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AIBU?

To not want friends to come to mine for a reunion?

533 replies

TheDietStartsTomorrow · 26/01/2014 10:51

This is more of a WWYD than a AIBU, but here goes:

There's 6 of them coming over with kids and a few husbands too. They're my friends from uni and I've kept in touch with all of them over the years, some more than others. There have been times times when we've fallen out of touch for a few months or a year. They're not my closest friends; I hung around with another bunch but these were my classmates so I was on good terms wih them. I like them but to be honest, I don't love them.

There are a few who I have also fallen out with over the years and made up with again. One in particular, I'm not very fond of. But one night on whatsapp, we all started talking about meeting up and I went along with it. They decided on my house, so I agreed at the time because I didn't know how to refuse. I rearranged the date because they wanted to come that very weekend and it wasn't convenient for me and neither was the next weekend so they finally settled on this week. I was trying to put it off as long as I could.

Now, there's a few reasons I'm not looking forward to it. Firstly, they expect me to cook them a fantastic multi course meal. There are at least 7 kids coming too. The friend who I'm not particularly fond of has a tendency to expect things. She wants it to be a great weekend and is just expecting me to pull out all the stops. Not only that, she is very, very nosey and opens cupboards and drawers and sticks her head round every door. She's always commented on how my house is and although she tends to be complimentary in her choice of words, I feel it's all a fake. At the moment, my house is in a bit of a state: kitchen unit doors falling off, scribbled walls, no sofa in living room, carpets need changing etc. I can just imagine the comments.

Not only that, but she is loud, brash and generally very excitable. I don't particularly like being around her.

My weekends are very precious to me. I work throughout the week because with children, I spend the weekend recuperating as well as getting things done for the week. Having said that, I do entertain a lot of guests. But most, if not all of these, I enjoy having them over. They don't expect anything, they don't poke their noses in places and nor are they demanding in other ways.

I've been cleaning all week in preparation for them but there is still much to do. I don't mind the cleaning- I was due a spring clean anyway, but I'm feeling a bit of resentment towards them. I can't make an excuse and cancel without them seeing right through it. Although I don't particularly love them, I don't want to lose all the friendships either by cancelling on them. I can't deal with the negativity that would bring.

One thing I do know though is that if we were meeting at any of their homes, they wouldn't be very keen on it. Everyone's a little selfish, including me I guess, and it's just a free weekend away for some.

I'm not normally such a miser. If it was my closest group of friends from university, I'd love to have them over. They're kind, gracious, loving and non judgmental and I love them all.

So what do I do? Shall I just grin and bear it because it's just a weekend or do I have any way out of it without spoiling my relationship with them?

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Eastpoint · 26/01/2014 11:48

We've been to stay in a large group but the hostess has allocated meals to specific guests (eg x bring 3 boxes of cereal, y bring 12 pts milk & 2 ltrs orange juice, z bring bacon & rolls) - if they aren't willing to help & chip in financially they aren't worth having as friends. If they are too broke to pay for a meal out then you can save them fuel/train fares too.

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SarahBumBarer · 26/01/2014 11:49

You do see how much easier this would have been to just say no in the first place don't you? Your "friends" are cheeky freeloading fuckers (the cheek of refusing to bring a dish - at the very least you pop to M&S and bring decent nibbles/salad etc - but you should have nipped it in the bud at the outset and have only yourself to blame that you have made it 10 times harder now.

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FutureNannyOgg · 26/01/2014 11:49

Run away!

Having a big house doesn't mean you have the time/inclination to sort out bedding/towels. Or to do the cooking/washing up, or pay for all the food they will eat.

Coming from somewhere else is no excuse not to bring food, you come via the supermarket and bring a roast chicken, readymade dessert, chips and dips, drinks.....

They are royally taking the piss. Your family comes first, you don't have the time to put in the work. How about you go to the gobby one's house instead?

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YouStayClassySanDiego · 26/01/2014 11:50

Stop thinking of yourself as being rude to put a stop to this.

They're incredibly selfish sounding.

Think of that relief you'll feel when you've cancelled it, not to mention the pat on the back you can give yourself.

Go on, send the text now.

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Goodgodmissmoll · 26/01/2014 11:50

I wasn't going to comment on this but I couldn't seem to let it go. First, this is your house, your life and if you don't want them invading, just say so. Tell them it's not convenient and it's better to meet up at a resturant. It's not easy catering for that amount of people unless you really want, and you don't. Just say sorry, I am not going to be able to do this. Do what you are comfortable with. Goodluck!

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ScrabbleBabble · 26/01/2014 11:51

I know people like you OP and youre not easu, difficult .to navigate when offers are genuine or youre just being nice. It's not easy and people are not always taking you for granted.

I think it's too.late to cancel, and find an alternative house. I imagine it wasnt easy getting a date to suit you all?

I think the one thing you can do is lessen the cost - send out a quick email and say its not cheap feeding 13 people, can everyone please chip in £5 per head.

Do brunch rather than breakfast and lunch, have some snacks if anyone is peckish and just do an easy dinner.

It'll be hard work but you will enjoy it. Periodically during the day just stand up and announce someone has to do the washing up.

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Thetallesttower · 26/01/2014 11:53

It's very important you say 'no, I just can't do next weekend at our house' now. That gives everyone a week to sort out something else and not book train tickets. If you leave it any longer, then yes, people will be pissed off, because they will have started paying out for this expected weekend.

I completely agree you should say 'no, I'm sorry, this is just too many people and doesn't fit in with our plans for next weekend. I'd love to see you all, how about a meal at XYZ'

I also think they are not such good friends as none of them gives a monkey's about you and your stress, so if it does all go wrong and they get uppity (very likely) then you have not lost much.

Real friends wouldn't put a friend in this situation.

But get on with telling them, if you let it drag into next week then they will be far more annoyed- at the moment, you are just letting them know their plan of a few minutes isn't ok, if you leave it and they start paying out, they will be crosser.

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3bunnies · 26/01/2014 11:54

Could your dh's trip be unexpected hence the reason to change plans? Suggest 'either going for lunch or maybe bitch friend could host'.

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Shlurpbop · 26/01/2014 11:55

I agree that you need to say something NOW to avoid becoming the bad guy once everyone else has made travel arrangements etc.
And learn from it...don't agree to things you don't want to do. You're an adult! Just say no!

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expatinscotland · 26/01/2014 11:55

It's YOUR house! It is NEVER 'too late' to say NO!

FFS, use your DH coming back if you are so spineless you need an excuse.

People like this, they won't bring food or drink.

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expatinscotland · 26/01/2014 11:57

The bad guy? The bad guys are rude fucks who use others for a free weekend. A week is plenty of notice.

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Wuxiapian · 26/01/2014 11:57

Fake an illness that's contagious.

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TheDietStartsTomorrow · 26/01/2014 11:59

I hear those of you who are saying I should never have agreed in the first place. I guess at the time, I didn't want to be rude and couldn't bring myself to say no. Then the and starting spiralling out of control and that's when I realised this was turning into something bigger than what I could handle.

I should have spoken up earlier though, I know.

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expatinscotland · 26/01/2014 12:00

Speak up now! Your poor husband. What does he think?

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Nanny0gg · 26/01/2014 12:01

It isn't too late to say No now!

What's to lose? They're not friends. Really they're not.

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brettgirl2 · 26/01/2014 12:02

But you didn't, don't blame yourself for that. Deal with it now, it is their fault for being greedy freeloaders. And do it now before that poor lady starts work on the desserts. Canceling at the last minute would be out of order.

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ineedanexcuse · 26/01/2014 12:03

On reading the OP it sounds as if the friends are trying to recreate student days -Lets all go THIS weekend! as if partners and children didnt exist.
I suspect you might have coped okay if this were the case -just a group of students with no expectations of food/beds/entertainment etc but really this train is running out of control.

Get in touch with them and tell them that the weekend is cancelled. They are taking no notice of your own feelings re the weekend and ,wilfully or not ,are simply not picking up your sideways references to what should stop them. [Your DH is returning that same day? Well he will join in wont he?]

You dont love them and have no need to have them in your life. Let them have a weekend at someone elses house and expense.

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BloominNora · 26/01/2014 12:03

You can't change agreeing in the first place. You can cancel now. Even if you need to lie about it.

Either cancel it or suck it up and make the best of it - whining about it isn't going to change anything!

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TheDietStartsTomorrow · 26/01/2014 12:04

So, the awkward one was still going on about how great my house is so I wrote that hers is also great and that maybe we should all sleepover there before coming to mine on Sunday. She said we were all welcome but that mine was a much better venue and that she's a rubbish cook compared to me. I gave her a taste of her own medicine and insisted she was a marvellous cook with a great house. I also added that going there on Saturday and mine on Sunday would give my DH some time to get over his jet lag before they all came over.

Will see what happens....

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FunkyBoldRibena · 26/01/2014 12:06

'Hi Guys. Unfortunately something has come up and I can't host a mahoosive weekend. We can go to X-pub and I'll post some local B&B links under here. Hoping to catch you at X-pub on Saturday night. Diet.'

B&B post 1
B&B post 2
B&B post 3

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Thumbwitch · 26/01/2014 12:06

If you can't back out now on your own account then blame DH. Say he's having a hell of a time at work, and needs quiet at the weekend to recover so you're TERRIBLY sorry, here's a list of B&Bs if they really want to stay, but you just can't accommodate them because your DH needs his quiet.

Re. the cooking - well I think they're taking the piss there too - and I'd probably be thinking about pizza, from the local takeaway or frozen from Iceland/Tesco/similar. Pizza for that many should work ok, you can cut each one into quite small pieces, cook 2 or 3 at a time, everyone gets a small slice and then repeat. Grin

I think it's pretty bad that they just railroaded you into hosting - were you very compliant at college as well?

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pigletmania · 26/01/2014 12:06

Good on you, need to be assertive and stop being a walkover. Start today and let it carry you through

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Thetallesttower · 26/01/2014 12:07

I don't get all this game-playing, these people are clearly not your friends, as a true friend you could just say 'do you now what, I've bitten off more than I can chew, I can't put you all up but I'd love to see you all on Sun'.

Why bother with the false passive aggressive compliments- why not just decide what you can offer and offer it!

Otherwise I think you are giving very mixed messages to them- and they may not be doing this maliciously, given you said it was fine.

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MmeMorrible · 26/01/2014 12:07

OP why not be honest with them? Message the group and tell them that when you agreed to host the weekend you expected them all to pitch in and help. So far you have just one offer to bring a dessert and its now it's become very clear that the large group of adults and children are all expecting to stay in your home all weekend. That isn't going to possible because your DP is returning home from a business trip a will need some peace and quiet to recover. Pull on their consciences and say that as you are all such long standing friends you know that they will understand that this has been really hard for you say, but that now you can all plan an alternative get together that is more balanced in terms of finance and effort.

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TheDietStartsTomorrow · 26/01/2014 12:07

My DH sympathises with me. He knows I don't really love them that much but also understands that it would cause a lot of problems if I cancelled outright. I told him I'd make him returning home the excuse and he said that I shouldn't worry about him, he'd be fine with them coming over. I haven't expressed to him how much I don't want them to come anymore though. I'll speak to him when he calls tonight.

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