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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that many people would wonder/fantasise about this potential inheritance?

184 replies

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:15

Am posting for some external perspective.

DH and I come from very different families in terms of attitudes to money, my family are very open about money, I’ve always known what was in my parents wills, my grandparents wills, when my grandfather came into some money we had a family get together to discuss who was getting what in terms of my cousins and I etc.

DHs family are much more old fashioned and finances are akin to a state secret.

Now here is where the AIBU comes into play, DHs grandparents are extremely wealthy, they don’t ‘act’ it, there are small tells ( e.g.his grandfather if he pays for lunch opens his wallet and there is often £5k of cash in there!) but they don’t live in a mansion or eat caviar, although they definitely could afford to if they wanted. If you knew them you’d think upper middle class maybe, but not wealthy.

We get snippets of information as DHs grandfather talks to him about investments from time to time, they have ‘several’ BVIs, to make offshore accounts worthwhile you need millions in there, let alone to justify multiple of them. His work pension requires a team of accountants to manage it efficiently and they were approached a few months ago by one of their financial advisers to buy 25 luxury apartments in London, DH manages London properties so his grandfather asked him about it (only way we know this bit)

So although no one in the family knows how much there is, we know there is a lot (DH was also asked to look over the paperwork when his grandfather sold his last company and it sold for £15 million in 2007, so that’s the ‘minimum’ that is there, but he had 22 other companies throughout his lifetime and sold them all for nice amounts apparently over the course of the 90’s)

AIBU to think it’s only normal to wonder, if not fantasise about this when you know there is a potentially life changing amount of money out there that could be left to grand children (and by extension you)

Obviously the obligatory we know it’s their money, we don’t have a right to any of it and they might leave it all to a cat sanctuary, but I don’t think I ABU to wonder about it, like when people dream about winning the lottery, if it was a couple of hundred grand I’d not think about it, but I can’t imagine many people, knowing there could be tens of millions+ left to their husband/wife that wouldn’t think about it from time to time.

DH thinks it’s morbid to think about it at all and doesn’t care one way or another, as although they are well off they are somewhat tight with their cash and seem to hoard it over using it to support their family, so doesn’t pay it much attention.

YABU - I’d not pay any attention to the fact my family could be in for a windfall

YANBU - of course I’d have the odd dream about what fancy car I’d buy with all that money

OP posts:
Fallin · 27/12/2022 18:18

Oh absolutely I would in this instance.

Dacadactyl · 27/12/2022 18:24

This is not a dig at you, but you have made me laugh. You talk about a couple of hundred grand as thought it's small change and not worth fantasising about 😂

Addicted2Kale · 27/12/2022 18:24

A charity director is going to enjoy spending their £20 million+ on themselves. So you've got a pretty big adrenalin dump coming.

whatadoodledo · 27/12/2022 18:25

I can understand the wondering but at the same time it's best not to think about it too much as you don't know what the future holds. Just focus on your own plans as that's healthier.

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:29

Dacadactyl · 27/12/2022 18:24

This is not a dig at you, but you have made me laugh. You talk about a couple of hundred grand as thought it's small change and not worth fantasising about 😂

Once inheritance tax comes into play, or the relative needs care it’s not that much, but this amount is well beyond that, it’s so much that even after tax, and even care home fees there will be a healthy sum left.

OP posts:
Freddiefox · 27/12/2022 18:31

I thinks it normal to think it l, but it’s the saying out loud and the comparisons to others that is a big tactless. Your dh is uncomfortable talking about the death of his grandparents and you seem quite judgey about how they do things.

AtomicBlondeRose · 27/12/2022 18:32

I would fanaticise BUT only in a truly fantastic way eg “I’d buy a castle/live on a yacht” etc. If you started down the “ok well we could pay our mortgage off, then get a new car” type thoughts that actually starts to be what you’re really hoping for/expecting and if it didn’t happen (because as you say they might leave it all to the dog’s home) it’d be a real crashing dose of reality. Whereas if you don’t get your wild fantasies you’d be able to laugh it off to yourself.

Dacadactyl · 27/12/2022 18:32

@Tiltedandwilted I get where you're coming from, but I wouldn't count your chickens just yet. Anything could happen.

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:32

Freddiefox · 27/12/2022 18:31

I thinks it normal to think it l, but it’s the saying out loud and the comparisons to others that is a big tactless. Your dh is uncomfortable talking about the death of his grandparents and you seem quite judgey about how they do things.

Whose compared anything to anyone else?

you are aware some people post things on here that they don’t say out loud right?

OP posts:
Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:36

Dacadactyl · 27/12/2022 18:32

@Tiltedandwilted I get where you're coming from, but I wouldn't count your chickens just yet. Anything could happen.

Definitely no counting of chickens, they’re quite tight so not sure how it will go, and I’m 50/50 on whether they’d give everything to their kids to avoid the ‘drama’ with splitting between grandchildren too. And if that happens we’d not see much of it as DH and his father aren’t that close (he is one of those who upped and left his family and created a new family who he puts 99% of his effort, love and attention into)

But I’d be lying if I didn’t think what if, what I’d do with even a fraction of what they most likely are sitting on.

OP posts:
Freddiefox · 27/12/2022 18:37

Out loud to your dh. He’s uncomfortable, you’re not.

YouJustDoYou · 27/12/2022 18:37

We (dh and I) cannot expect any "inheritance", literally families are too poor. All my friends are exactly the same. It's better in a way, makes us way more self-reliant.

Beachsidesunset · 27/12/2022 18:38

Haven't you posted about this before? I'd try not to 'fantasize' about the deaths of his relatives, or you may not enjoy any of it. Local cat sanctuary, anyone?

bellac11 · 27/12/2022 18:38

I would fantasise about it but I wouldnt mention it to your husband as he is clearly uncomfortable with predicting inheritance and I understand that

Pumperthepumper · 27/12/2022 18:39

This is so weird - how do you know he’s got £5k in cash in his wallet?

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:40

Beachsidesunset · 27/12/2022 18:38

Haven't you posted about this before? I'd try not to 'fantasize' about the deaths of his relatives, or you may not enjoy any of it. Local cat sanctuary, anyone?

Nope, but I might search for it if someone else is in a similar boat!

You don’t seem to understand there is a difference between fantasising about people dying and having the odd dream about whether you’d get a holiday home if they left you a significant sum in their wills.

OP posts:
Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:41

Pumperthepumper · 27/12/2022 18:39

This is so weird - how do you know he’s got £5k in cash in his wallet?

Do you not understand how bank banding works?

There are bands of £50’s in there, often 5 bands, it tends to be £1k in each.

OP posts:
RudsyFarmer · 27/12/2022 18:41

I’d certainly fantasise about it. Currently I’m looking at expensive houses as there’s a possibility some money could come our way next year. It won’t involve a death so I’m not being morbid but equally DP thinks I’m stupid as he won’t consider this stuff until it’s all done and dusted.

I just like to dream. It’s harmless.

bellac11 · 27/12/2022 18:43

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:41

Do you not understand how bank banding works?

There are bands of £50’s in there, often 5 bands, it tends to be £1k in each.

Does no one notice your eyes out on stalks burning into the wallet while he's paying for something??

Pumperthepumper · 27/12/2022 18:44

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:41

Do you not understand how bank banding works?

There are bands of £50’s in there, often 5 bands, it tends to be £1k in each.

And how did he close his wallet, in that case? How long did he hold it open for you to see?

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:44

bellac11 · 27/12/2022 18:43

Does no one notice your eyes out on stalks burning into the wallet while he's paying for something??

Yes an old man fumbling with his wallet, often asking for help finding a certain card = eyes on stalks

some of you are just too funny.

OP posts:
Pedallleur · 27/12/2022 18:44

The old adage about death and taxes applies. When the paperwork is signed off, any creditors paid and any beneficiaries receive their due that's when you think about any inheritance.

Pumperthepumper · 27/12/2022 18:44

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:40

Nope, but I might search for it if someone else is in a similar boat!

You don’t seem to understand there is a difference between fantasising about people dying and having the odd dream about whether you’d get a holiday home if they left you a significant sum in their wills.

🤮🤮🤮🤮

So tacky

littlepeas · 27/12/2022 18:45

That sort of money is grim - nobody needs that much. And it's making you have grim thoughts - fantasising about spending it, which can only happen after at least two people have died.

JamSandle · 27/12/2022 18:46

Yanbu...absolutely id fantasise!