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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
WallaceinAnderland · 16/02/2024 01:24

OP do you have debt or something that is using up your wages? If you're not prepared to say how much you earn or what your outgoings are it's difficult to help.

Loads of people never inherit anything and we're all living with increased costs but 2 professional adults working 80 hours a week between them, should not be struggling as much as you are making out.

SueblueNZ · 16/02/2024 01:25

This has been tough read.
Yes, the inheritance situations were shit (leaving you on a par with most people who never have the chance to benefit financially from deceased relatives).
But you have to now let it go. Your anger jumps off the page at us. Yes, you warned us in your opening, but I can feel your seething and bitterness from here in NZ. What is to be achieved from hanging on to your rancour and resentment?? Nothing, except maybe unconsciously passing your extreme negativity and despondency onto your children. On top of the stress you say (and I can well believe) you also feel through your work, you are probably at risk of depression and/or a stroke and/or mental illness.
It's time to let it go and move on to what you can change.
Your house/mortgage. With increased mortgage rates and an apparent inability to increase your income, maybe you do have to seriously consider relocating or downsizing. You are ahead of many people by already being on the housing ladder and not having to pay preschool childcare, so there must be some improvement possible to ensure you don’t have to sell and rent.
Several posters have provided some ideas for quick fixes (the opshop coat, the food service, FB marketplace for a bath etc), and it seems there might be relief in terms of the allowance for your SEN children.
It is disappointing that you have not acknowledged most of these good ideas; in fact you have treated many with derision and have snapped at people for giving opinions that you invited and asked for.

If you just want a rant or a vent, best not to post in AIBU.

HollyKnight · 16/02/2024 01:26

People are idiots when it comes to money. All you can do is make sure you do better. Make sure your Wills are up-to-date and that you both have life insurance policies to protect the house and the future of your children. These are things your gran, mum and dad should have done. Don't make the same mistakes.

wellhello24 · 16/02/2024 01:27

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.

This. I’m a single parent on an NHS senior salary and am more hard up than this. It’s shit and I could be bitter about the fact my dc dad completely fucked me over and I can’t afford to get on the property ladder I live in a shit run down area and am eternally skint, no inheritance coming my way ever. But I made peace with it and so what you can. These are very hard times for a lot of people. I am thankful for all the good in my life- seems you have a lot more than me OP- a relationship, 2 dc, a mortgage. It sounds cliche but you’ve really got to practice gratitude- you have a roof over your head, air in your lungs, your health. There is extreme truly debilitating poverty across the world which you are not in..you are not battling debilitating disease or famine.

I understand your bitterness with you DF yeh I believe he was a cunt for doing what he did. Truly. My DF is a bit of a cunt too, as is my ex and many other people that have fucked me over down the years. But this anger is consuming you. Forgive but don’t forget- for your own mental wellbeing you need to let this go. The fact you’ve cut him out of your life -that’s absolutely fine if that’s what you feel and he will have to live with the loss of his relationship with his daughter for his selfish actions. I wish you all the best in processing your anger and moving on from this. Forgiveness in the most harrowing circumstances can be achieved many people do it in order to find peace (ie their child’s killer for example ) you can definitely do this too.

Garlickit · 16/02/2024 01:36

Great post, @wellhello24. I hope you get a bit of good luck, too.

CinnamonJellyBeans · 16/02/2024 01:42

You're right to be angry, but you need to let it go for your own sanity.

You've both been stiffed by your parents. It's horrible, but you need to move past it and try to enjoy what you have as a family.

Is it worth cutting your working hours further and applying for UC? Sorry if that's not suitable for you. If you both work for the NHS, is it possible to move to an area where housing is cheaper? The North-South price difference could work in your favour.

Stressedafff · 16/02/2024 01:44

It’s okay to feel anger but right now you need to focus on you and not what has happened.

I’m a single parent, fled DV in 2021 and was given inheritance of 30k, I owed people that much money due to my DD’s dad I probably saw around 2k of it. I’m in a council house, bankrupt and I have no savings, I live wage to wage.
I could be angry, hateful, bitter and I could cry my eyes out all day every day that the dreams I had as a little girl will most likely never ever come true. But what does it achieve? Zilch!

It truly is shit you have no help. And I really do feel for you but there are ways around it. Look what you do have! You own your home, amazing in this climate, your lovely kids, DH.

There are so many good ways to renovate your home with no money. I got new kitchen door handles from shein, theyre not high end quality but they do the job, tile stickers, fablon. Did the kitchen for about £45. All my carpets are end of roll off cuts, cheap! There is a way out OP, there are ways of doing things but until you get yourself out of this rut you wont be able to see the woods for the trees. The economy is so shit, times are hard and I really really hope things improve and get better for you soon

coxesorangepippin · 16/02/2024 01:49

I know people have given suggestions etc but I don't think that's really what the op wants.

She just wants to sound off and express her feelings. Which is totally fine. I hate hearing the term 'comparison is the thief of joy' which is constantly trotted out on here like were supposed to all be a bunch of Puritans or something.

You've been dealt a poor hand op, and it's okay to complain.

Palindrone · 16/02/2024 01:55

I sympathise with your frustration – I’ve been through similar regarding inheritance and struggling to get by in cramped conditions when life could have been so different.

DLA is a game-changer. My daughter’s DLA is £557pcm and it makes the between our family living the kind of life you describe in your OP and having enough money not to struggle and fully support her needs.

I thought working couples weren't entitled to benefits.
The money is for your child, not you. Perhaps you’re thinking of carer’s allowance which you can only claim in addition to this if the main carer earns less than £140 per week?

Just looked at DLA and looks like it doesn't apply to kids who are in mainstream school.
My daughter gets DLA and goes to a mainstream school. She has an education healthcare plan (EHPC) in place which secures additional funding for her to have a 2-1-2 and any adaptations required to ensure the school can meet her needs.

It says it's for children who can't walk, or who need much more care than other children.
There are two components to DLA - mobility and care. So just because your children don’t have mobility needs it doesn’t mean they won’t qualify for the care component given how you say they need more care than other children.

Garlickit · 16/02/2024 02:00

Another bit of commonplace advice - sorry, I've got a lot of experience being poor!

Coat: I think you should buy one for £20-ish, new from a supermarket or similar, or second-hand from Vinted/Ebay. It might cheer you up. But if you can't or won't, or just really love your old broken coat, sew hooks & eyes where the poppers are. (Under the popper on the flap that goes over, next to the underneath popper on the other side.) It will take about 20 minutes and cost under £2.

I've got nothing to say about the car; I haven't had one since my last brave jalopy gave its last gasp on a roundabout outside Guildford. Now I get buses (pain in the arse out here in the sticks, so I barely go anywhere) and really miss the functional public transport of the South-East!

Other people will have other suggestions, including things like rideshares. But failing all else - when I was little, my Mum took us everywhere on a pushbike. She had a double child seat on the back, a basket on the front, and wore the baby. I think you have to be young & determined to pull this off regularly, but it's a thought.

Childcare: from the pages I linked upthread: "Healthcare Workers’ Foundation: the charity provides financial support for childcare related costs through grants of up to a total of £1,000 annually."

RiderofRohan · 16/02/2024 02:01

YABU.

I'm sure the vast majority can relate to 'an inheritance that never came'. My grandad was a multimillionaire who left all his money to an illegitimate child and not a dime flowed down to me. Hardly a sob story given I never worked for that money.

I'm not entitled to be rich on the basis of my birth vs what I work for. Being angry and bitter about this is so pointless.

wellhello24 · 16/02/2024 02:04

Garlickit · 16/02/2024 01:36

Great post, @wellhello24. I hope you get a bit of good luck, too.

Thanks so much☺️

endofthelinefinally · 16/02/2024 02:07

As someone who worked nearly 40 years in the nhs, here are my thoughts.
The NHS is desperately short staffed.
You clearly live in a very expensive area.
I would be searching the nicest and cheapest areas to live and searching all the NHS jobs in that area. I would read up about schools, public transport etc.
Where I live (SE) a small 2 bed flat costs £500k.
200 miles North, a 3 bedroom terraced house with a small garden in a nice town with lovely parks, a university and 2 hospitals costs less than £200k. I know this because I went house hunting with my adult child and they are happily settled there with no desire to move back to the SE, ever.
Unless there are compelling reasons you have to stay put, I would up sticks and move.

Garlickit · 16/02/2024 02:14

coxesorangepippin · 16/02/2024 01:49

I know people have given suggestions etc but I don't think that's really what the op wants.

She just wants to sound off and express her feelings. Which is totally fine. I hate hearing the term 'comparison is the thief of joy' which is constantly trotted out on here like were supposed to all be a bunch of Puritans or something.

You've been dealt a poor hand op, and it's okay to complain.

I totally agree. But @StillAtDusk sounds so helpless. It's really okay to be sad about what you didn't get - like most PPs on here, I've been through a truly gutting reversal and obviously do think about what "should have been"!

You can let yourself feel sorrow, anger, regret. And still you have to live as well as you can, get past your obstacles and go forward. More so if you've got children, they deserve that from you. Keeping yourself in such a stew that you can't even contemplate fixing your coat or how to keep your kitchen doors on is a form of self-harm. OP deserves better than that; we all do.

Softycatchymonkeys · 16/02/2024 02:52

Op I don’t know what profession you do but if it’s healthcare can you do locuming and earn more money?

Hellogoodbyehello4321 · 16/02/2024 02:55

It's shit and you have every right to be angry and resentful but some of your situation is a result of your own decisions - it sounds like you've known for years that the quarter of estate from your grandma wasn't coming and tbf could have made different life choices to adapt to it.

To be fair most ppl don't inherit quarter of a mill at a young age and manage to navigate life without it - the only thing that's different is the expectation you had of it and the fact your dad let you down.

But that's life - expectations often different to reality. I don't blame you for being resentful of your father as it sounds like he could have set you up rather well but he's lost out on his relationship with you as a result, but it's no good cutting that link if the resentment continues to consume you. You need to find a way to move on for yourself.

Thing is OP, while you may not get that kind of money, there are other ways you can get money, it's not done and dusted. I know you don't see it but I think in so many other ways you are really fortunate- you have a DH and 2 children and a home. These things aren't as necessarily as easy to come by. Very few people get what they expect out of life but it sounds like you've got a lot to be really happy about if you can find away to accept what's happened.

LunaTheCat · 16/02/2024 04:05

OP … I feel for you! You have been let down by people who should have had your interests at heart.
your home may have threadbare carpets and a broken bath but it is home!
Buy some cheap flowers or plants, some fairy lights and make it magical for you and your children. Candles and make cosy with blankets ( I buy mine 2nd hand… old vintage 50’s ones) . It’s a safe space… and many don’t have that. Your children will always remember how you made them feel… that is very precious indeed.

neverfair · 16/02/2024 04:12

I feel your pain op, my family inheritance situation is pretty shit, boys get it all so they don't even need to work to own a house and spend freely.

Every penny and everything we own now 100% came from ourselves, we are 49, 51. We used to go overdrafts when we started a family, financially got better through promotions over the years, we don't expect any income from anywhere else so expect to work for another 20 years as pension age probably be 70 by then. We are trying hard to pay more into work place pension, we work in a very unstable and ageist field so job hunting after job loss at this age will have great impact on us.

It really doesn't help when this unfairness came from your own family, it is not just us we are worrying about, we worry for our children's future too, we probably will have nothing to pass on.

Stay strong, life most likely get better over time financially through work experience and promotions.

HenndigoOZ · 16/02/2024 04:48

You sound very overwhelmed and burned out OP. No practical advice or suggestions to look on the brighter side, as I can see that feels impossible. Could a visit to the GP be what’s needed? There could be health issues at play and you might need some sort of support.

GreyGoose1980 · 16/02/2024 04:51

Stop focusing on the past and whatever injustices may have occurred. Neither DH or I received any inheritance as our grandparents either had nothing to leave or left a small amount to their own children and it wouldn’t cross my mind to expect anything. The COL crisis is so hard but equally you need to focus on what you can do to improve your situation yourself, not what occurred in the past.

Sothisiit · 16/02/2024 04:54

The situation you are in is obviously hard and watching other people be frivolous with inheritance is not easy.
Unfortunately you can't change the past decisions or actions unless you have legal grounds to contest the wills. In your DH case it's been applied by the legal lines of succession to the spouse.
You're not going to change the past and bitterness and resentment are only going to eat you up and make you unhappy.
You need to let it go and make a plan for the future so this does not take you down or affect your DC.
Seek some financial planning advice. Actively work out how to save some money, sell unused items, generate additional income.
Male a list of the things you need to attend to around the house. Order them in terms of easiest/ cheapest to fix and make a more positive start to change.
Could to bath be repaired with a resin/epoxy adhesive? Try freecycle for item you need in the home. I got a washer from a house clearance site for £50.
Maybe seek some counselling or life coach advice to get your thought process back on track.
Concentrate on the things you can change and make small manageable positive steps.

Nofilteritwonthelp · 16/02/2024 04:55

I'd be bitter too, but your grandmother should have left a will if that's what she wanted so maybe there was a reason that didn't happen. Most people dont get an inheritance so if you did that would have been a huge bonus akin to wonning the lottery. But it didn't happen. It's time to leave that in the past as it's now affecting your future, and worse your children. Stop being a victim and move forward. I have a relative like this who's obsessed with the past and it's honesty consumed him and ruined his life. Don't let your past dictate your future.

Passingthethyme · 16/02/2024 04:59

You are bitter that you haven't received money from someone else, do you realise this is how most people live? You really need a reality check. Do you want your children to be equally bitter at you for not doing better for them?

Newchapterbeckons · 16/02/2024 05:01

Are you looking after sick people op seething as you are?
The level of anger you are displaying is unhealthy for everyone around you, but especially you.

Get yourself into counselling and talk about what is causing such resentment and anger, before it becomes too corrosive and you lose everything.

Princessbananahamock · 16/02/2024 05:07

Op claim DLA for kids. You can apply they have sen end of. It’s irrelevant that they are in mainstream school most sen are in mainstream. They just need more help than their peers. My son gets dla he is in a mainstream school, we also get an element added to universal credit. Get the forms take your time to fill out. Phone up get the forms sent out today the claim is dated from the time you call.

There is a forum on here for kids with sen perhaps the parents on there could advise you about filling them in etc support with information to supply.

DLA is not a means tested benefit. Do not be discouraged from claiming your family could benefit immensely from it.