Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Am I wasting my time with my other half?

25 replies

user1496591437 · 04/06/2017 16:52

We have been together for 3 years. Hes 24 and I'm 22.
The first year we got together, he was working as a chef. He was working from 10 in the morning til 10 at night. I have a job in an office so was working 9 til 5, when I left in the morning, he was asleep and when he came back at night I was asleep.
It got to the point where I realised it wasn't going to work. I told him and said the issue was we didn't get to spend enough time together, so he said he's get a different job.
He found a job at a supermarket on the night shift. This was slightly better as he started at 11pm and finished at 7am so we had a 6 hour gap between when I finished work and he started work. The issue was with this was that he'd get home from work, stay awake until 1 in the afternoon and wouldn't wake up when I got home. again, we had no time together. we got to breaking point again. after much arguing, he managed to get weekends off work so we get to spend some time together.
I did consider the fact that he changed his work twice to keep our relationship going whereas I changed nothing, but I am on a good career path on the road to being a management accountant and Im in a managerial position which is very well paid whereas he has always worked in supermarkets/pubs etc (which there is no issue with but is much easier to find work in.)
in between him starting his job at the supermarket and him changing his hours, he proposed to me. At first, I was skeptical as we'd only been together 12 months but I said yes. I spoke to him about it afterwards and we said we'd wait 2 years before planning the wedding.
When he proposed, we were both living with my parents as his mum had told him they couldn't afford the house they were living in and needed to downscale, so my mum said he could stay with us providing he paid rent. This happened 6 months into our relationship.
After about 12 months of him living with us, we were engaged and I grew tired of living with my parents and wanted to look at getting our own place. I discussed this with Him and he was not keen. I'd show him houses and flats to rent and he'd find fault with all of them. In the end, I ended up booking us a viewing without showing him and told him we were going regardless. We went, and ended up renting the flat which we are still currently living in.
So, we'd been living in our flat for over 6 months, we were happy. I then brought up the topic of the wedding as we'd been engaged for 2 years. In the time we'd been together, I'd put on a lot of weight and he knew I wasn't happy with myself. So we ended the marriage conversation with when I lost 4 stone and felt confident again, we would begin planning. (He would always call me beautiful regardless, this was my issue not his)
6 months passed, and I'd lost 3 stone and was feeling brilliant. I began asking again when we'd be planning the wedding cause I had almost hit my 4 stone target. He then began saying that we can't afford a wedding and they cost a lot of money etc. I told him I wasn't wanting an expensive wedding. I'm not one for over the top things and would be happy with anything as long as I was marrying him.
Over the years, id got myself into a bit of debt (furnishing he house, buying a new car etc) which I am on top of and is not causing me problems but I am spending the majority of my disposable income paying these off, even though I'm paying more than quadruple the minimum payments and am being charged no interest. He was now saying that we're not financially stable and when we're financially stable and have a mortgage we will get married.
I flipped. said I don't want to be engaged to him anymore as he obviously does not want to marry me. He said this wasn't the case, we just need to be financially stable.....
Anyway, I've not been wearing my ring for months now.
He will not talk about the subject rationally, I've told him how embarrassing it's been for me as I've been telling my friends and family one excuse after the next and look like a mug.
I went to a kids birthday party yesterday and saw how adorable all the kids were and am broody as hell.
Mentioned this to him and just got 'no' when pressed, he said he wants to see more of the world first. However, he works in a supermarket so doesn't have a high income, so we cannot afford to go on holidays unless we put it on a credit card, but we cannot get married until we're financially stable, but then can't have kids until we've travelled?
Am I too pushy?
Am I wrong in being completely and utterly fed up?
Our lease is up in September and I've been doing some serious thinking. I love him and he does everything round the house and treats me like a princess but I'm pulling my hair out because I feel like all these future things we have to look forward to are ruined because we've argued relentlessly about them and I don't think I'll ever believe he wants these things with me.

OP posts:
FatOldBag · 04/06/2017 16:57

I'd cut and run. He doesn't want to marry you, he's only in the relationship as you tell him what to do (as in where to rent etc) and he goes along with it. Ditch him and find a grown up.

ijustwannadance · 04/06/2017 17:02

What's the hurry? You are still young.

bakingaddict · 04/06/2017 17:05

I guess your just not compatible but you do need to get a handle on your spending and learn proper financial management. Getting into debt to buy furnishings in a rental accommodation to the extent all your disposal income goes on servicing these debts was foolhardy.
Perhaps it's best to concentrate on clearing your debts before looking to get married otherwise your debts could spiral more out of control with wedding expenditures

thestamp · 04/06/2017 17:06

You're very young and the two of you don't sounds well matched in the slightest.

End it. Look for a man with a professional job and aspirations. Nowt wrong with retail/bar work but the lifestyle you want doesn't come on one professional income alone. You'll resent him and feel weighed down, and he'll resent you and feel pushed/bullied.

End it and find someone with whom it's not a struggle.

RebornSlippy · 04/06/2017 17:06

He's right. You're not financially stable. And frankly, OP, your immaturity shines through in your post. Calm down, clear your debt, evaluate and then plan your wedding. If you're still together. Why the hell would you want to get married so young in this day and age?

Oh and word to the wise, don't say 'he treats me like a princess' because you sound like a little girl.

AlcoholandIrony · 04/06/2017 17:06

I think he's actually being quite sensible in that he wants to put roots down rather than spend all the money on a wedding or babies.

However, the incompatibility comes from not being on the same page. You're still young and I think maybe you should both pursue your dreams before settling down.

thestamp · 04/06/2017 17:08

As an aside, "quadruple the minimum payment" is almost nothing. Your finance and expectations do sound out of whack/problematic. But, you clearly describe wanting to wed, travel, and have babies in the not too distant future... If you want those things soon, and you're a bit of a spendthrift already, hitching your wagon with a low earner who is more financially conservative will drive you mad

user1496591437 · 04/06/2017 17:55

I don't need to spend all my disposable income paying off my debts and it is by no means a high amount. I just want to get them paid off as soon as possible. I'm still left with enough money for rent, food and leave myself 200 a month purely for my social life. I am very well paid and have been very lucky to get to where I am, so I am in control of my debts. I will have everything paid off within 6 months and I knew I would be able to pay them, otherwise, I wouldn't have financed things this way. I am an accountant and am pretty clued up on it all so that's not a concern and he knows this. I maybe didn't explain it the best of ways in my original post. I just feel like he's making excuses.
I completely understand about the being young, hence why I was skeptical when he first proposed. I think the issue may lie with the fact I feel more like 30 than 22. Also, I think if he would have never have proposed in the first place I wouldn't even be considering marriage etc.
It's nice to get some honest advice for a change!

OP posts:
SandyY2K · 04/06/2017 18:02

My view is that you're mismatched in terms of economic status. He is happy with jobs with little prospect and you have career ambition.

Now he's making up excuses and want to travel the world. I don't see a good ending here and if it were me, I'd move on.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 04/06/2017 18:08

You are only 22 and still have a lot of life to live. This is not living.

And you are together at all because?

You are both totally mismatched to each other; are you only now together because of habit or out of some fear of being alone?.

TheNaze73 · 04/06/2017 18:14

Too much, too young & too quick. He's woken up to the fact he doesn't want to get married

OohhThatsMe · 04/06/2017 18:22

I think he's not at a point in his life where he wants marriage and children. An awful lot of men his age are the same.

It doesn't sound like a great relationship, to be honest. For a long time you didn't spend much time together. Maybe it's time to break up and look for someone who's more your type now. Just because a relationship doesn't last, it doesn't mean it's not been worthwhile. And just because you spent a long time together it doesn't mean you have to stay together forever.

user1496591437 · 04/06/2017 18:22

We find each other hilarious and enjoy each other's company.
In the original post, I've only included the bad things. If I wrote about all the kind, thoughtful things he does for me, and me for him, we'd be here all night.
Everything about our relationship other than the above is anything I'd ever want.
Mock me, I don't care if I sound like a child, he does make me feel like a princess. He makes me feel like the most important person in the world the majority of the time. Why do you think I'm so wound up about why he won't marry me Grin . I've just been worrying about whether I'll have to push him to do absolutely everything. Which I shouldn't do. But then if I don't will it end up happening? Hence my dilemma. He's very easygoing and I'm very high strung.

OP posts:
user1496591437 · 04/06/2017 18:26

As I'm replying to these I'm realising I'm answering my own question. I know I'm still young, I know I'm high strung so it's sounding a lot like it's me being a nightmare Wink thanks for all your honest advice. I think my friends have been being way to kind and letting me place all the blame on him!

OP posts:
Joysmum · 04/06/2017 20:12

As an accountant, you'd know about budgeting and having a contingency.

Having lived cheaply with your parents until the last 6 months, and being in a good wage im surprised you have not built up a good amount of savings and have debt.

The accountant in you would know you must firstly clear your debt, then save the budgeted amount plus contingency for the wedding, plus save a life contingency as a buffer should either of your earning capacities take a nose dive.

I'm with your dp on this, he's the sensible one.

EezerGoode · 04/06/2017 20:21

Your very young..I agree with everything he says...if you were 30 and he was saying all this I would agree with you...but seriously,live a little,enjoy what you have with him,he treats you like a princess ,that's lovely,enjoy it x

GriefLeavesItsMark · 04/06/2017 20:27

He won't marry you because he doesn't want to.

As an accountant you would know about sunk costs. Write off this relationship and move on.

user1471464232 · 04/06/2017 20:29

I don't think you sound immature and I think some responses have been a bit harsh. You sound like you know what you want in life and he sounds like he is full of excuses.

When I was 22, I was engaged and married within a year. We both wanted it and we certainly weren't 'too young'. We have built a life that we both wanted together because we were on the same page from day 1.

It's incredibly unfair if he isn't being honest with you, or dangling promises in front of you and pulling them away whenever they become close to becoming a reality. Is he telling you what you want to hear, without ever really committing, just so he doesn't lose you?

He might be a great boyfriend, but it seems like you will spend a lifetime pushing him to be on the same page as you. Do you think it's worth it?

Well done on the weight loss by the way Smile

Hermonie2016 · 04/06/2017 20:57

22 is still very young and you seem keen to take on responsibility but he's not in the same place.I think he's right as young marriages have a higher rate of failure.We also now know that our brains continue to develop until late 20s and those changes affect who we become as people.What we want at 20 is very different to what we want at 30.

If you steam ahead with your plans he will become resentful and I suspect in 10 years you could wake up and wonder why you have spent your life living with just one man.

category12 · 04/06/2017 21:13

It becomes very very wearing to always be the decision-maker and the driver in a relationship, unless that's your personality. He won't change and become super-motivated and dynamic, so you have to accept this is how he is. If it's frustrating you now, imagine how it'll be when you have children.

Joysmum · 04/06/2017 21:43

It becomes very very wearing to always be the decision-maker and the driver in a relationship

He'd made decisions, OP didn't agree with them and wanted different so he went along to please her.

Naicehamshop · 04/06/2017 21:51

To be honest, I think he is the one showing the common sense and maturity here!

Don't try to push him into something he doesn't want and isn't ready for, op. This really will come back to bite you.

Instead, slow down, calm down and give yourself a bit of time to think about what you both really want.

Good luck!

SandyY2K · 04/06/2017 22:59

I don't think saying he treats you like a princess sounds childish personally. I do think you're quite young to be worrying about kids yet though.

When you get into a relationship at a young age, you can tend to miss out on a certain element of enjoyment, which you both may regret later on.

I hope you both still socialise with friends on your own, and aren't so wrapped up in each other... Because you won't be able to sustain that.

user1486956786 · 04/06/2017 23:24

Hey. I'm 27, been with my partner 4 years now, I feel like I'm older too. But, still not ready to even be engaged. I still don't have my career where I want it, that's my priority.

When I was your age I was told that I will change so much from 20-30 years old. And never rush to marry someone.

Don't rush at this age, you both have so much growing to do, and may end up growing up in different directions.

My friends were together from 18 and didn't get engaged until 27, now 29, still not married as spending money on mortgage (still very very happy though and will marry in a few more years),

Cricrichan · 05/06/2017 05:11

There's absolutely no rush to get married. You're both so young. You're happy together but there are some differences. If I were you, I'd carry on as long as you were both happy and if you're happy together in a few years then get married etc.

But you might find that you'll meet someone in your profession with a similar ambition who you've got more in common with and outgrow your boyfriend.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page