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My fiancé is so dull

292 replies

Emrae · 28/11/2020 02:06

So I’m pissed off at my fiancé right now and just need to vent. We’re both in our early 30’s, engaged 5 years and no plans for wedding yet as we never seem to have enough money. I’m studying full time and working 3 days per week while he works full time in a low paid job. I seem to be the breadwinner and resent this if I’m honest (although I know that’s not right of me)

Basically I am pissed off with him and really upset because it’s his birthday today and I worked so hard to make it a special day despite lockdown but he doesn’t appreciate it.
Example 1. I planned to take the day off today and go for a nice walk somewhere outside our normal area in London. I told him this weeks before and when he got up this morning he was just so unenthusiastic and wanted to go to the local park down the road as we do most weekends. I know he should be able to do what he likes on his birthday but this just bothered me as I just really wanted a change of scenery and for us to do something different together that lasted longer than the usual short stroll around our neighborhood.
Example 2. He agrees to a different park (woohoo) We get to the park in a different area of London (dulwich to be exact) and I think it’s so lovely that I can’t help commenting on all the loveliness everywhere. He barely responds and seems uninterested in anything I say, fair enough maybe I do talk too much sometimes.
Example 3. He finally talks.. saying that his mother sent him 1k for his birthday. I say wow that he should really try and put that into a savings account, she gives him money like this maybe 2-3 times per year and I added that if he saved that money each time, he’d be in a position to buy a house by now. (Bare in mind, he earns just above min wage and any small savings we have is mostly from my part time earnings) he was offended by this and said that i am very negative and ungrateful. Not the case. I know his mother sending this money is hard for her, she is very much a working class woman who is sending this money from her retirement/ carer earnings (she cares for her disabled brother full time and also has a slow progressing type of cancer which is incurable) I just think that he should save it if he takes it all(I wouldn’t even accept it if it were my mother).
Example 4. I had bought ‘sexy underwear’ for his birthday but got a bit insecure about wearing it (basically because we haven’t had sex in a month and when I’ve wore stuff like this before, his reactions aren’t always what I expect). I went in to the living room to show him what I bought and he sort of laughed awkwardly. I said out of embarrassment that I didn’t think I was in the mood today as I stayed up until 2am studying but let’s see how I feel later (not the best pick up line but I was awkward because of his reaction)
Example 5. I had planned for a few of his friends to join us on FaceTime for birthday drinks which which went well and we enjoyed it, 2 hours in, they asked him to play on his computer games as they always do. He asked me if this was alright and j just snapped, I couldn’t believe it, I’m there trying to make a nice intimate day for him and this is what he wants. He plays on computer games at least 5 nights a week and sometimes during the day as he furloughed at the moment. We had a fight after the call with our friends as I couldn’t believe this is what he wanted to do and now i am in bed crying and he is playing his games in the other room. Can I just explain that I am not a clingy person, he plays games most nights as I said and I take one day off a week from studying/ working. Today was that one day off until next weekend. I have lots of friends whom I meet when lockdown permits. I do yoga and exercise classes 3 times per week online, study most evenings so really we only spend time together maybe one day on my day off and I’d say 1-2 evenings per week. I just feel so lonely and unwanted right now that he wants to spend his birthday just like any other evening with his friends online. I feel more emotional than usual because I’m stressed with uni work and I thought that maybe he’d understand me being a little more emotional than usual today and that maybe he’d appreciate me making an effort today on his birthday but no. Apparently I’m controlling and clingy. I just don’t know why I’m with him anymore, I’m in too deep, we’re together since I was 18. If anything he drags me down, he’s unambitious, a bit simple minded and lazy. If I left him, I would be so lost. I wish he’d just make more effort to maintain a healthy loving relationship instead of letting things get like this. We could be amazing together if he put in as much effort as I do. I’d like to maybe have children in a few years and he has said he would like to also. I just can’t see him with children, he’s forgotten to feed and walk our dog multiple times, I wouldn’t trust him to pull his weight equally.

OP posts:
Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 28/11/2020 10:39

This relationship is over. Leave now before the kids come and you are stuck

oakleaffy · 28/11/2020 10:40

@Emrae

His mum is {Quote}
''Very much a Working Class woman?''

Often the most generous of people!

I know a woman married to a man who earns over £8,000,000 {Eight Million} per annum and he is a tight arsed bore who makes her buy Tesco own brand bleach ''To save money''.

Newuser991 · 28/11/2020 10:42

With all the effort going into a birthday...organised fun never is.

What happened to a takeaway and a nice bottle.

The day didn't have to be planned to the nth degree.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Daydreamsinglorioustechnicolor · 28/11/2020 10:46

Its not really about the birthday.
OP you're just not compatible. Imagine yourself in 10 years time.
Others have said it in this thread, but I really think you need to call it a day and move on with your life.

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 28/11/2020 10:46

Look up Sunk Costs Fallacy.

It is relevant to relationships as well as money.

Nanny0gg · 28/11/2020 10:48

It would be very hard to break up with him, I’m almost 33, don’t have a close family (grew up I’m a very dysfunctional home), have friends but they are all starting to get on with their lives (starting families etc) and I am just so fearful of being alone. I know it’s really selfish. I guess my fiancé is not boring enough to leave and maybe I’m not controlling enough for him to leave either, we’re just comfortable.

You're not comfortable. You're so deep in a rut you can't see over it.

Is this how you want the rest of your life to be? You only work part-time and study and yet you're the breadwinner? He takes hard-earned money off his mother? He's good in bed but you haven't had sex for a month?

Just because he's all you've ever known doesn't mean you have to keep him forever.

You have no children yet (thank goodness) so it really would be easy to extricate yourself. Do you want children? Can't you tell what kind of useless father he'd be? He can't even look after a dog!

Please, maybe see a counsellor who could help you see why you need to extricate yourself from this miserable existence.

I think you'd be much happier on your own.

keeprocking · 28/11/2020 10:51

@Palatka

i think you need too back off OP. It seems you have an idea of what should happen and expect him to go along with your ideas of a good time.

It does sound as if you might be incompatible.

Nothing worse than someone trying to tell you how to live your life, celebrate your birthday, you sound like my SIL for whom everything however minor is a big deal. Can't see a future for you together, you're making each other unhappy.
RosesinGranGransgarden · 28/11/2020 10:51

I think it sounds like he has depression.
Source: dp is like this and has depression.
It doesn’t get better.

ilovebagpuss · 28/11/2020 10:53

The crux of it is he would rather sit and play his games with his mates. You could say it’s his birthday but still he’s not into the relationship really is he?
It is hard for us all at the moment to find enthusiasm but you are both young and it does sound like it’s very dull.
One of my colleagues was in a relationship similar and she got married bought a house. She ended up doing all the refurb trying to engage her DH he just sat about (not depressed just couldn’t be arsed). She left him and now she has a bloke and the life she wants they work together both hard workers she has a house and horses she always wanted and lots of active hobbies.
Her DH who was a nice man has also found someone matching his life ambitions and is very happy.

blue25 · 28/11/2020 10:56

Don’t settle for a man on minimum wage who still plays video games with his friends. He sounds dull. You’re ambitious, so go and find a man who matches your own ambitions.

Srslydontgiveacrap · 28/11/2020 10:58

Everyone is telling you to end this and start afresh.

Are you listening OP? Your subsequent posts suggest you are not.

midsomermurderess · 28/11/2020 11:02

And your second, tediously long post, is all you, you, you too, justifying yourself. I think he'd be happier without you. He's not a loser, a tosser, a dead weight, as others have said. He is living his life, you don't like ot. Have some gumption and move on. And bloody hell, this post is hoaching with cliches.

Emrae · 28/11/2020 11:02

Thanks for everyone’s advice, I appreciate even the critical ones. I don’t know if I can simply just leave him, it’s really hard and I know I should. Maybe we could try couples counselling.

OP posts:
HollyandIvyandallthingsYule · 28/11/2020 11:03

You have to leave him. Seriously, it is not going to work. It’s not working now and believe me it will be a hundred times worse if you ever try to bring children into the mix. Just don’t even think about doing that.

Being on your own is absolutely fine, honestly - I’ve done it, I was single for four years as a mother of two young children and although it was hard at first I got used to it and found I was perfectly capable of looking after us and managing a household by myself. Millions of others have done it/are doing it.

LunaNorth · 28/11/2020 11:04

Couples counselling = dead in the water ime. Especially when you’re not even married.

HollyandIvyandallthingsYule · 28/11/2020 11:05

I know it’s hard. But you only get one life. Don’t waste it!

Couple counselling won’t change who he is - this is who he is.

Newuser991 · 28/11/2020 11:05

@blue25

Don’t settle for a man on minimum wage who still plays video games with his friends. He sounds dull. You’re ambitious, so go and find a man who matches your own ambitions.
I wouldn't settle for a nearly 33 year old full time student.

Ambitious?! I'd got my studying done in my 20s and was well into a career at that age.

The pair of them sound like overgrown teenagers not wanting to face reality

JaneM8888 · 28/11/2020 11:06

OP,
Please don't do what I did and waste years of your life on a man who just wants a 'sexual housekeeper'.

In the end you be dragged down, depressed and emotionally bled white.

Make plans to leave then do it.

I'm sorry it isn't working out for you.

BertiesLanding · 28/11/2020 11:07

@Emrae

Thanks for everyone’s advice, I appreciate even the critical ones. I don’t know if I can simply just leave him, it’s really hard and I know I should. Maybe we could try couples counselling.
I think you know, OP, that your suggestion of couples counselling, while well-intentioned, is just there to avoid the inevitable.
TatianaBis · 28/11/2020 11:08

Why are you wasting your life like this?

You’ve since you were 18 to wake up smell the coffee.

If you can’t have your own kids then there is no argument that at 33 it’s too late to find someone else.

pessimistiquerealistique · 28/11/2020 11:09

He isn't dull. You are both just different.

Jeremyironseverything · 28/11/2020 11:11

After 15 years, you do get comfortable. You need to decide whether you are ok with this or not.
Given you said you that you broke up for similar reasons years ago, I'd say that this is as good as it's going to get and could get worse. Project yourself forward 20 years. How will you feel then?

user1471565182 · 28/11/2020 11:12

Bloody losers with their full time jobs and terminally ill mothers.

Cant wait for the day a woman comes on here saying she got dragged around parks against her will on her birthday by her husband, that he got himself some new boxers for her present and he tried to get her to use her money to buy a house together cos he fancied it, then lost his shit with her when she was talking to her friends.

Nanny0gg · 28/11/2020 11:12

@Emrae

Thanks for everyone’s advice, I appreciate even the critical ones. I don’t know if I can simply just leave him, it’s really hard and I know I should. Maybe we could try couples counselling.
Seriously, what difference will that make?

Won't make him ambitious or outgoing.

And you don't 'just' leave him. You talk. You tell him how you feel. You see if he has anything to say. And you see if he is willing to make any effort. If not, you plan.

Then you leave.

user1471565182 · 28/11/2020 11:14

And im not even really having a go at you OP, I understand relationships can just end up like this but some of the absurd responses and standards you get on here make me despair