holiday-prior to this, the longest we had spent together was about 3 days. He eats at least 3 packets of crisps per day and not the sophisticated type i.e kettle chips, think more Skips/monster munch/Nik naks/cheesy wotsits/space raiders. He doesn't wash his hands after eating the crisps and requires prompting to do so. This often results in him having disgusting synthetic crisp dust all over his fingers and fingernails.

Even more disgustingly, after he's finished with a packet, he arches back his head and empties the remnants of the crisp crumbs into his mouth. It's almost as though he cannot bear for a single scrap to be wasted. But the most disgusting is sometimes, after finishing a packet, he will blow up the packet like a balloon and pop it. This has resulted in me being sprayed with crumbs. I've also found scrunched up crisp packets wedged behind his bed, almost as though he can't be bothered to walk to the bin.

We recently went on holiday to Spain and it was mortifying-he didn't try any local food and just wanted to eat British food, McDonald's and crisps. We went to the supermarket and he loaded up the trolley with crisps. I haven't said anything yet, he is keen to start looking for a flat to rent together, but I just can't help but thinking I would prefer a man who doesn't eat over 3 packets of crisps a day and doesn't smell like pickled onion Monster Munch or cheesy wotsits. Is eating all of those crisps a dumpable offence?

OP posts:
MickyMoonshine · 01/07/2026 07:48

Spicyseniorita7 · 30/06/2026 22:23

In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with preferring a man to pay for me and having traditional values. I want the man I marry to be able to provide for me and our future family- I don't want to be penny pinching when I'm on maternity leave or begging him for pennies.

So many of my dates have consisted of men expecting that I pay for my own dinner and glass of wine or worse, wanting to go for a walk like I'm some sort of border collie. I don't make loads in my job in the public sector and it is nice to have someone look after me and treat me from time to time. His family are very well off too. But he has been incredibly mollycoddled his entire life, has never really cooked a meal for himself and I had to show him how to use the washing machine. His mum does it for him usually (I didn't realise this until recently).

If you expect him to pay for everything then surely he’s going to expect you to do all the cooking, cleaning and eventually childcare.

That’s what usually happens in these ‘traditional’ relationships. How do you feel about that?

There is nothing wrong with paying for your own meal on a date or that date consisting of going for a walk.

QuintadosMalvados · 01/07/2026 07:37

Musney · 01/07/2026 00:44

Omg sometimes I just think there's no hope for us

If you are going to take the role of and proactively so of female but not equal then you are going to have to fufill the female half of it, the cooking, cleaning, offspring, childcare and sexual fulfillment of your husband

If he is going to provide financial, physical, hoising and lifelong security if you don't provide the above then he has no reason for you

You must understand this or you are doomed to failure and his family being well off will see to it that his assests and income are hidden leaving you with nothing and him retaining sole custody

Yeah I know, right?
I want a man to pay for everything and be rich and be handsome and be charming and be monogamous and do half the childcare and do half the housework and be kind and sensitive and be a no nonsense businessman and love my family and be able to fight off a gang of armed intruders with his bare hands and cry at Titanic.

Lol.

Amiacoolorwarmcolour · 01/07/2026 07:26

I haven’t seen anyone blow up a crisp packet and burst it since school.
Is he 8?
Apart from that the lack of basic hygiene would give me the ick.

JJMama · 01/07/2026 07:26

He sounds like a 13 year old child. That would enough to give me the ick. Not eating the crisps but the childish palette and refusal to try local foods.

You should always live/holiday with someone before you settle down. It’s their daily habits that you’ll have to put up with for the rest of your life. On a date, they’re on best behaviour

QuintadosMalvados · 01/07/2026 07:12

fireandlightening · 30/06/2026 22:54

He sounds about 12, as someone else said. You'll be picking up after him for the rest of your life - get out.

And, I really don't get why women speak admiringly of men not allowing them to pick up the tab?!!! What kind of paternalistic nonsense do you buy into? And what is he going to expect in return for all his money? Control? For gods sake learn to pick up a tab and get rid of man-child.

To be fair, he can't be a manchild and pick up the bill.

Menchildren don't pick up the tab.
And they are happy for their substitute mummy to do what she likes as long as he's being looked after.

Musney · 01/07/2026 00:44

Spicyseniorita7 · 30/06/2026 22:23

In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with preferring a man to pay for me and having traditional values. I want the man I marry to be able to provide for me and our future family- I don't want to be penny pinching when I'm on maternity leave or begging him for pennies.

So many of my dates have consisted of men expecting that I pay for my own dinner and glass of wine or worse, wanting to go for a walk like I'm some sort of border collie. I don't make loads in my job in the public sector and it is nice to have someone look after me and treat me from time to time. His family are very well off too. But he has been incredibly mollycoddled his entire life, has never really cooked a meal for himself and I had to show him how to use the washing machine. His mum does it for him usually (I didn't realise this until recently).

Omg sometimes I just think there's no hope for us

If you are going to take the role of and proactively so of female but not equal then you are going to have to fufill the female half of it, the cooking, cleaning, offspring, childcare and sexual fulfillment of your husband

If he is going to provide financial, physical, hoising and lifelong security if you don't provide the above then he has no reason for you

You must understand this or you are doomed to failure and his family being well off will see to it that his assests and income are hidden leaving you with nothing and him retaining sole custody

averylongtimeago · 30/06/2026 23:27

It doesn’t matter if he likes crisps, what matters is that his behaviour is a turn off for you.
If you are finding him annoying now, at the beginning of your relationship, think how annoying it will be in 20 or more years. Bad habits get more annoying not less as you get older.
Dont move in together yet- see if he is amenable to change, perhaps if he stops the messing about with the packets and washes his hands, tries to be more adventurous with food…
If there is no improvement, then you know what to do.

maxslice · 30/06/2026 23:23

Aluna · 30/06/2026 21:30

It’s not just the crisps, it’s the McDonald’s in Spain. He’s a proper bogan.

Again, have you talked to him about this?
If not, YABVU. But it sounds like you don’t like him very much to start with. I think you’re looking for permission from MN to dump
him.

maxslice · 30/06/2026 23:19

What’s wrong with taking a walk? Seems a simple enjoyable thing to do now and then, check out the scenery, people watch, maybe window shop, enjoy the breeze. Not everything has to cost a lot of money.

fireandlightening · 30/06/2026 22:54

He sounds about 12, as someone else said. You'll be picking up after him for the rest of your life - get out.

And, I really don't get why women speak admiringly of men not allowing them to pick up the tab?!!! What kind of paternalistic nonsense do you buy into? And what is he going to expect in return for all his money? Control? For gods sake learn to pick up a tab and get rid of man-child.

Spicyseniorita7 · 30/06/2026 22:44

notanothernamesurely · 30/06/2026 22:25

I HATE the smell of flavoured crisps. Especially the ones you talk about. My son likes quavers and the smell 🤢

YES, especially the other smell of people eating crisps, it makes my stomach churn...

OP posts:
sharkstale · 30/06/2026 22:41

SkippitySkoppity · 29/06/2026 23:29

Am I your boyfriend? I too eschew fancy crisps for delicious plebeian crisps. I don't explode empty crips bags though, but may have to explore introducing that to my repertoire.

Edited

This ☝️

WhatcakeshalIbaketoday · 30/06/2026 22:34

Oh what a crisp snob I must be then. Pipers, pop chips and good old m&s sweet chilli. I’m still partial to hula hoops and discos though.

notanothernamesurely · 30/06/2026 22:25

I HATE the smell of flavoured crisps. Especially the ones you talk about. My son likes quavers and the smell 🤢

Spicyseniorita7 · 30/06/2026 22:23

GreenFingeredClara · 30/06/2026 20:52

I find it hard to believe this post is genuine. But assuming it is:

Ideally, his eating preferences would more closely match yours, especially as you are planning to live together. I eat a fairly healthy diet and love to try new things so I'd find it frustrating to have a partner with very different views (tho obvs we wouldn't have to have the same likes and dislikes). It makes shared meals more complicated and possibly could develop into a battleground.

What worries me far more though is that the things you do like about him seem superficial (looks and money) and speaking for myself I could not be in a relationship with someone who 'never let me pay', while you regard this as a positive. While not everything has to be split 50/50, my feeling is that your arrangement queers the pitch in what should be a relationship of equals, could be construed (though obviously not necessarily, and each to their own) as smacking of meal tickets, and an unhealthy power dynamic. But maybe it's just me.

In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with preferring a man to pay for me and having traditional values. I want the man I marry to be able to provide for me and our future family- I don't want to be penny pinching when I'm on maternity leave or begging him for pennies.

So many of my dates have consisted of men expecting that I pay for my own dinner and glass of wine or worse, wanting to go for a walk like I'm some sort of border collie. I don't make loads in my job in the public sector and it is nice to have someone look after me and treat me from time to time. His family are very well off too. But he has been incredibly mollycoddled his entire life, has never really cooked a meal for himself and I had to show him how to use the washing machine. His mum does it for him usually (I didn't realise this until recently).

OP posts:
JazzySeal · 30/06/2026 22:09

Yes, dump him! If everything else is great, I want to date him! I love Nik Naks!

Scout2016 · 30/06/2026 22:08

Any ideas of moving in together after 7 months is far too soon.

Aside from that I think it's reasonable dumping material yes. It's only going to get more irritating.

texmass · 30/06/2026 22:04

Oh I do love a bag of Skips or Salt and Vinegar chipsticks - but emptying
the crumbs into your gob and popping the crisp dust over someone else is pure savagery.

Gamerlady · 30/06/2026 21:59

Sounds like me haha, he isn't doing anything wrong, you have the ick over eating crisps , do you actually like him

whereswilson · 30/06/2026 21:55

user67584329 · 29/06/2026 23:39

Hmmm. Does he like pre-prepared frozen gyoza?

Is that bad? I keep them in the freezer for emergency dinners!

WilfredsPies · 30/06/2026 21:53

Spicyseniorita7 · 30/06/2026 17:18

I personally think that eating kettle chips is more socially acceptable than wolfing down a grab sized back of monster munch in front of your girlfriend and barely coming up for air!

Would it be better or worse if he wolfed down a bag of kettle chips? Or delicately placed five pickled onion Monster Munch in a bowl and gently nibbled off the arms and legs one by one, dabbing at the sides of his mouth with a napkin each time? 😂

DallazMajor · 30/06/2026 21:49

It reminds me of that song “Chippy Tea” by the Lancashire hotpots.

PyongyangKipperbang · 30/06/2026 21:48

Just asked DD (15) and she said...."Yeah she should dump him, so he can find someone who isnt a knob"

From the mouths of babes

DallazMajor · 30/06/2026 21:47

What an absolute bastard!

WilfredsPies · 30/06/2026 21:46

Sophisticated crisps?? 😂 you are so pretentious.