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Money left in safe!!

164 replies

glindathegoodbitch · 12/06/2018 08:00

Dear all,

My elderly parents recently holidayed in Montenegro.
Upon completing their 4 hour journey to the airport to catch their flight home, my mother realised she had left her purse containing £600 in English cash in the safe.

The hotel have been brilliant and have the purse, but we cannot work out how to get it home to England.

DHL won't carry it as they do not ship money. The standard post is liable to get stopped at customs/ stolen.

Can the hotel put the money I an English bank?

I don't know much about Montenegro, but my father says it's about 20 years behind the rest of Europe??

Any advice would be gratefully received

X

(I have also posted in Travel, my father is desperate and rings me every three hours to see if I've got the purse back yet!!)

OP posts:
glindathegoodbitch · 15/06/2018 08:26

Ha ha ha.

Yes, yes you may.

OP posts:
acornsandnuts · 15/06/2018 08:29

And obviously those ashes will be mixed with glitter in a bejazzelled pink urn.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 15/06/2018 09:02

I can't get over him deducting money from your mothers Christmas present

IJustHadToNameChange · 15/06/2018 09:16

I really wouldn't count on him remembering you in his will at all, let alone getting the same as your brothers.......

Well done, but you're a better woman tham I am....

RealEstateNovelist · 15/06/2018 09:42

Ok OP, it’s your life. But please don’t kid yourself that the things you’ve described are just things that an overbearing but loving parent would do. This is abuse, and sometimes criminal activity (secretly cutting a key to your house! I can’t even.). Your father doesn’t have a modicum of respect for you. He may seem to at times—that’s the classic pattern of what abusers do. I can totally relate to your use of humor to get through a difficult situation, and I know you feel like you are “getting revenge” in certain ways, but you should never have to deal with this level of cruelty and manipulation in the first place. There is no way to excuse or make up for the things he does to you. You have normalized it, and perhaps your DH was also abused so he doesn’t speak up either, but trust me when I tell you this is above and beyond. What is this relationship bringing you other than occasional funny moments? Have you ever heard of Stockholm syndrome?

Those questions are rhetorical, as I am leaving the thread now. I know you’ve read my advice and responded to it so there’s not much more for me to say. You are a great writer and clearly a funny person so I find myself wondering if you’ve exaggerated some of these incidents for “comic effect.” If not, they are horrifying and I’d bet there are more worse stories that you haven’t shared because it would be impossible to put a humorous spin on them. I truly wish you the best of luck, and if the time ever comes that you are ready to establish healthy boundaries with your dad, feel free to PM me for support. I know it’s not an easy thing to do.

glindathegoodbitch · 15/06/2018 09:43

I'm not daft.

My brothers are lovely, but all a bit useless (a mixture of molly codling and an overbearing father is not great for little boys apparently).

The reason dad leans on me is, despite telling anyone who will listen, that I'm stupid, is that I'm incredibly good with paperwork... And solicitors... And money.

I'm executor of his will.

Also, as there is mental health issues in the family (surprise!) with my Nana having early onset sudden dementia, he cannot change his will or execute large transactions without mine and another brothers signature now that he is over the age of seventy.

I can't change his will, but neither can he. I know where every penny is and it is done so fairly that there can be absolutely no dispute. Mum, is protected, we are protected, and just as importantly, dad is protected.

This is a simplistic summary, there's much more to it than that, but it works.

True, he's a bastard, he makes my life difficult... But I'm smart about it and when he finally pops his clogs, I will miss him and his craziness, but I will throw a big party and we'll all dance to George Michael.

For now though, knowing that once a month he is apoplectic with fury as he opens the email thanking him for the donation made in his name to the Aids Foundation of South Africa, is enough.

OP posts:
glindathegoodbitch · 15/06/2018 09:59

And Real Estate,

I know.

I know all of this, and my daughter went through the same thing with my husband... Well.. She wouldn't. Just no. I would never let that happen, ever.

But my mum is of another generation. And my father... My father belonged in the dark ages even in his own generation. And some people just can't change. I wouldn't give up on my child, I won't give up on my father. I just deal with it. Laugh a lot, drink a bit of gin and then try and be as kind as I can.

There are so many awful stories about my dad that I could never write down.. Not because they are sad, but because they are so crazy, you wouldn't believe them.... Who goes to a funeral of someone they hardly know (my dh's G.Father) and hands out business cards?? Who does that??? Wow.

I want to thank you for your concern, I know how it looks on the outside- my friends despair of me (and weirdly Stockholm syndrome is a private joke between us everytime my phone rings), but I'm fine. I just try and be the best person I can be to make up for the fact fact that he's trying to be the shittest person he can xx

OP posts:
FinallyHere · 15/06/2018 10:09

if it goes missing I will be held responsible (and probably have to pay him back)

Really? If I really thought this, would tend to take a step back and say that I did not know what to do for best. A mistake has been made, its not ideal but the burden should really not fall on you.

I have no idea why I'm so involved in this!!!

BIWI had some clues for you in her advice to stop enabling him, which means take a step back, leave him to it. I get that it is not easy, but it is possible. Are you dependent on them, in which case get yourself a job and some independence.

Ive read more of your thread now, OP, and am very sorry for you. You write very well and sound like a lovely person, whose life is pretty good ..... but who is allowing themselves to be abused. I know that sounds shocking, and I hope you give the idea due consideration.

The general tone of your 'explanation' revolves around his will, what he will leave. Ae you aware of the likely costs of care. In our current age, it us reasonable to expect that people's estates will be used up in their end of life care. Rather than excuse his behaviour thinking of the party you will throw when he is no longer around, aka allowing his wealth to control you, please consider finding a away to break the bonds while he is here to see it. Is much more difficult but nothing would be more rewarding.

If I don't jump through his ridiculous hoops he pretty much tells me 'well, I'll be dead soon and then you'll regret it'. Instead of caving in at this feeble attempt to blackmail you, how about preparing an alternative response, something like 'oh well, we will just have to deal with that when it happens'. And then do not give into him, use that breezy humour to keep doing what you meant to do and do not allow him to derail you.

It's obviously so much easier to say, than to do. You sound as if you could do anything you set yourself to do. At the moment you are using all that energy to enable him, so how about, well, not enabling him. The penalty would be that he will transform in your mind from the current, all powerful figure into a really rather pathetic little man. You may prefer to be abused by the view of himself he projects.

He knows the rather pathetic version that he is covering up. All the best.

Ohyesiam · 15/06/2018 11:26

Please for the love of all that is sane, just say no to the next 10 things he asks you to do.

glindathegoodbitch · 15/06/2018 12:15

I have the day off.

I am in his garden helping him make a beehive....... Confused

OP posts:
Jaxhog · 15/06/2018 12:40

I just loved this thread. Op, you have to be the most patient and funny person on Mumsnet. I thought my Dad was crazy, but he isn't even in the same league. I take my hat off to you.

And please do write that book. I'd buy it!

IJustHadToNameChange · 15/06/2018 13:01

I am in his garden helping him make a beehive.

Is it in kit form?

Are you looking at a pile of wood and a saw?

Littletinyraindrops · 15/06/2018 13:03

Thank God people are here to save you from yourself @glindathegoodbitch , how else would you have ever survived?! Hmm

Can't believe you're making a fucking beehive for him. 😂 Or are you just doing it in the hope of them stinging him?

glindathegoodbitch · 15/06/2018 13:23

I really like bees.....

Ha. I'm so rubbish, but I do really like bees.

He wants to get into beekeeping but is too tight yo buy a hive, so I've had to research, redraw and redesign a beehive for him (that he is making out of the wrong type of wood because he is too tight to buy cedar).

He has however just given me a lidls cherry spilt yoghurt and only shouted at me twice, so I might not cut 'airholes' in his beesuit.

Life is so fucking weird sometimes!

OP posts:
FinallyHere · 15/06/2018 13:33

is too tight yo buy a hive, so I've had to research, redraw and redesign a beehive for him

I sincerly hope that someday you grasp that far from having to do this, you are choosing to do so.

glindathegoodbitch · 15/06/2018 13:35

Oh... And he hasn't mentioned the sodding money, so I assume he has it back!

You're welcome you ungrateful bunglecunt!

it is very sunny here and his garden is beautiful and flowery and he's gone in to have a nap on the sofa.

I'm dreaming about pimms and saving the world one bee at a time...

OP posts:
TryingToForgeAnewLife · 15/06/2018 13:42

Sorry OP....but actually l don't find the stuff you have written amusing. I find it very sad that you have so little regard for yourself that you allow yourself to be treated like that.

BIWI · 15/06/2018 13:58

Hear, hear.

Get some self-esteem, Glinda.

It's sad that you think this is a) funny and that b) it will entertain other people.

reallybadidea · 15/06/2018 14:04

Yeah, I agree. Invest in yourself and get a good therapist.

glindathegoodbitch · 15/06/2018 15:12

A conversation between me and a therapist...

Therapist: you have serious father issues.

Me: Yes, I know.

Therapist: And you know you are enabling his negative behiour?

Me: Yes.... I know.

Therapist: And you have to stop this by changing your behaviour.

Me: Absolutely.

Therapist: are you going to?

Me:.... Sorry, my phone is ringing... hello, dad?..... You've done what????... Yes.... No... No.... No.... Oh fuck it, I'll be there in five.... Sorry therapist, what were you saying? Can we wrap this up, my dad has threatened his neighbour with his hedge-trimmer....

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bigsighall · 15/06/2018 16:13

I only wanted to add that the way you write is fabulous. If you don’t have a career where you can use those skills, you need to change career!

Spidermansthong · 15/06/2018 16:28

He's building a bee hive?? Where's that vat of lemonade....... make it look like a terrible accident

glindathegoodbitch · 15/06/2018 16:44

'Well Your Honour... I was innocently sipping from my MASSIVE jug of pimms... Dad was there... Mysterious Airholes in his beesuit??... He tripped (I promise)... All those bees... All that chopped fruit... All that lemonade (sobs into a brand new monogrammed silk hankie) .... It was inevitable really... A real tragedy, but inevitable.... '

OP posts:
glindathegoodbitch · 15/06/2018 16:48

I work in Law.
Not the fun Meghan-Markle-sex-up-against-the-photocopier-law.....

Just the incredibly boring, never ending, dull side of property law that requires neither imagination nor a sense of humour in fact its quite frowned upon

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Spidermansthong · 15/06/2018 16:54

It's an episode of Midsommers Murder in the making Grin

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