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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel angry, bitter and resentful

566 replies

StillAtDusk · 15/02/2024 19:08

I admit I'm feeling really sorry for myself.
But I can't help it.
DH and I are really struggling financially. We live in a tiny semi-detached house with our 2 DC. Our house has no hallway, front door goes straight into lounge, kitchen 7ft x 10ft, 3rd bedroom (DD room) 6 ft x 9ft. Bought an old 2nd hand car last year after my other 2nd hand car died. Now this one has failed it's MOT miserably and we haven't got the money to pay for the amount of work it needs. Probably can't afford to go on holiday this year. Our kitchen unit doors are broken, our oven is broken, our bath is broken with a hole in it, we need new radiators, we need new carpets because they're all old and threadbare, but we can't afford to replace any of these things and our house is an embarrassing state. We both work, DH 50 hours a week, me 30hrs a week, we are both in professional occupations that we spent years training for after both going to Uni.
Every week I worry about money. And our fixed term mortgage expires later this year and I actually feel physically sick at the thought of how much it's going to go up by as we have no money left at the end of each month as it is, and our mortgage term is up to the age of 70 so we won't be able to extend it as a way of keeping repayments manageable.
I'm angry and bitter and resentful because our life didn't need to be like this.
When I was a teenager, my grandmother repeatedly stated to me, to my DF and DM, and to her sisters, that when she died, I was to be given a quarter of the sale of her house. I so clearly remember her telling me I would inherit a quarter, and I remember family meetings round the table with her stipulating this to my DF (her son) and telling him he must ensure I received a quarter of the sale upon her death. My grandmother adored me all my life. But she never left a will. And after she died, her house was sold and my DF ploughed all of the inheritance into buying a new kitchen, new bathroom and a loft conversion in his girlfriend's house and spent the rest on holidays with her. They're not married and her house is in her name as she bought it before they met. So DF effectively ploughed hundreds of thousands of pounds into her house, he lives there with her, has done for 30 years, but he'll never have any financial claim on it and I never, ever saw a penny of the quarter my grandmother asked him to give me.
I'm angry with my beloved grandmother for trusting that her wishes would be carried out and not leaving an actual will.
I'm beyond angry with my DF and I no longer speak to him as a result. And as a result of me not speaking to him, my DC have never even met him, which I'm also angry and bitter about.
When I was 6, after my parents divorced because my DF had a affair, my DM got engaged and we moved to a new home with my stepfather. They had a baby. Within a year, my stepfather was dead. My DM was unable to financially maintain the mortgage, so we lost our new home and went into rented accommodation. My DM has remained single and in a rented home ever since, as she's never been able to afford to buy a home by herself.
My DH's mother died and DH's father inherited the house. His DM owned her house outright in her own name before she met and married DH's father. Within months of her death, DH's father sold the house, their beautiful family home, banked the money (no mortgage so got all of the sale) moved in with a new woman into her home, married her, then a year later he died and his new wife inherited all of his money from the sale of the family home. The naivity in me thought, surely she'll give DH some money, in recognition of the fact this money she's inherited has come from the sale of his family home which his mother owned outright. But no. She used the whole lot to buy a lovely new home for her and her children. DH never saw a penny of any inheritance. If he had, we wouldn't be living in the tremendously hard up circumstances we are now.
So DH and I are where we are. Struggling to death financially and finding life really hard.
And I'm so angry, it's eating me up.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
Notamum12345577 · 15/02/2024 22:53

@StillAtDusk you can get DLA with kids in mainstream school. I know a few who do.

AnitaLoos · 15/02/2024 22:57

Where on earth did you get the idea that children in mainstream schools don’t get DLA? You’ve just made that up. I have a disabled child. Yes, you’ve been shafted. Your dad is a bit crap, but you need to make your own life now. Look to the future. Apply for DLA. Look into universal credit. Buy a bath on EBay or Facebook marketplace. A grand to install a bath? No! Be proactive and comfort yourself with the fact that you own your home and will have a good NHS pension to retire on.

Saladcreamdreams · 15/02/2024 22:57

Its shit and frustrating but you need to let it go. That resentment isn't doing you any good and there's nothing you can do to change the inheritance situation now.
You CAN do your house up on a budget
, there are tons of ideas on Facebook and Pinterest to do DIY and home decor on a budget. Have a go and make your home something you can be proud of for now, hugs x x

Xenoi24 · 15/02/2024 22:58

and prefer to stew over trivial things like other people's renovations?

Hardly trivial when her Dad spunked most of his inheritance on them, having ignored his mother's wishes to give some money to the op.

Kinda missed the point there in your eagerness to join the pile on.

Your nan was foolish op.

Your Dad sounds like a right dickhead. Morally repugnant and selfish and disloyal to his kids/original family.

Btw I think he would be entitled to get his money out of they split. if he can prove he financed the renovations. But presumably they won't and he'll will it to his partner.

chillidoritto · 15/02/2024 22:59

Which part of the country are you in, OP? Are you both nurses? Disgusting how little this govt pays them.

WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 15/02/2024 23:00

It all reads so "I don't want to better my own life, it should have been bettered for me, and now I'm too petulant to do anything that should have been covered if I had that gifted money"

And I'll stew on it every day.

This is no way to live OP. You need to pull your big girl pants up and take ownership of your life.

I do an incredibly meaningful job. DHs wage allows me too. If he didn't earn enough to cover my choice of work, then I don't just get to stamp my feet that I'm entitled to do something meaningful, when I can't afford my mortgage.

You probably need some counselling to get you out of this victim mentality. Because you seriously aren't one.

TheFormidableMrsC · 15/02/2024 23:01

OP, you are wrong about DLA. My SN child gets DLA and he is in mainstream. I'd apply for both your children. CAB can point you to local resources or SN groups who can help with application. That will help a lot.

laclochette · 15/02/2024 23:02

I just wanted to add, OP, that while your anger is totally understandable and your situation really a microcosm of the mess that this country is in, the fact it is understandable isn't a reason to nurture and feed it. If anything it's a reason to let it go. Yes you are angry. Yes events have been crap and unfair to you. But holding onto that anger may not serve you. It MIGHT, if it drives you to action, but if there is nothing you can do with the anger to change things, then you need to find a way to let it go, because otherwise it will become a barrier to action, as the focus of all your energies.

There will be things you can change and you really do have to focus on the positives and on what you can change.

But I know that sometimes we just want to vent and feel heard, rather than to vent as a way of looking for advice. Sometimes we can only listen to advice once we feel heard, it's one step at a time. You've had lots of advice here so I thought I'd not offer that, but just to say, I hear you.

MidnightSerenader · 15/02/2024 23:03

The OP doesn’t want to apply for DLA.

She doesn’t want suggestions or solutions. They’re just making her angrier.

This is a vent-and-shake-fist-at-the-cloud thread. That’s all.

WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 15/02/2024 23:03

MidnightSerenader · 15/02/2024 23:03

The OP doesn’t want to apply for DLA.

She doesn’t want suggestions or solutions. They’re just making her angrier.

This is a vent-and-shake-fist-at-the-cloud thread. That’s all.

Amen

JADS · 15/02/2024 23:05

Let the inheritance go. It's gone and done.

Please apply for DLA for both your kids. It is a depressing as fuck form which points out all the ways your children are different, but it is so worth it. DLA offers a gateway to things like free carers tickets which make life more bareable. As a parent of SEN kids, you are probably so used to knuckling down and adapting your life that you forgot how normal life is. That grinding down feeling does eventually cause you to break which is where I think you are now. Get the Cerebra guide, that is really useful and make sure you submit any letters from HCPs with diagnosis etc.

StillAtDusk · 15/02/2024 23:06

AnitaLoos · 15/02/2024 22:57

Where on earth did you get the idea that children in mainstream schools don’t get DLA? You’ve just made that up. I have a disabled child. Yes, you’ve been shafted. Your dad is a bit crap, but you need to make your own life now. Look to the future. Apply for DLA. Look into universal credit. Buy a bath on EBay or Facebook marketplace. A grand to install a bath? No! Be proactive and comfort yourself with the fact that you own your home and will have a good NHS pension to retire on.

I didn't make it up. I thought working couples weren't entitled to benefits.
Don't tell me I've made that up.
Yes, a grand to rip out, purchase and install a new bath. That's right. SE labour prices for you. I'm not lying about that either.
I don't pay in to my NHS pension, as we need the money now. So I won't get an NHS pension.
God, were you born this presumptuous?

OP posts:
TheFormidableMrsC · 15/02/2024 23:07

OP, why are you being so bloody rude to people? Fucking hell.

ruhroh · 15/02/2024 23:10

Xenoi24 · 15/02/2024 22:58

and prefer to stew over trivial things like other people's renovations?

Hardly trivial when her Dad spunked most of his inheritance on them, having ignored his mother's wishes to give some money to the op.

Kinda missed the point there in your eagerness to join the pile on.

Your nan was foolish op.

Your Dad sounds like a right dickhead. Morally repugnant and selfish and disloyal to his kids/original family.

Btw I think he would be entitled to get his money out of they split. if he can prove he financed the renovations. But presumably they won't and he'll will it to his partner.

Edited

No, I promise I'm not just here to pile on. From the inconsistencies in all the posts and OP's total unwillingness to do research/take action, I just have a hard time believing they live in such abject poverty – if I'm being honest I think this just reads like OP wanting a more middle class lifestyle (and, like many others, overextending herself with a mortgage when times were good), and naiser plus bigger home.

I genuinely believe that based on this desired standard of living (not lavish by any means but certainly high maintenance/outgoings), much of the 1/4 house sale money would've largely gone out the window before the COL crisis, eg much larger mortgage, OP quitting work altogether instead of going part time, holidays, specialised SEN care, etc.

Even middle class graduate families are living poorly in this COL crisis, many even in the SE where she is have shabby/small houses (and are putting off fixing things) and struggle with grocery costs, and she's no exception.

WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 15/02/2024 23:11

StillAtDusk · 15/02/2024 23:06

I didn't make it up. I thought working couples weren't entitled to benefits.
Don't tell me I've made that up.
Yes, a grand to rip out, purchase and install a new bath. That's right. SE labour prices for you. I'm not lying about that either.
I don't pay in to my NHS pension, as we need the money now. So I won't get an NHS pension.
God, were you born this presumptuous?

So just to clarify, you have two professional incomes. One car, currently. A tiny house on a very low mortgage rate. No takeaways, no coffees, no trips out with the kids, no holidays, and now it transpires no pension contributions.... and between you, you can't replace a bath.

This massively doesn't add up. Do you have large debt? You are being incredibly rude to people pointing out the obvious inconsistencies in your estimated income yet the inability to afford coffee.

Rocket1982 · 15/02/2024 23:15

OP you need to let the past go. It's not going to change. The only outcome of being bitter is that you will be unhappy. Nothing positive is going to come out of it. Forget the inheritances that never were and look in detail at your finances and make a medium to long term plan for how you are going to improve your living conditions.

Runnerinthenight · 15/02/2024 23:15

I'm so sorry. That is just shit!

Containerhome · 15/02/2024 23:16

Look into the DLA a bit more and go to online benefit calculators. You might be entitled to something even if you have a mortgage etc. You won't lose anything by checking.

If you can get DLA it would probably be the lower rate caring based on what you have said here.

WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 15/02/2024 23:17

TheFormidableMrsC · 15/02/2024 23:07

OP, why are you being so bloody rude to people? Fucking hell.

Because it's easier to do that than ever admit her life choices are why she's in this position of unaffordability.

I suspect as PP, over borrowed and stretched beyond means for a middle class lifestyle that wasn't really ever affordable, if anything changed. Now there's col, rates jumping, and those who stretched too much have no wiggle room.

So it's option a) be accountable for my own actions

B) blame it on my dad/my nan/DH's dad/the NHS

Whilst money from her dad might have balanced out the overspending, she wouldn't even need it if she hadn't overspent.

BlueGrey1 · 15/02/2024 23:18

Could you sell up and move to a cheaper part of the country,
I know this would be a big change but if you are struggling this much it might be worth it

StillAtDusk · 15/02/2024 23:18

WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 15/02/2024 23:11

So just to clarify, you have two professional incomes. One car, currently. A tiny house on a very low mortgage rate. No takeaways, no coffees, no trips out with the kids, no holidays, and now it transpires no pension contributions.... and between you, you can't replace a bath.

This massively doesn't add up. Do you have large debt? You are being incredibly rude to people pointing out the obvious inconsistencies in your estimated income yet the inability to afford coffee.

How do you know we have 1 car? Where have I said that? You're wrong.
Yes we have had a low mortgage rate but how do you know the size of our monthly repayments?
Where have I said I can't afford coffee? I said I can't afford to get my car repaired, or my oven, or my kitchen cabinets, or my bath.
Read properly.

OP posts:
rubberneckerr · 15/02/2024 23:19

WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 15/02/2024 23:11

So just to clarify, you have two professional incomes. One car, currently. A tiny house on a very low mortgage rate. No takeaways, no coffees, no trips out with the kids, no holidays, and now it transpires no pension contributions.... and between you, you can't replace a bath.

This massively doesn't add up. Do you have large debt? You are being incredibly rude to people pointing out the obvious inconsistencies in your estimated income yet the inability to afford coffee.

and apparently 'No way to earn more as both at top spine point of pay bracket in our professions'. NHS pays poorly but really, that poorly at the top of the pay bracket for 'professional occupations that we spent years training for after both going to Uni'?

Containerhome · 15/02/2024 23:22

I think OP is just upset. Once she's calmed down she will feel better and it won't feel so raw and will feel better

WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 15/02/2024 23:23

StillAtDusk · 15/02/2024 23:18

How do you know we have 1 car? Where have I said that? You're wrong.
Yes we have had a low mortgage rate but how do you know the size of our monthly repayments?
Where have I said I can't afford coffee? I said I can't afford to get my car repaired, or my oven, or my kitchen cabinets, or my bath.
Read properly.

So you say a car has failed the MOT and you can't afford to have it fixed. So you have now one working car remaining, no?

And the coffee, where does that come from?... Well this is embarrassing for you OP...

Try your own post at 21.34.

Read properly.

MidnightSerenader · 15/02/2024 23:24

StillAtDusk · 15/02/2024 23:18

How do you know we have 1 car? Where have I said that? You're wrong.
Yes we have had a low mortgage rate but how do you know the size of our monthly repayments?
Where have I said I can't afford coffee? I said I can't afford to get my car repaired, or my oven, or my kitchen cabinets, or my bath.
Read properly.

Bought an old 2nd hand car last year after my other 2nd hand car died. Now this one has failed it's MOT miserably and we haven't got the money to pay for the amount of work it needs.

…and …

We live frugally.
We don't dine out.
No takeaways.
No coffees.

Well, at least you do have a second car, at least.