Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed that DH has just spent £25 on dinner?

203 replies

SnappyHorse · 23/09/2023 18:18

We’ve just had our usual Saturday night ‘what shall we have for dinner’ conversation. Me not wanting to cook because I cook every night because I’m home earlier than DH, and DC’s wanting takeaway fish and chip which costs £30 every time. We compromised on fish and chips from the Co-Op round the corner which I can just chuck in the oven.

DH said he’d nip out. He’s just come back from M&S having spent £25 on Gastro fish and chips. I’m sure they’ll taste lovely, but I’m annoyed that he’s spent £25 on 1 dinner. We haven’t really got £25 to spend on 1 dinner and if he was going to spend that, why didn’t he just get takeaway?

Slightly light hearted, but I am annoyed with him.

OP posts:
S72 · 23/09/2023 21:05

When we have fish and chips, I get oven-cook fish from the supermarket then we split a large chips (£3.50) from the chippy round the corner. I can't even remember what proper chip shop fish tastes like these days. Still, my DS is happy with it!

Mum2jenny · 23/09/2023 21:18

Had a chippy tea yesterday and it was around £30 for 2 people. Won’t be repeating it any time soon!

MissHoollie · 23/09/2023 21:22

I'd feel the same but my husband would do the same.
It's frustrating but try and enjoy

Papyrophile · 23/09/2023 21:23

For three adults, fish and chips cost about £17 to cook if you cook from fresh. I buy 200g of fish per person, usually hake, cod or haddock from the fish merchant, whose boats caught the fish. I cut chips, blanch them in boiling water back to the boil, drain and dry, and then shallow fry them. The fish is dipped in seasoned flour, then in an eggy dip, then coated in breadcrumbs and shallow fried in hot oil. The cheffy name for the fish technique is panne. Tartare sauce is only finely chopped onion, capers and some pickled cucumber whisked through mayo. It's not hard, but it requires quite a lot of kit.

notahappybunny7 · 23/09/2023 21:31

Lovemusic82 · 23/09/2023 19:04

It’s not if you can’t afford it. It’s half of what I spend on a weeks shopping for 4 of us.

Show quote history

How on earth does £60 provide food for a week, for 4 people these days?

silvertoil · 23/09/2023 21:35

Papyrophile · 23/09/2023 21:23

For three adults, fish and chips cost about £17 to cook if you cook from fresh. I buy 200g of fish per person, usually hake, cod or haddock from the fish merchant, whose boats caught the fish. I cut chips, blanch them in boiling water back to the boil, drain and dry, and then shallow fry them. The fish is dipped in seasoned flour, then in an eggy dip, then coated in breadcrumbs and shallow fried in hot oil. The cheffy name for the fish technique is panne. Tartare sauce is only finely chopped onion, capers and some pickled cucumber whisked through mayo. It's not hard, but it requires quite a lot of kit.

I get the price comparison but the OP specifically didnt want to cook on a Saturday night....

givemeasunnyday · 23/09/2023 21:39

Prettypaisleyslippers · 23/09/2023 18:41

Two large fish and a large chips cost £28 from a chippie last night

You have got to be kidding!!! I could get two fish and a scoop of chips for under $10 here in NZ. The cheapest in my town would be $6.

MysteryBelle · 23/09/2023 21:47

For occasional treat sounds ok as long as the fish and chips are very good. I love fish and chips but I live in the USA and have never had any that would rise to the level of what I’m sure are delicious British fish and chips. Have even tried making them but it was just meh.

You listed the chores divvying up, and I think your husband should add some housework to his list besides laundry and dog walking. You have a lot on your plate forgive the pun.

truthhurts23 · 23/09/2023 21:47

he shouldve just got the takeaway

Chailattelover · 23/09/2023 21:50

Combusting · 23/09/2023 19:15

This risks detailing the entire thread but similar figures for us too.

For the week ahead dinners are -

  1. Chicken thighs traybake x 2
  2. Frittata with salad and garlic bread
  3. Paneer and chickpea curry, homemade naan (I make paneer myself following Indian grandmas training!) salad
  4. Tuna rice salad, grilled salmon and fish fingers (avoids shelling out for an entire side of salmon)
  5. Tandoori chicken chicken drumsticks, raita homemade naan with the dough leftover
  6. Jerk chicken drumsticks (huge pack of drums and thighs for value for money!) salad rice
  7. Chilli with jackets

As you will note -

  1. Red meat is bare minimum
  2. Eggs and paneer join poultry cheap cuts for filling meals
  3. All dairy is own brand/essentials
  4. No expenses on alcohol or packet spice mixes or pre made naans etc…

Shop from ASDA or Tescos on occasion

Show quote history

This all sounds so good! I want to try the paneer and chickpea curry. Off to find a recipe 🤣

YokoOnosBigHat · 23/09/2023 21:51

2 adults and 2 kids meals in our local chippy is £36. We are in London, and it's really nice fish and chips, but nevertheless, it's pretty pricey these days! On Good Friday they do adult meals for £2 and kids meals for £1... the queue is always round the block!

Isthiscorrect · 23/09/2023 21:52

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 23/09/2023 19:54

YANBU. DH and I have only had 'a meal' from the chippy 3 or 4 times in about 2 years. We have a cone of chips between us when we're out in the day, if we're hungry. Costs £2.00. Probably have one 5-7 times a year.

One portion of chips with one large fish, and mushy peas or curry sauce (that does me and DH with a piece of bread and butter,) is now costing about £11.50. Not paying it. (Was £6.50 pre 2012.) I now do my own chips in the oven, (a bag that gives 10-12 portions costs £2.00,) I open a tin of mushy peas, (59p from Aldi,) and get 4 battered cod for £3.50 in Aldi too. And we have one each as they are a bit smaller. So for around £6.00 we get 4 meals. (And plenty of oven chips left over.)

It's fucking batshit to get a chippy tea now (from the chip shop,) OR a takeaway regularly. Had DD and her DH around a few months ago, and we all had a Chinese takeaway. Chicken curry and egg fried rice and 1 bag of chips and some noodles and prawn crackers for me and DH. And 2 vegan curries, 1 boiled rice, and some salt and pepper chips for DD and her DH. Also 8 mini spring rolls. Cost £45.00 3-4 years ago, that same order was £28.

Needless to say we rarely do it now. Me and DH used to have a takeaway every other week that cost about £13..., (pre 2021.) We had chicken curry, rice and chips, some noodles, some prawn crackers, and half a dozen chicken balls. It now costs £26 for the same order. We only have it 4 or 5 times a year now. We get takeaways (Indian and Chinese) from Tesco maybe once every 3 weeks. Costs £8. Feeds us both.

The takeaway prices are fucking exorbitant now. Yeah, I am sure they need to charge that much because of rising costs of everything, but we are still not going to pay it. Everything has risen for us too!

A neighbour of mine - woman with four kids aged 5 to 15, and a boyfriend who lives there half the week, has a takeaway 3 or 4 times a WEEK. Chinese, Indian, kebab shop takeaway, pizza etc... And at least once a week, she goes to McDonalds to get an order for the 5 of them. Must set them back £30 to £40 each time. How the fuck they afford it is beyond me. Even if we COULD afford this, I wouldn't spend it. DH has a theory that she can't have a cooker! He is joking, but even if she hasn't, it would make more financial sense to get one, instead of wasting £70 to £80 a week on takeaways!

I am absolutely gobsmacked that a bag of oven chips serves 10-12 portions! Really I'm speechless.
A small portion according to google is 100g most back of oven chips are 600g so 6 small portions.
I'm currently on a diet and now I know why. We get 4 portions from the 600g bag.

MysteryBelle · 23/09/2023 21:57

This thread is making me very hungry.

TheHateIsNotGood · 23/09/2023 22:03

I'd let this one slide OP - everyone wanted Fish & Chips, it's a Saturday night and at least DH went 'upscale' in his purchase rather than buy the cheapest, most likely inedible, option.

It might mean DH eats gruel for the next few days but I'm sure once you remind him of how much pleasure he gave his family on a Saturday Night, a few days of eating gruel is a small price to pay.... :).

DiscoBeat · 23/09/2023 22:03

It sounds a lot. When we have a fish and chip night we have a half side of salmon, at about £8, plus home made jacket wedges and minted peas, a lemon... roughly £10 for 4.

MeMySonAnd1 · 23/09/2023 22:05

I would be fuming…

There are some times when I really wish I could be a man, just the bog standard man, not the considerate eyes on the ball one. As such, I would live a stress free life, no need to think about the cost of living, the rent, the food or how it is cooked because there is always one woman who spends a lot of her time stressing about the finances and balancing the expenses so the rent is paid, the family survives, the fridge is full and there is enough toilet paper.

It should be wonderful to live forever as a blessed toddler, who is well cared for and happy and doesn’t have the faintest clue about why mum looks so tired and frustrated.

You are not alone Op, sadly, I could give you so many examples about similar stuff I don’t think I can ever trust a man to take care of the finances well enough to live with one again.

Emotionalsupportviper · 23/09/2023 22:07

Nannyfannybanny · 23/09/2023 18:20

£30 for fish and chips, how many people are you feeding?

It costs £10.50p a portion for fish and chips here, and we aren't in an expensive area.

LittleBrownJug · 23/09/2023 22:08

Papyrophile · 23/09/2023 21:23

For three adults, fish and chips cost about £17 to cook if you cook from fresh. I buy 200g of fish per person, usually hake, cod or haddock from the fish merchant, whose boats caught the fish. I cut chips, blanch them in boiling water back to the boil, drain and dry, and then shallow fry them. The fish is dipped in seasoned flour, then in an eggy dip, then coated in breadcrumbs and shallow fried in hot oil. The cheffy name for the fish technique is panne. Tartare sauce is only finely chopped onion, capers and some pickled cucumber whisked through mayo. It's not hard, but it requires quite a lot of kit.

🏅

Letsrunabath · 23/09/2023 22:08

Can’t comment on fish and chips from zm&s but their Chinese food is awful, I’m a good cook but wanted a night off, we live rurally so don’t have delivery thought M&S would be a good option, never again.

SoShallINever · 23/09/2023 22:10

£12.50 in our local chippy for haddock, chips n mushy peas.

Zooeyzo · 23/09/2023 22:11

I remember getting a chippy tea when I was at uni in the 90s when I was skint but hadn't eaten all day. The prices are crazy now.

silvertoil · 23/09/2023 22:13

DiscoBeat · 23/09/2023 22:03

It sounds a lot. When we have a fish and chip night we have a half side of salmon, at about £8, plus home made jacket wedges and minted peas, a lemon... roughly £10 for 4.

Nice but not fish and chips tbh.

Starseeking · 23/09/2023 22:16

BygoneDays · 23/09/2023 19:24

Lots of red flags here. Time to get your finances in order and make plans to move on. You deserve so much better than him.

This is a bit of a dramatic suggestion!

Happykey · 23/09/2023 22:18

I normally order Chinese over my bottle of wine whilst hubby gets kids to sleep and it costs 40 quid.. I deserve it 😌 🙂

Edwardbear1 · 23/09/2023 22:19

We had fish, chips and curry sauce thanks to your thread op 😀 thanks it was lovely 🐷