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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to step back from my husband’s hobby event after all this?

134 replies

CitrusWhite · 20/11/2025 20:48

DH recently became chairman of his hobby group, which means he now has to organise the annual fundraising event. So far it has put us nearly £1,500 out of pocket. I gave him money from my annual bonus for a room deposit of £500 and allowed him to use family money, so about £1,000 has come from me personally.

This is his hobby and, frankly, his ego boost as chair. I’ve kept quiet, avoided taking over and being the default organiser like I did with our wedding, kids’ christenings, birthdays etc. and told myself that if he wants the title and the praise, he can do the legwork!

Still, I’ve sourced and paid for a few bits to make it look good because he’d happily settle for the cheapest, most basic options.

One of the decorations is a balloon arrangement we need to make 15 of. We needed to test one last night or tonight so I can make the rest the day before the event. Yesterday I’d done a 13-hour day and had a long drive to and from the office. He invited a friend round to discuss event plans without asking me, even though I needed to be part of it. I sucked it up and got on with it, even though I was exhausted.

Tonight I told him he needed to do a test balloon arrangement so I know what I’m doing when I make the bulk of them. He couldn’t find a suitable pump, kicked off, and said I was being BU and “lazy”. He gave a nasty tirade about how awful I was being and then texted me 10 minutes later asking if I’d “reflected on how awful” I’d been. His argument being that he has had a busy day and looking for a lump is physical whereas last night I just had to talk - as though his physical exhaustion is worse than my mental exhaustion.

All I actually said was that we should’ve done the balloons last night, and that I’ve already put in a lot of effort and money for his hobby event, not mine and we need to do this test run as we wont get anither chance then it will be done last minute and we will bith be stressed. He insists he’s had a long day and it’s apparently fine for me to sit with a glass of wine while he looks for a pump, but he’s completely dismissing the work I’ve put in sourcing favours, raffle prizes and decorations of which I am sorting during wfh days around housework and school pick ups too (his job is FT office).

Right now I’m thinking: leave him to it. Let him run his event however he likes and remove myself from it entirely. In my head that’s the sensible option, but deep down I know it would be a huge blow to him and it would be embarrassing for him if I didn’t attend - the point I am making maybe not worth the fall out.

I also don’t want to show up to an event full of tacky Temu centrepieces and have people assume I played a part in that.

AIBU?

OP posts:
RaininSummer · 20/11/2025 20:50

I am a bit bemused that you are paying for this event. Shouldn't it come out if the club's funds? Otherwise tbh I would leave him to it as it's his event to organise.

Greysowhat · 20/11/2025 20:52

Why is he paying for it ? ? ?

Lmnop22 · 20/11/2025 20:52

Why are you out of pocket for a hobby group? Don’t you get to claim expenses back?

if he’s being an ungrateful sod and it’s not a shared hobby, why do you even care if the event is tacky? Just leave him to it!

MrsTerryPratchett · 20/11/2025 20:52

You've already volunteered vastly more time effort and money than is reasonable.

He seems like a shit. Is he generally?

ChaChaChaChanges · 20/11/2025 20:54

WTF? Why do you care so much?

CrustyBread1977 · 20/11/2025 20:55

What’s the point in spending loads on a fundraiser? Wouldn’t the money be better given to whatever it’s raising funds for?!

Also - your DH sounds horrible. You should never have helped him and his ego in the first place.

amber763 · 20/11/2025 20:56

Agree with other posters. Why are you or he paying? Surely it would come.from club funds?

Also yes 100 percent just leave him to it. Its his hobby. I dont know why you care so much about it to put in so much effort.

Your husband sounds like a bit of a twat.

IvedoneitagainhaventI · 20/11/2025 20:57

Honestly OP I can't believe you have invested so much time and money into his hobby.

He sounds totally incompetent and selfish and ungrateful.

Not only would I leave him to it i would be asking for the money you've paid out to be paid back ASAP. He should be funding his hobby out of his own savings. I can't believe he used your bonus!

IndigoIsMyFavouriteColour · 20/11/2025 20:58

My only involvement would be making sure I got my money back.

Smartiepants79 · 20/11/2025 21:00

He has behaved atrociously. Does he usually? Is he always so rude and bloody ungrateful? None of this is your problem. It’s his problem. He should be falling over himself to thank you for everything you’ve done so far.
You are getting your money back aren’t you?

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/11/2025 21:05

Am I reading this right? £500 room deposit and then another £1000 that you say
Still, I’ve sourced and paid for a few bits to make it look good because he’d happily settle for the cheapest, most basic options.

so £1000 on decorations? That are balloon arrangements? Are you mad?
The fundraiser has to generate £1500 before it breaks even!,

for a hobby event.

I think you should have left him to it and had him source the cheapest, most basic options. By spending so much, you’ve upped the stakes and the stress.

I did a lot of fundraising for my kids private school back in the day as treasurer and we never ever spent that much on an event. We got sponsors to donate food, the venue, often the decorations….

Well I can see why he would be upset and why you are wanting to bail. It’s a train wreck.

Keroppi · 20/11/2025 21:07

Get your money back and back off, it's his hobby and he's being rude. Stop martyring yourself because you're a better organiser than him. So what! He can just do his best.

I can't believe you've spent so much on a fundraiser though.. hopefully you'll get some back......... you don't have sponsors?

CitrusWhite · 20/11/2025 21:10

Our spend isnt recouped against the takings. 100% of the money raised on the night will go to the charity so the money we spent is disregarded.

I have no idea why there is no support fund but its how its always been, with people paying for their food as their ticket to the event.

We booked a big, lavish room because he was convinced lots more people would come to his event than usual and he wanted to put on a giid show. He would never admit it but as much as he pretends he is a "take me as you find me" guy, he actually wants people to.look up to him.

Disappointingly, he has not had the extra support he expected he would have had over his predecessors so numbers are as low as ever and no, its not been worth it.

OP posts:
CitrusWhite · 20/11/2025 21:10

Our spend isnt recouped against the takings. 100% of the money raised on the night will go to the charity so the money we spent is disregarded.

I have no idea why there is no support fund but its how its always been, with people paying for their food as their ticket to the event.

We booked a big, lavish room because he was convinced lots more people would come to his event than usual and he wanted to put on a good show. He would never admit it but as much as he pretends he is a "take me as you find me" guy, he actually wants people to.look up to him.

Disappointingly, he has not had the extra support he expected he would have had over his predecessors so numbers are as low as ever and no, its not been worth it.

OP posts:
Feelingsunny · 20/11/2025 21:10

YABU because you should never have chucked this much money at the event and you should have left him to it. Instead you're wasting a lot of money and taking over.

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/11/2025 21:12

I’m not convinced the OP is the better organiser. Fund raising is not something you can spend your way to success in. It seems almost like she’s approached it as if it were someone’s 40th birthday bash.

CanSeeClearlyNowTheRainHasGone · 20/11/2025 21:13

I also don’t want to show up to an event full of tacky Temu centrepieces and have people assume I played a part in that

Looks like this is the crux of the argument.

It's his event
It's his tonareange and decide the level of tackiness

But you seem to feel its your event
And that you don't want to be judged for it.

Walk away. Let him sink or swim.

Stop trying to organise and just help him if he asks and if the ask is reasonable like we all donwith our partners.

It's NOT your event

Feelingsunny · 20/11/2025 21:14

I've organised several charity balls. Didn't put any of my own money in. Blagged great venues, decorations and entertainment free or at discount. Sold tickets, had auctions, made between 1.5-3k per event for the charities. When short of ticket sales the event was cancelled. No balloon extravaganzas needed.

Mumptynumpty · 20/11/2025 21:15

Read Let Them by Mel Robbins. Then let him.

Twistedfirestarters · 20/11/2025 21:17

This whole thing is insane.

Why are you entertaining any of it?!

Tamfs · 20/11/2025 21:18

'Right now I’m thinking: leave him'

I shortened this stand out sentence from your OP for you. Texting you after ten minutes to see if you had reflected on how awful you had been? You have much bigger problems than this event, that's just a red herring.

SoManyDandelions · 20/11/2025 21:18

I can't imagine ever getting this involved in DH's hobby. Is it also your hobby? Why would it be embarrassing for him if you weren't at the event - do you know all the people who will be there?

You sound slightly controlling and over involved. DH clearly isn't bothered about balloon arrangements which is why he has no urge to do trial runs etc.

Are you worried that without your help, the event will be a bit of a flop?

SoManyDandelions · 20/11/2025 21:20

I do agree that DH sounds unpleasant though. His text messages are awful 😖

PigeonsandSquirrels · 20/11/2025 21:21

I’d still help him… if he admitted you weren’t being awful. I’d just lay it out to him that it’s his event, his club, his chair and that you’ve helped a lot which isn’t actually a requirement of you as a wife.

If he continued to flounce leave him to it.

PracticalPixie · 20/11/2025 21:22

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/11/2025 21:12

I’m not convinced the OP is the better organiser. Fund raising is not something you can spend your way to success in. It seems almost like she’s approached it as if it were someone’s 40th birthday bash.

I agree with this tbh.

I voted yabu because you've said you want to leave him to it and are (rightly) concerned about sinking money into an event for his hobby, but then you've also said you don't want anything basic or cheap which was what he was planning to do.

I think yanbu to leave him to it, but yabu to care if he buys cheap stuff (temu is ethically dubious obviously, but that isn't why you've said you don't want stuff from there)