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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Stingy boyfriend - help me see reason

95 replies

NewUserNamePostedBefore · 06/02/2019 10:19

New name as I have posted before and I was accused of being a gold digger.

I have been seeing a guy for 4 months. He's only recently become my boyfriend.

My concern is him being tight when it comes time to pay and him not coming to events I invite him to.

In respect to paying for dates - from the very beginning we have taken it in turns. This is despite him earning double my income (possibly more) and me having to move in with a relative after I had a falling out with my friend/housemate (over him).

One day we are at his place and he randomly states to me that we should take it in turns with paying for dates from here on. I thought about what he said and a while later said "we have been taking it in turns to pay since the beginning". He responded "oh, I said that ages ago."

I have now thought about it and I don't actually think that is correct. I have paid for nights out where he contributed absolutely nothing the entire evening, I have also paid for multiple dates in a row. He has paid for some very cheap places or where movie tickets were discounted or free, he also paid for a couple of lunches.

He has never taken me to an expensive restaurant. Nor have I asked him to. We go to cheap places and a lot of Asian restaurants. He has promised to take me out to an expensive restaurant for my birthday (after him mentioning it multiple times and also stating that he wanted to eat there himself), then he said he will take me out somewhere (cheap) instead.

I have found that on occasion he makes no attempt to pay. We often share food because I can only eat limited amounts, basically I am paying for him to eat. I eat a quarter of what he generally eats.

I don't know how to bring up that I think it's unequitable. I think it would be cheaper for me to pay for my own food and drinks and then I could just order an entrée or one drink when I go out.

He jokes that I am a 'cheap date' because I don't eat much. It's even cheaper for him when you factor in that I am paying most of the time.

It makes me feel really bad, like he doesn't want to treat me well.

Him going on about the expensive place for my birthday, then saying "oh, I found out it's expensive" and later suggesting somewhere cheap has really hurt my feelings because I had been looking for a new dress to wear. I had told people he was taking me there for my birthday and now he wants to take me to a cheap Asian restaurant. He hasn't asked me for present suggestions, so I assumed the birthday dinner was the present because he said he wanted to 'treat' me.

I have been getting stressed sometimes when we are out because it bothers me when I know he will expect me to pay at the end of it and I know he had eaten most of the food. Often it's just small amounts for me to pay, but it's regularly and if it was just me, I wouldn't be paying anything and just eating at home.

I can't stand him saying how much of a 'cheap date' I am!! It happens with such regularity I am on edge waiting for him to say it again.

Lately he has been talking about buying a new car (there's nothing wrong with his current car), as well as taking a trip somewhere either by himself or with a friend (knowing I can't afford it).

I have brought up that I am concerned about our income disparity and he said it's ok because he has money. It's ok for him, that's his money! For the record, I have a good job - however, I have been sick and had to take a drop in pay.

Recently he has asked me to pick up tea bags to 'contribute'.

This guy is on double my income - likely much more.... and it's tea bags!!! I would be too embarrassed to ask.

I haven't introduced him to my friends as I don't have massive friendship groups like he does and my best friend and I had a falling out when he came along (wasn't his fault). He had met my ex-friend and she wasn't very nice to him.

He has asked when he will meet my other friends. I work long hours (even with the pay reduction) and I don't hang out with them regularly and have been single so long I don't want to bring him along to meet my other friends as they would have nothing in common.

I recently asked him to come to a relatives birthday party, very small group of adults and children, held in a very casual setting and where I knew some of his friends would be there (he is friends with my relative's friends). He freaked. He said there would be too many people there and he wasn't comfortable. I said "fine" thinking perhaps it's too soon and it's not a big deal. I then didn't bring it up again. He has brought it up since and I said heaps of people are going and for him not to worry about coming and that I probably won't go either.

There is another family event coming up about 7 weeks time (which would be 6 months to the date that we have been together) and I have asked if he would like to come.

He said that there are too many people and he wasn't comfortable going. Again, I said I wouldn't press it (it's out of town anyway and I was going to fly).

He flies all the time so the flight and costs wouldn't be an issue, the issue is he doesn't want to go and is using the big group as a reason not to.

He has brought up meeting my family before. I am fine with it, it's choosing a time and place as my family is either busy or away plus they have children. The relatives birthday party was an ideal time. Small group of people, very casual and he even knew people there!!

I thought I could get over it - it's still early days. However, I think it's such a double standard when I have gone out and met all his friends and gone to the cost effort of making myself presentable to do so (think additional costs of hair/makeup/shoes/dress).

Whenever he has asked me to meet his friends, I have always said yes.

For context, I went to his Christmas party and been on quite a few nights out with his friends. It should be noted that the Christmas party was massive and he was the only person I knew. I have also gone to a big group friend event and was introduced to a lot of people.

He has now stated that he will meet my sister and her husband first.

I am thinking, I don't want him to meet my sister and my brother-in-law at all now. There are so many red flags and I am not happy right now. My sister has also noticed this and told me to have some time apart.

Recently, he brought up that I haven't given him oral sex in a while. I actually don't want to. I don't want to go to effort with him any more. He doesn't want to be my 'plus one' to family events and I don't want to pay for his food, hang out with his boring friends or give him BJ's. The time and money I am spending on him could go to things that actually make me happy.

My question is - AIBU or is he just wasting my time?

OP posts:
NeverTwerkNaked · 06/02/2019 12:48

The most telling thing about your opening post is that you haven’t listed a single good thing about him.

sollyfromsurrey · 06/02/2019 13:18

Oh honey, this is the early beginnings of the relationship where people are supposed to be so in lalala love that they are on their best behaviour and wanting the other person to feel like the most important person in the world. It won't get better. If he's treating you like this now, what makes you think he will become a great guy later on. Move on.

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 06/02/2019 14:00

It's fine to be careful with money. It's not fine to be careful with money if it's taking advantage of another person and unfair to them, and taking their money to save your own, even though they earn less! It's not even 50 50. I just don't see how this can work. If he made up for it in other ways (generous with his time, kind in other ways etc) you might be able to work on it but I'm not sure what the point would be here...

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 06/02/2019 14:06

And saying he's going to treat you for your birthday then taking you somewhere cheap instead and not getting you a present is mean

wizzywig · 06/02/2019 14:09

Is he married?

Fiddie · 06/02/2019 14:10

You're flogging a dead horse with this tight arse.

Move on,

toriatoriatoria · 06/02/2019 14:15

You can't change who a person is, just move on.

uncomfortablydumb53 · 06/02/2019 14:20

If a boyfriend does not enhance your life and make you happy
You would be happier single, Get rid and be happy, Life's too short

pasturesgreen · 06/02/2019 14:28

I'm sorry to be blunt, OP, but why are you still with him? He sounds like a tightarsed cheapskate, you deserve better.

CantStopMeNow · 06/02/2019 14:32

After 4 months you should still be in the honeymoon period of your relationship. This is starting to sound like a long term relationship that's turned bitter

This Grin Grin

Mmmhmmm · 06/02/2019 16:38

No you're not unreasonable, cheap people really are dreadful and it doesn't sound like you like him much anymore.

Get rid of him, no sense in wasting more time on someone like that.

primoestate · 06/02/2019 16:46

Lack of generosity is an absolute no-no. Most unattractive.

thecatsthecats · 06/02/2019 17:28

Good grief, you could have dumped him five times over in the time it took me to read that OP.

Good news! You only need to do it once.

RupaulsGagRace · 06/02/2019 18:20

Shit the bed. Why is he your boyfriend still?!

Fuckin dump his shit ass. Then find a real man. A real man meaning someone who is just as happy to give as to receive - especially when it comes to oral!

cobblett36 · 06/02/2019 18:24

Sorry to be blunt OP but he sounds like a twat and you sound fabulous. Sack him off, focus on your health and the people close to you. Flowers

blueshoes · 06/02/2019 18:52

Tight with money = tight with love.

It is a good rule of thumb. It is fine and sensible to be generally frugal in spending but he should not count pennies when it comes to splitting costs with you. Money can be a big source of stress in any relationship.

He does not sound like a keeper.

givemesteel · 06/02/2019 19:05

Oh dear. A few months into a relationship is when usually a man is head over heels, is infatuated and would do anything to impress a girl (listen to the lyrics of 'when a man loves a woman'). You shpuld be having a footloose and fancy free time of your life.

Your relationship already sounds like a tired 20 year old marriage after you've been through kids, redundancies, buying houses etc.

Honestly you need the memory of the goid times to get you through the harder times in any relationship. But you're not having those good times, you're in a joyless, bean-counting, hostile situation built on false promises.

Seriously, bin him off, he's either inherently stingy or he's not that in to you and things you should be grateful to be with him, hence not making that much effort.

NewUserNamePostedBefore · 06/02/2019 19:07

@thecatsthecats - hilarious!!! (dumping five times over).

I do see other things in him, but these are red flags for me. Perhaps if my financial situation was similar to his, I wouldn't have a problem buying him food (or watching him eat it). I am seeing major fractures in the relationship that is brand new and now I have seen those cracks I am on the look out for more.

It is just very sad, clearly I am only an option for him and I can't believe his behaviour when I take a step back and read your comments.

He tells me that he loves me constantly - I think he is just love-bombing me. It will be interesting to see what actually happens for my birthday, I doubt he has booked the restaurant.

OP posts:
OopsInamechangedagain · 06/02/2019 19:09

He tells you that he loves me constantly because saying nice stuff literally costs him nothing.

Give yourself the best birthday ever by dumping his moth-ridden stingy arse.

OopsInamechangedagain · 06/02/2019 19:10

Tells you he loves you* not me! Now that really would make him a thundercunt!

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