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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what the most ridiculous advice/suggestion you've seen on here is?

196 replies

Phillipconnarthy · 21/04/2025 20:11

I was looking for ways to pay off my credit card faster and was told by somebody that I should sell my TV (it cost around £110) on which I only have Netflix and don't pay for a licence as I don't watch anything else.

I was told watching TV is a luxury and I should be happy with just listening to the radio!
It made me feel that some people think people with debt or low income don't deserve even the simplest of pleasures.

Has anyone else had silly advice?

OP posts:
Youagain2025 · 21/04/2025 20:22

A long time ago now. I was being evicted under section 21 no fault evicted. I was looking for another private rent was considering one where I could use the dining room as a bedroom. And a poster said but where will you eat... I was trying to avoid becoming homeless with children but that poster couldn't see beyond where we would eat dinner.

I have seen quite a,few weird ones in general. Get rid of your mobile type ones over the top stretching of food.

Or can you move... forgetting how much it actually cost to move.

Take in washing /ironing

WateryBottle · 21/04/2025 20:38

It’s quite a trivial one but a few times I’ve seen threads where the OP isn’t allowed to take her baby to a child free wedding and posters have advised her to just put the baby in a sling and go along anyway as “no one will notice”.

I’ve also seen posters advise to withhold rent in response to disrepair issues in a rented property 🤦🏻‍♀️

unicornsarereal72 · 21/04/2025 20:39

That the CMS will make the absent parent pay Grin I have £30k just waiting to be put into my bank account!

BuffetTheDietSlayer · 21/04/2025 20:41

To rub coconut oil onto a burn.

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 21/04/2025 20:43

My fave i see is "sell up and move north" for people who are struggling to make ends meet down south.

Because of course, they will have several thousand pounds hanging around for solicitors fees, estate agent fees, moving fees, stamp duty, easily find kids new schools, afford to buy all the new school uniforms, etc etc when they're living paycheque to paycheque.

SnoozingFox · 21/04/2025 20:45

On a thread about someone sitting in a reserved (by someone else) seat on a train, poster was a bit of a wet lettuce and didn't do what most of us would do and just ask the person to move.

Lots of advice about ask the guard, or try another carriage, or just pull up yout big girl pants and tell them, then some bright spark pipes up with "Well if it was ME I would just sit on their lap and refuse to move". Yeah, course you would.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 21/04/2025 20:51

A lot of the most ridiculous advice I've seen on here is by often lone posters in a sea of 'LTBs' suggesting how the OP should lower her standards and pander to her awful husband in order to improve their relationship.

abracadabra1980 · 21/04/2025 20:58

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 21/04/2025 20:43

My fave i see is "sell up and move north" for people who are struggling to make ends meet down south.

Because of course, they will have several thousand pounds hanging around for solicitors fees, estate agent fees, moving fees, stamp duty, easily find kids new schools, afford to buy all the new school uniforms, etc etc when they're living paycheque to paycheque.

Not sure how often you have moved but I have done this before without paying a penny up front, to anybody, until the money was through from one house to another. I had absolutely nothing in savings or cash the first time I moved-just equity in the property.

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 21/04/2025 21:01

abracadabra1980 · 21/04/2025 20:58

Not sure how often you have moved but I have done this before without paying a penny up front, to anybody, until the money was through from one house to another. I had absolutely nothing in savings or cash the first time I moved-just equity in the property.

Show quote history

You're presuming these kinds of posters aren't mortgaged and in debt up to the eyeballs and likely to have very little available equity.

But of course, there is also the issue of finding work etc. It's never as simple as just uprooting an entire family to save money, that's the point.

WtafIsThat · 21/04/2025 21:04

There’s terrible advice on any medical thread.

Putting toothpaste, oil, tomatoes, butter etc on a burn. Fuck my life…

WinterMorn · 21/04/2025 21:14

The people that suggest keying cars when they block driveways or use the wrong parking space. Yes, it’s really worth risking a criminal conviction, isn’t it?

stripedrollerskates · 21/04/2025 21:18

I’ve often seen quite dangerous advice to retaliate in some way to abusive husbands.

EmpressaurusKitty · 21/04/2025 21:25

If you’re not sure whether you want kids, just have one.

Youagain2025 · 21/04/2025 21:31

People that think you can make someone do something they should be doing . Ie make the father step up ... make the father pay for the child.

Katemax82 · 21/04/2025 22:03

Youagain2025 · 21/04/2025 20:22

A long time ago now. I was being evicted under section 21 no fault evicted. I was looking for another private rent was considering one where I could use the dining room as a bedroom. And a poster said but where will you eat... I was trying to avoid becoming homeless with children but that poster couldn't see beyond where we would eat dinner.

I have seen quite a,few weird ones in general. Get rid of your mobile type ones over the top stretching of food.

Or can you move... forgetting how much it actually cost to move.

Take in washing /ironing

Edited

We had to get a house and use the dining room as a bedroom, we shoved the dining table in the lounge

Fabulousagain · 21/04/2025 22:04

Pretty much all the advice is fucked up on mumsnet.
Just on a other thread where a poster as said that ops boyfriend should be paying something to her because hes at hers for half the week.
However hes there 2 -3 days thats not half a week.
Just looking at the comments on there im thinking op please dont take this advice.
Mumnetters will keep you single.
On a different thread a poster said that the op husband needs to die a lonely man sorry but NO one should be saying things like that.

A few years go on here a poster was having a very hard time kicked her son out and was in hospital comments was she was an awful mum and her 16 year old may have SEN and she should be a proper mother it was awful.
Her son was the one that put her in hospital.
But that was ok he was just a child and these things happen stated by the comments.

I 8 out of 10 times get quoted for my grammar.

JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch · 21/04/2025 22:11

Most threads to do with landlord and tenant law/eviction. Advice is given which is actively harmful to tenants.

My favourite though is the suggestion (c April 2020) to use cheese in coffee instead of milk. Proof if needed that COVID sent everyone crazy.

wastingtimeonhere · 22/04/2025 06:49

Advising that LTB, mum is exhausted and he has little to do with the DC, he will have to have them 50:50 and mum will get time away from kids. If he does nothing now, he's unlikely to suddenly become father of the year.

NeedToChangeName · 22/04/2025 07:28

A lot of legal advice on here is well intentioned but completely misguided

RatherOutdated · 22/04/2025 07:51

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 21/04/2025 20:51

A lot of the most ridiculous advice I've seen on here is by often lone posters in a sea of 'LTBs' suggesting how the OP should lower her standards and pander to her awful husband in order to improve their relationship.

This.

Similarly, where someone posts about domestic abuse, negative relationship experiences, crappy parenting from a partner etc.. there's always a few bright sparks jumping in to comment "not all men!" and "women do this too!" when it's obvious from the post and context that the OP is talking about a particular man or subset of men and a particular behaviour. It's normally neither a helpful nor intelligent response and can derail the discussion and drown out more useful inputs. I wish there was a separate standing thread where these people could be directed to post on this theme to their heart's content. (The rest of us already know it isn't all men and don't need to repeatedly state it in irrelevant places.)

Redcrayons · 22/04/2025 07:55

Spa days. Book yourself a hotel room. Send him an invoice for childcare. Print this out and read it back To him.

TheNightingalesStarling · 22/04/2025 07:56

To get rid of your mobile phone if you ate struggling for cash.

Its almost the same level of necessity as as electricity these days. You need it to get a job, to get benefits, to find support, to find free or cheap stuff. It can cost just a few pounds a month

Plus, if you are in contract for your phone or tv package or whatever, you can't just stop paying it.

I've also been told you should only have one child so that you are always available to pick them up as soon as its dark...

Original poster
Phillipconnarthy · 22/04/2025 08:05

I do like the 'make him take responsibility' - 'make him have the kids twice a week', 'make him pay 50%', ..if only.

OP posts:
lifemakeover · 22/04/2025 08:06

Not sure if it counts as advice exactly but posters on threads about children's behaviour saying "Well I just wouldn't allow it/stand for it..." How exactly, if the child has already done the thing?

Simonjt · 22/04/2025 08:10

I saw a poster claiming to be a nurse advising the relatives and friends of type one diabetes to always know where their insulin pen is, so they can give them insulin if their blood sugar is so low they can’t do it themselves.