To think I shouldn't pay for replacement GHD hair straighteners

[LikeDylanInTheMovies]

I'm not sure if I'm being unreasonable here.

My wife has a pair of 5 year old God hair straighteners. They have an intermittent wiring fault that means they are very much hit and miss in their operation.

She'd used them last night and left them plugged in and balanced precariously on the mantle piece with the wire dangling down. As I walked into the lounge this morning I got my foot caught around the trailing wire (nearly going flying in the process) and pulled the straighteners off the mantelpiece and onto the stone floor below.

I've had a series of angry texts demanding that I buy her a new pair of ghd straighteners at a cost of £100 plus. (We have separate finances)

I think she's being unreasonable. Because

A) They were a knackered pair of straighteners on their last legs that she would have needed to replace anyway in the next few months.

B) left in such a stupid place they were bound to get damaged and cause an accident in the process.

I've offered £30 towards the cost of a replacement, but she is adamant I should pay the full cost of a new pair.

AIBU?

I'd offer to go half.

But you don't sound too well matched. She sounds like a bit of a selfish, angry harpy.

You should both be thankful your house hasn't burned down.

She is your wife, just buy the bloody thing.

If you are arguing about things that are so petty, how the her are you going to deal with much bigger financial arrangement? Or any other issues happening in a relationhsip (and there will be things many more times more complex and upsetting and serious thyat a pair of hair straighteners).

Fwiw, in my house, anyone doing what you did would be told to open their eyes and be more careful. The dcs, DH and myself.

If you had been in a friend's house, came into the room, not looked where you were going, tripped over a cable and broken and item, would you offer to replace it? --or would you have blamed them and tried to appraise the value of the item based on age, condition, etc?)
If you would replace them for a friend then extend that same level of courtesy to your DW.
The condition and age of the straighteners is a red herring. She was still able to use them. She only needs new ones because you knocked her's on the floor.

And yes you are being petty in your attitude. That's nothing to do with the amount available in your bank account and everything to do with the fact you are refusing to have a look at what you did but are very happy today all the responsibility on someone else.
I have the impression to hear my then 7 or 8yo (They've learnt better since then....)

If she straightens her hair daily so they are really important to her then offer to go halves (or if she is really stretched sub her half til payday) it's only £100 and if both of you are earning it's not worth ruining the whole weekend over . This could escalate into something out of proportion and neither of you are blameless (although I don't really understand the room layout either).

Is one of you working today or do you always text each other rather than speak ? ;)

I bought GHDs from eBay and they worked for 4 years and only cost £40. Why are people saying don't buy from eBay?

This is a bit trivial an issue within a marriage surely?

I know my DP would replace them without a thought, as I would for him, just to be kind.

Are you aware if you separate..The savings are not yours they belong to the couple..

I don't understand this kind of arrangement ... Do you ever buy each other gifts? ..

I can't answer you as I don't think I can answer you say you have more savings but can't afford strightners at this time of the month..It all sounds very strange to me

Yuk, I would hate to have seperate finances, this is not the point of being married at all

Being married is about sharing everything

I'd get rid of you if you were my dh

Definitely think that one of you should just buy the GHDs, not anything worth arguing about.

Her 200%

What do you want me to magic up money that I don't have? If you are fortunate enough that you can pay 'just' £100 without it being a big deal think if it were 500 or 1000 or whatever sum would make you feel under financial pressure/ wipeout your disposable income for 3/4 weeks. What may come across as a petty squabble or childishness over a small amount of money, really isn't.

I accept I was probably a bit remiss as I was hurrying to get to work, so that's why I've agreed to make a contribution. I agree neither have handled the situation maturely and an email exchange between two tired/distracted people was never likely to get an amicable result.

I'd be angry about the straighteners being left where the wire could be tripped over and I'd be angry about the arsey texts. Did she launch straight into a rant or did she bring it up politely at first?
I wouldn't respond to my DH being a twat by text.
If something had broken and I felt it was my fault then I would offer to replace. But if the thing was balanced precariously and he started shouting and making demands to put me on the back foot then I wouldn't reply.

Angry texts? Aren't you in the same house? This plus the completely separate finances suggests that communication could be better between you. Maybe sit down and have a chat about finances and whether this is affordable / reasonable

How do you both resolve actual problems? Is this the biggest conflict you've had so far?

Please don't have kids. If a pair of hair straighteners causes this much angst, God knows what a baby would do.

Go halves. Life's too short.

You both sound horrible and pathetic.

Maybe the pair of you go halves of a 2nd hand or refurbished pair. They will probably be better than the new GHDs that are out at the moment and if you split the difference it won't cost either of you a lot.

Slightly snide along the lines of 'thanks for breaking my straighteners' and to be fair I dashed off a 'well you should be more careful where you leave them' text in response, which probably inflamed the situation.

I agree I should have been a bit more apologetic in tone. Neither of us covered ourselves in glory.

www.amazon.co.uk/ghd-G0-12MK4UK-IV-Styler/dp/B000CSLJDW

£45 each, next day delivery if you have Prime. Not worth fighting over, surely. You broke them so you pay half, she left them in a stupid place and needed new ones anyway so she pays half.

You can get them fixed for about £20/£30 I think, it would probably solve the original problem too.

I think it's a shame that 2 people who share a life together can't/don't want to treat each other a bit more nicely and generously considering you have savings and she earns well, so between you I'm assuming you could easily buy a new pair.

I'd be angry but would realise it was my fault. My partner wouldn't break anything on purpose so I wouldn't blame him. You can find places thst would repair them for about £20 - just use a search engine - I did and it was very good service

Try this
www.ghdrepair.co.uk/home/index.php