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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 being entitled or is this a red flag?

581 replies

4556689vdrfjjh · 05/09/2024 13:27

Sorry it's long, wanted to include all important details.

Partner (of over a year, no kids or shared finances atm) has a business trip to Asia and was thinking of extended it for a week and having a holiday. Invited me. This would use up the rest of our annual leave this year so last chance for holiday just us. I've never been to this country and he's never explored it properly but been for business and goes usually annually.

He will get business class flights paid for. He'd obviously have to pay for hotels and everything extra over there after the trip ends.

I can't afford the direct flights there and back (in economy basic) although family have suggested they could help as they think it's a great opportunity to go to this country.

Partner said they would pay for the hotel (which they'd be paying for anyway as they said they'd be extending their trip anyway with or without me originally).

There are indirect flights which I could afford in economy on an airline with poor reviews and changing in China. I'm not keen on these flights and a bit anxious about flying alone anyway let alone changing in China etc...

Partner feels like it's entitled that I have suggested maybe he could contribute additionally to the flights so I could come on the direct ones (and get same plane home as him). He says he cant afford this (although no figures have been discussed so he has no idea if I would need £200 contribution or £500). He is high earner and earns approx 4 or 5 times more than me. He does have building work he is spending money on though- but nothing that couldn't wait in my opinion if he genuinely can't afford it (cosmetic items). Different interpretations here on if he could "afford" it I guess and what he is choosing to prioritise. I have also suggested he could let me use some of his airmiles to reduce my flight cost. He did agree to this when pressed but as we've been arguing nothing proactive has happened about this as now he's decided if I can't afford to go then and the trip is causing an issue then he'll just cancel and won't go.

His suggestion is that as a "compromise" he'll cancel the extension to the trip, spend a few days annual leave on the building work and then we can go away somewhere cheaper in line with my "budget".

I feel like he should want me to go on this trip with him, it's a great opportunity to do this in a cheaper way and we need a holiday together.. I'm also annoyed that if we don't go then he won't just keep the full week's holiday so we could do something else for a full week's holiday that is cheaper (although my preference would be to make Asia work).

I should add that he recently changed it from being he'd pay for the accommodation only to I wouldn't have to pay for anything there.. but then in the next discussion he'd decided that he was cancelling the trip! Obviously if I had to pay for my whole flight and he was paying for everything over there then I'd accept the money from my family and make that work but it seems that offer has been rescinded.

As an aside, I've made comments about being concerned about the future if we were to have kids and how it might work on maternity leave as I don't want to be with someone who'd be like "well you can only afford x and I want to do y and we need to both pay evenly" etc and he said that was spiteful and it wouldn't be like that etc but if we were a family unit the finances would be pooled.

OP posts:
Shooola · 05/09/2024 15:31

samanthablues · 05/09/2024 15:27

Because he seems to have more expensive tastes than the OP (that he can afford and she cannot). If he wants to share the “fun times” with a partner that makes one fifth of what he makes he should be paying for it, if he refuses then he needs to find a partner on his same income bracket. This applies to both men and women.

But he can't afford to pay for both her flights and hotel.

First post: "He says he cant afford this"

BrickHam · 05/09/2024 15:32

Sorry OP but there are meal ticket vibes here. I realise time isn’t on your side due to age but you’ve only been together a year and are already thinking about how finances will work when you have kids. You say you expect to earn the same as him in 5 years time - is that true, with one or more periods of maternity leave? In late 30’s having met someone you love, I don’t think moving quickly is an issue but you wanting him to pay for your holiday and feeling it’s unfair he doesn’t is running a flag up a pole. Perhaps that’s how he’s feeling.

Bestyearever2024 · 05/09/2024 15:35

At what stage do I stop becoming entitled? I'm genuinely interested at what stage things should change... when I'm pregnant? Before we try to conceive? A year before? When he's sure that he wants to be with me forever and build a life together? In which case, he's telling me that's not how he feels right now

You stop being entitled when you have melded finances, joint bank and savings accounts, a truly joined up life together....and most importantly, when he actually WANTS to have you around on his holiday

He doesn't want you around

You are showing him who you are and who you are is grabby, entitled and princessy 🙄

And he's backed off

I'd advise him to run away as fast as he can

GinForBreakfast · 05/09/2024 15:35

You're not being entitled to suggest he pays. He's not BU to refuse.

It's difficult being in a relationship with someone who has a lot more disposable income than you but on balance the satisfaction of paying your own way in life outweighs a week's holiday where you feel beholden to someone else.

samanthablues · 05/09/2024 15:36

Shooola · 05/09/2024 15:31

But he can't afford to pay for both her flights and hotel.

First post: "He says he cant afford this"

well if he can’t afford it then he should stay at home or go to Asia by himself, end of the story. Maybe the OP should just go camping with her friends for the weekend while he’s in Asia then everybody gets to enjoy life within their budgets. Not the end of the world.

OldMutantDecrepitTurtle · 05/09/2024 15:36

I don't think you're being entitled. I can see why, if you're going to have children with him, you want him to be generous, especially given you seem to have spent a lot on him for previous holidays. Don't let women with lower standards for their men set the bar lower for you. Your life will be much better if your partner is generous, especially when it comes to having kids together.
Also, I'm sure your friends want the best for you. I'd listen to them before I'd listen to strangers on the Internet.

SallyWD · 05/09/2024 15:37

CharlotteLucas3 · 05/09/2024 15:23

Because any decent human being would?

But he says he can't afford it. Do you think he's lying? My DH earns a lot but our outgoings are high. He doesn't have a few thousand pounds to spend on stuff like this. OP's partner is paying for building works on his house which I imagine cost thousands.
He's suggested an alternative, cheaper holiday but OP wants him to use his money for the renovations on flying her out there. That's entitled in my opinion.

krustykittens · 05/09/2024 15:37

Motnight · 05/09/2024 13:47

So partner paying for hotel and family already helping out with flights?

It might be easier for you to tell us what you think you should be paying for 😬

This. He has made it as cheap for you as he can and you have asked for more. Now that he is cancelling, he has still said he wants to holiday with you but somewhere cheaper that you can both afford but you are stamping your foot that you want the Asia trip. And on top of all that, you question the money he spends on his own home. Sorry, OP, you have not behaved well in this situation. He is not the one displaying a red flag.

StepAwayFromGoogling · 05/09/2024 15:37

4556689vdrfjjh · 05/09/2024 15:14

Perhaps, but that's not really relevant to the question is it? I'm more nervous as it's changing in China rather than just changing planes. Also reviews talk about delays often and therefore it could potentially mean missing connections and a journey of closer to 24 hours indirect versus half that direct.

In case it's relevant, when discussing this, he has agreed that he wouldn't do those cheaper flights if he were in my position but as he "can afford not to have to" it's irrelevant.😐

Some of the later posters have voiced my fears... so it's not ok for him to behave like this if, say, we were married with a child ("sorry, Mummy can't afford to come on this trip so we'll leave her behind") but it is ok now as it's a "new" relationship (by some people's standards). At what stage do I stop becoming entitled? I'm genuinely interested at what stage things should change... when I'm pregnant? Before we try to conceive? A year before? When he's sure that he wants to be with me forever and build a life together? In which case, he's telling me that's not how he feels right now..

But you've been together a year. It wasn't clear if you actually live together. You're not married. You're not the mother of his children. If this thread was reversed there's no way anyone would be advising a woman to pay.

CatamaranViper · 05/09/2024 15:41

Is he paying for renovations on the house you live in together?

AzureSheep · 05/09/2024 15:41

Hmmm. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for you to have asked, but also I don’t think it’s that unreasonable of him to say no. What IS unreasonable, however, is him expecting you to take a flight he wouldn’t do himself, then saying he’ll cancel the holiday entirely. He sounds pretty selfish and childish actually.

Has he been married / serious long term relationship before?

ManhattanPopcorn · 05/09/2024 15:43

You need him to pay for the hotel and you can't afford the flights. The bottom line is that you can't afford to go on this particular trip, so you don't go. Please don't accept your family's help to pay for this. It's not a great opportunity. It's just a holiday you can't afford.

MzHz · 05/09/2024 15:43

He’s being tight. You’re in a new relationship, sure, but he’s not paying for his flights, he’d pay for the hotel anyway and if he wants you to come too, why not help you with this. If you’re on like £20k a year or so His 4/5 times your salary PLUS bonuses is more than enough to contribute/fund your trip

you’ve (perhaps naively) funded trips for him entirely and if you had not, maybe you’d have the cash for the flights.

he has air miles he could either pay or part pay for the trip with these, but no. If he really wanted you there he’d make it happen.

say thanks but no thanks, and rethink this relationship. Your worst fears could very well come true if you were to give up a career/salary for his kids.

have some pride in yourself, back yourself and know your worth. He’s not into you enough and you’re worth more.

krustykittens · 05/09/2024 15:45

My DH has always earned more than me and has always been generous. But he found it easy to be that way, because I didn't force him into it. The most generous soul is going to resent it being expected rather than freely given. Someone not responding happily to demands is not an ungenerous person. Partners work together. He is offering a solution but you are refusing it because you want the Asia trip. What is that telling him?

MzHz · 05/09/2024 15:45

And let’s get this straight, as a former therapist told me when I was battling depression and worrying that I was going insane.

mad people don’t know/think they are mad.

entitled people/CFs don’t think that they are entitled or cheeky. If you’re asking, it’s because you’re NOT entitled.

coxesorangepippin · 05/09/2024 15:46

If he earns 5x what you do, then yes, he should pay for you.

What's it gonna be if you're married, he's on fillet steaks and you're on beans on toast?

hurlyburlywhirly · 05/09/2024 15:47

I'm with your friends op. You're a year in, it feels like it's going to be long term, he can fairly easily do something (use air miles) which will mean an amazing experience for both of you and is not doing so. I would totally do this for dp if it were me as I'd want him there!

If you're thinking of having dcs then presumably these kinds of opportunities are not going to come again for some time.

Hotels in Asia aren't generally expensive. The flight cost will likely be far higher. That's a red herring.

MiddleAgedDread · 05/09/2024 15:47

Shooola · 05/09/2024 15:21

"Sorry but he’s single and earns 4 or 5 more times than her, he should be treating her, end off."

Why?

exactly, why??
Also, don't date people that you aren't even remotely financially compatible with.

Shooola · 05/09/2024 15:48

samanthablues · 05/09/2024 15:36

well if he can’t afford it then he should stay at home or go to Asia by himself, end of the story. Maybe the OP should just go camping with her friends for the weekend while he’s in Asia then everybody gets to enjoy life within their budgets. Not the end of the world.

Aisa is a business trip for him. Why would he stay at home because his girlfriend can't afford to travel with him?

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 05/09/2024 15:48

4556689vdrfjjh · 05/09/2024 15:14

Perhaps, but that's not really relevant to the question is it? I'm more nervous as it's changing in China rather than just changing planes. Also reviews talk about delays often and therefore it could potentially mean missing connections and a journey of closer to 24 hours indirect versus half that direct.

In case it's relevant, when discussing this, he has agreed that he wouldn't do those cheaper flights if he were in my position but as he "can afford not to have to" it's irrelevant.😐

Some of the later posters have voiced my fears... so it's not ok for him to behave like this if, say, we were married with a child ("sorry, Mummy can't afford to come on this trip so we'll leave her behind") but it is ok now as it's a "new" relationship (by some people's standards). At what stage do I stop becoming entitled? I'm genuinely interested at what stage things should change... when I'm pregnant? Before we try to conceive? A year before? When he's sure that he wants to be with me forever and build a life together? In which case, he's telling me that's not how he feels right now..

For me, this does seem entitled at the current stage of the relationship.

It would stop being entitled under one of the following scenarios:
You're engaged
You're pregnant
You've moved in together AND you've merged finances

And when I thought about it, all those 3 basically boil down to pooling resources. In all of the 3 situations above I'd expect the couple in most cases to have at least started merging their finances** . And I'd consider holiday allowance a pooled resource as well at this point, something you talk about before booking it. (Maybe not the odd day, but certainly a week should be discussed). So, ironically, the point that you get a say is probably the point the issue goes away, because it's shared money.

Right now, you're boyfriend and girlfriend, you're not partners until the point where you start sharing something. A living situation, a child, a bank account, a marriage. Partners have to consider each others wants when it comes to holidays, boyfriends and girlfriends can do what they like. (Of course the other one can decide they want to break up over it if they like).

**I repeat. Most cases. My Mum and StepDad never moved in together, or shared finances, even after they married. They also didn't really consider each other in terms of holidays. They tended to holiday separately, and have the odd weekend away together.

Demonhunter · 05/09/2024 15:50

It is a new relationship, it's been a year, that's barely any time at all and certainly no time at all to be EXPECTING financial contributions. He's your boyfriend, not your partner.

Heronwatcher · 05/09/2024 15:50

Yes you’re being entitled. He’s under no obligation to fund your holiday. Sounds like you can’t afford to go, why don’t you accept his suggestion of booking something cheaper when you get back?

Incidentally the indirect flights would be fine- I went to Hong Kong via Russia on Aeroflot in my early 20s. It was fun, albeit that the food was absolutely dreadful!

brunettemic · 05/09/2024 15:53

You’ve come across as entitled, he’s suggested compromises, you then want to still do the trip you can’t do/can’t afford and he’s probably rightly got a bit exasperated. Comparing it to mat leave is also quite the reach.

Heronwatcher · 05/09/2024 15:54

At what stage do I stop becoming entitled?

For me when you’ve had an adult discussion about pooling resources and you’ve both agreed to this.

diddl · 05/09/2024 15:57

So he's on good money, his company are paying flights & initial accommodation.

So for the holiday he's looking at food & accommodation for a week.

Whereas Op is looking at flights.

Well if neither of you can afford it then that's that & I think his compromise sounds ok tbh.