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Relationships

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He isn't skint.

1000 replies

AmIbeingUn · 19/10/2024 09:32

NC for this as personal/outing. Am wondering AIBU? Or WWYD?

Began seeing a local man met on OLD. We matched so perfectly: same age, local, some mutual acquaintances, similar hobbies, outlook, politics, music taste, humour etc. Found him incredibly sexually and emotionally attractive and vice versa.

We became very close and cosy very quickly: daily contact, usually in person, in and out of each others' houses for coffee and a chat, sleeping over at each others houses often, meeting each other's friends and family. Talked loads, for hours, about a wide range of subjects and very frankly. Within weeks we were so close and comfortable with one another it felt like we'd been together for ages.

The only thing that wasn't perfect was that he had no spare spending money. He had gone part time at work to give him the time to renovate his house, singlehandedly, and those renovations also ate up all the money he had left over after paying mortgage and bills. He warned me that, until the house was finished and he returned to full time working, he could not afford to spend much on going out, going away, buying me gifts, unless it was cheap and we split the costs. I am not materialistic so I did not care and to be honest I am a homely person who is more than happy to have dates at each other's houses, cooking each other a meal or watching a film. For Xmas he saw something in a charity shop window which he knew I would love and he even admitted it had cost him only £2 and said he felt guilty and mean and sorry and hoped I would tolerate his being skint until he got back to work and could treat me properly and take me to a swanky restaurant now and again.

Whilst chatting and being in his home whilst things were happening in his daily life he would mention now and again that he was down to his last few pounds, or that the purchase of some essential building materials or an emergency dental problem or vet bill had wiped his bank account. I am not wealthy but I do have a couple of hundred pounds left over every month which I usually just put into a savings account. He never once asked me for money and in fact when I offered to lend him money once or twice he absolutely refused. When I offered to treat him to a fancy meal out or a theatre ticket he also refused, saying that unless he could pay at least his own share, he would not go. I saw these refusals as a confirmation of his honesty and integrity.

One day I was at his house reading the paper after breakfast and he was opposite me on his laptop. As he went to answer the front door I took the dirty plates to the sink and as I turned round to walk back to the table I could not help myself, my eyes were drawn to the screen which had some kind of spreadsheet of figures. I was absolutely staggered to see that he had stocks and shares and an ISA totalling £1.5m. When he came back into the room I just pretended I had not seen anything because I knew I should not have been snooping but I went home and was literally in shock and also really angry that he had been lying to me the whole time.

Next time I stayed at his I deliberately snooped when he was in the shower, and read an open letter about the sale of a flat he owned (which he had never mentioned to me). £250,000 from the sale had been deposited into my boyfriend's bank account about a week before, and yet that very day he had been saying how broke he was.

Am I in the wrong for snooping or is he in the wrong for telling me for a whole year the lie that he is struggling financially from month to month?

What would you do? Confront him and admit you snooped? End it? Tell yourself his finances are none of your business?

OP posts:
redtrain123 · 19/10/2024 12:20

I think you need to have The Conversation.

If you don’t then the relationship is ruined, as you no longer trust him. If you do, then at least you know where you stand.

Sometimes honesty is the best policy. Mentioned that you noticed, as you were passing the computer screen that there were lots of stocks and shares info, and although you’re not an expert, implied he was a very wealthy man. Maybe you could explain that you realise he tried to hide it, to avoid gold diggers etc, but now you like some honesty now about who he really is.

As someone above said, maybe he’d be relieved to disclose the truth now, and no longer live a lie.

Also, have you tried googling his name, looked on LinkedIn etc, to find out his employment background etc.

MightSoundCrassButItsFactual · 19/10/2024 12:20

MugPlate · 19/10/2024 10:05

Anyone saying “I’m poor” while sitting on 1.5mil or a 250k flat sale is a liar. He could just as easily have said “I prefer to live a simple life and get enjoyment from spending less, planning for my future.” Or “I’m not comfortable discussing finances so early.”
Making a song and dance about the £2 present is deliberately misleading.
What I find fascinating is how many posters are either fine with you being misled or fine with doing the misleading.

yes
also the illusion he gives her they are in relationship
he takes money, home cooking and sex off her and gives her absolutely nothing
how the poster had the idea they will be living together till death do them part without moving in and doing some mutual financial provision

MatildaTheCat · 19/10/2024 12:21

I would 100% discuss this with him and ask why he has been so dishonest. He won’t admit this but the answer is almost certainly that he is chronically stingy. Some people take this to extreme lengths. Almost like hoarding except it’s cash rather than stuff.

Do you want to stay with someone who will always be like this? Only you can answer that. He might steel himself to take you to Pizza Express for your birthday or buy you a £20 present but he won’t like it and he will continue to do exactly as he does now because that is who he is. What a shame he has led you to believe it is temporary because it is not.

Peachy2005 · 19/10/2024 12:21

Frugal is a lifestyle so he’s not going to change his penny-saving ways.

Added to the lies, unless this is a future you can live with, you should probably just end it and tell him why. Just say it has become obvious that he chooses to live this way rather than actually needing to… and it’s not the way you want to live going forward.

TorroFerney · 19/10/2024 12:21

AmIbeingUn · 19/10/2024 10:05

@oviraptor21

Does he say he is struggling - or does he say things are a bit tight? The latter, no problem; the former, not in the strictest sense true although according to his self- made rules, maybe so.

He says he has no SPARE money for luxuries after paying out for all the things he needs to rebuild the house, his bills, mortgage and food (he shops at Lidl and buys all his clothes in charity shops).

I feel particularly foolish because I have an ISA as well, with about 1/10th of what he has in his, yet I have been offering to pay for outings and even lend him cash.

But that’s not a lie as such is it, he sees that money as for other stuff, the future, emergency fund, renovation money.

what is wrong is that he’s said he’s little money, rather than say I’m quite tight and don’t really spend on luxuries.

the charity shop present I would struggle with, not the fact it’s from a charity shop but he £2. That’s what kids do for their friends presents when they are six. And I say that as a decently high earner who has a £20 Christmas present agreement with my husband.

IMustDoMoreExercise · 19/10/2024 12:21

AmyW9 · 19/10/2024 12:14

I've personally always seen our spending money as different to savings. We have a fair bit in our savings account, yet we don't touch it and end most months feeling the pinch. It's a really effective way of budgeting - we'd certainly never dip into our savings pot for a night out or gifts. If we can't afford it from our spending pot, we don't spend it.

Unless you've had a conversation where he's specifically said 'I don't have savings', I see no deceit here at all.

Also to add, we're serial renovators and maintain this financial plan throughout our developments. Our projects also take us years - for us, we renovate for the love of it, not for the speed, so certainly disagree with posts from PPs suggesting he's daft for not taking a quicker approach and getting trades in..

Couldn't agree more with this post.

The OP is very foolish to be angry and should really think before she does anything rash.

feileacan · 19/10/2024 12:22

I hope the 2 quid charity shop Christmas gift you received was a copy of Dicken's A Christmas Carol."?
If not, buy it for him . Then have a bookclub evening with just the two you in the house (no heating on - save money please by wearing three jumpers) drink some ribena diluted till it's almost water and share a tiny packet of lidl own brand crisps. Discuss the book and decide whether Scrooge here is the love of your life.
Because if you stay with this "fire" afficionado, pathological miser that will be your life together for the next 50 years.
(And don't forget to only use minimal electricity -maybe phone torchlight only for reading? even if it does destroy yer eyesight).
You deserve better than this.
At 50. Life is for living.

Gymnopedie · 19/10/2024 12:23

SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 19/10/2024 12:07

Sadly another explanation is that he's a con artist, leaving around a fake website page and a forged letter saying that money has just been deposited in the bank so that you believe he's rich and are willing to (eg) commit to buying a new house with him or invest in some dodgy scheme. Do be careful, OP. Those two items were extremely easy to find!

I hadn't thought of that. But it doesn't matter, either way he's lying.

If he's genuinely wealthy but has been saying how hard up he is, he lied.

If he is genuinely skint but is himself a gold digger and trying to con the OP by pretending to be wealthy, then he's lying now.

Neither are the basis for an honest relationship and without that there is no relationship, it's all false.

MamaSads · 19/10/2024 12:23

@AmIbeingUn I think you've got to tell him
You can't unlearn what you have learned, and you can't pretend you don't know without also being a liar/deceitful. It will come out eventually if he carries on the charade this Christmas or next birthday or next time you are out.

I hope he has a good reason that you are ok with. I think it sounds like for whatever reason he is very scared of money ruining the relationship. But lying to you is not ok, no matter the circumstances after 2 years

MrsCBY · 19/10/2024 12:26

So he’s pathologically stingy and has flat-out lied to you for the best part of two years.

That’s already really grim.

But another thing that jumped out at me is that he was prepared to pay to go and see a tribute act he wanted to see, but has never been prepared to pay to go to something you wanted to see. Or do any of the other things you wanted to do.

He can bend his own rules to make himself happy but not to make you happy.

Which is just plain selfishness.

I don’t think somebody who really loved you would be able to treat you like this.

I think you have to question everything now. As I know you are doing, but that’s just a little bit more food for thought!

IMustDoMoreExercise · 19/10/2024 12:27

DoIWantTo · 19/10/2024 10:51

If he’s got as much as you say he is probably protecting himself from gold diggers and the like. Your attitude towards him and money has completely changed and instead of seeing him you now see his money. I can understand why he didn’t share that with you.

Yes, I agree with this.

dapsnotplimsolls · 19/10/2024 12:28

You need to tell him you know and risk being dumped. Give him a hard stare next time he says he can't afford something.

FatCatSkinnyRat · 19/10/2024 12:28

I have not RTFT but has he FIRE'd? Has he COAST FIRE'd? Has he Barista FIRE'd? His behaviours all seem textbook to me. Head to the Mr Money Mustache website to find out more. https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/ This bloggers marriage ended as his wife did not want to live with a frugalista.

I follow the FIRE movement but won't do the RE component just yet (in my 50s) even though we are FI. We have more than your partner in investments. My DH was a very high earner but was made redundant. We are now living on my wage, and things are tight but OK. DH can't believe we don't take money out of out ISA's to supplement our income! In my mind that money is in a tax haven so there is no way we are taking it out unless desperate. I deem us not desperate yet but it is an ongoing conversation ha ha. We definitely are not living like millionaires at the moment on my wage!

My suggestion in this situation is to say something like "I found a website called Mr Money Mustache. Sounds interesting. Have you heard of him and the FIRE movement? I wonder how much you need?" and see what he says. This will be his chance to fess up about his investments. If he avoids you know he has no plans to ever let you in on it.

Mr. Money Mustache

Early Retirement through Badassity

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com

MounjaroUser · 19/10/2024 12:28

What was your expression when he told you he'd spent £2 on your Christmas present?

What was his expression when you gave him a new coat that was 36 times more than his gift to you?

IMustDoMoreExercise · 19/10/2024 12:30

Actually, as @SoNiceToComeHomeTo said, he could be a con artist lying about his wealth, although they would usually go for rich widows and I am not sure how rich the OP is.

Thelittlehouseonthehill · 19/10/2024 12:31

He’s obviously a right miser and likes to spend little as possible.
That is pregrogative but to pretend and make up so many lies about how little he has is just so deceitful.
He will have the measure of you after two years and see you are not a potential gold digger so why keep up the pretence?
He talks about a future together. I wonder, if that is true, how he was planning on telling you that actually he is not skint and has had plenty of funds all this time? Is he waiting until his Mother passes so he can then say he has money now?
It’s just so messy and not something you should have to deal with in a loving relationship.
I think you are right in being angry about it all. Shitty seats on a theatre trip and charity shop presents when not necessary is not the actions of a genuine person wanting a committed relationship.

frozendaisy · 19/10/2024 12:31

I don't get the, he is just looking after his money stance.

He's 56. Doing his body in renovating, not going anywhere, with 1.5million sitting there.

He might be at the start of dementia in 10 years time. Or worse. Who knows how long any of us have to enjoy our miserable existence on this planet it's hit and miss sometimes.

Smuggling in cartons of juice to a concert in your 50s, sitting behind columns, never putting your hand in your pocket for a decent meal out with conversation and experience, buying your partner effectively nothing for Christmas, well seeing a cheap £2 thing in a charity shop window. Never turning up with a bunch of flowers or champagne to see your partner's smile of thanks, whilst all the time sitting on a wad of cash is beyond being careful with money.

Lying to make out you are the poorest of the poor when you are not.

Is fucking weird.

So what if he's got a good sense of humour, politics or whatever. He's a joy sponge.

You use your money to have enjoyable times with people you love. Because time and living is more important than bank balances.

We are not talking about someone with £500 in their current account to eat and fill their car for work for the rest of the month, we are taking about a weirdo who buys a £2 Christmas present whilst sitting on one and a half million pounds and lies and lies and lies.

OP cannot force him to spend any money but she can choose to not be part of this soul sucking farce.

MightSoundCrassButItsFactual · 19/10/2024 12:32

MoonWoman69 · 19/10/2024 10:26

Exactly this! I was going to add something similar!

OP - You are being totally unreasonable here. You are neither married nor live together. He is investing in his home to make it right for his future. So, he has bonds and an ISA, which are probably locked for a period of time. And snooping is never good, it's a nasty trick. And especially so when it comes to money.
To me he sounds savvy with his money, making sure he has provided for himself. I can't believe the people on here calling him a liar! It's his money!!!
You are dating. You have no right to know about his financial situation at all. Does he know about yours? And why do you feel he should be spending his money on you? Showering you with gifts and fancy meals? You say you're not materialistic, yet that's how you're coming across! It's ok for you to save, but not him?!
He's clearly set that money aside to get things done. That's not lying or being sneaky. No, he probably doesn't have much free cash to hand, to spend on a day to day basis, because it sounds like he's saving all he can for renovations.
And I'd be perfectly happy doing what you've been doing. Meals in and so forth. I'd also be over the moon to be given a gift from a charity shop, because he knew I'd like it.
If you're not happy that he's not lavishing you with fancy things, then that's down to you! And it would probably be an idea to find someone more suited to you and your requirements from a relationship.

yes but if that is the case, that is bad because the poster believed in the whole long term life together but he was using her just for sex - that is too bad at that age

Fruhstuck · 19/10/2024 12:33

AmIbeingUn · 19/10/2024 11:32

We've had this conversation about 100 times already.

He says he cannot predict how long the house renovation will take because he won't employ any help so everything from gardening to plumbing to plastering to kitchen fitting is all down to him and he is learning as he goes from Youtube videos. Every time he pulls a muscle, sprains an ankle or gets a cold he stops work until he's better. Plus he has to work 4 hrs a day with an hour's commute each way and often by the time he's done some shopping and other errands and made his evening meal its already 6pm and hes too knackered to do any building work. He's been doing the house up for 3 years now and parts of it still looks like a building site. I keep urging him to employ a labourer but he cannot afford it. I even found him a late-teenage boy willing to take £10 an hour but he said no, cannot afford that!

He also says he cannot make plans that depend on a future income because he does not know if his company will want to take him back full time now they have found out they can manage with him only working part time and he says that, at his age he cannot guarantee being able to land another similar job at a similar company on a similar pay scale as he will might be nearly 60 or even older by the time he is ready to work full time again. But yes if things go well we will have lots of holidays and days out and meals out and trips to the future.

Hmmm. In that case I think he is being very selfish, because his carefulness/miserliness is drastically affecting your life too, though he might not have realised that is the case. Even if he doesn’t want to use his capital, someone on £28k should be able to afford decent gifts, treats etc. You should be getting some enjoyment from your money now, while you are healthy and relatively young. You really don’t want to be carrying on like this for another five or ten years. It might be time to tell him what you saw on the laptop and have a really serious conversation.

BelgianBeers · 19/10/2024 12:34

feileacan · 19/10/2024 12:22

I hope the 2 quid charity shop Christmas gift you received was a copy of Dicken's A Christmas Carol."?
If not, buy it for him . Then have a bookclub evening with just the two you in the house (no heating on - save money please by wearing three jumpers) drink some ribena diluted till it's almost water and share a tiny packet of lidl own brand crisps. Discuss the book and decide whether Scrooge here is the love of your life.
Because if you stay with this "fire" afficionado, pathological miser that will be your life together for the next 50 years.
(And don't forget to only use minimal electricity -maybe phone torchlight only for reading? even if it does destroy yer eyesight).
You deserve better than this.
At 50. Life is for living.

Yup
sorry OP. He has lied and probably can’t help himself.

Desmondo2021 · 19/10/2024 12:34

He's got 1.5 million and he bought you a £2 charity shop present. I don't think you need to consider anything beyond that 🤣

mightymam · 19/10/2024 12:35

So the question now is: what are you going to? When are you going to break it off?

He's shown you very clearly who he is for the last 2 years and you've accepted it. Is that what you want going forward? Let him make a cat/dog charity very happy when he dies because he's definitely not going to make you happy while he's alive. Stinginess in a man is really off putting. He's been controlling you (by putting a limit on what you can/can't do) since you've known him/ run and enjoy your savings by doing what you want to do.

MrsCBY · 19/10/2024 12:35

feileacan · 19/10/2024 12:22

I hope the 2 quid charity shop Christmas gift you received was a copy of Dicken's A Christmas Carol."?
If not, buy it for him . Then have a bookclub evening with just the two you in the house (no heating on - save money please by wearing three jumpers) drink some ribena diluted till it's almost water and share a tiny packet of lidl own brand crisps. Discuss the book and decide whether Scrooge here is the love of your life.
Because if you stay with this "fire" afficionado, pathological miser that will be your life together for the next 50 years.
(And don't forget to only use minimal electricity -maybe phone torchlight only for reading? even if it does destroy yer eyesight).
You deserve better than this.
At 50. Life is for living.

This!

And you know, OP, don’t you, that he will never actually finish his house renovation and earn a full time wage again.

Part time till he retires, and then of course he’ll have to be “careful” because he’s living on a meagre pension.

You would never get to the Promised Land of normal spending, even if you pretended you hadn’t seen what you’ve seen and carried on accepting his ridiculous, duplicitous terms.

stayathomer · 19/10/2024 12:36

I know it’s awful but I’d have to confront. Crazy stuff, that amount of money!!

Sunshine1500 · 19/10/2024 12:36

MILLYmo0se · 19/10/2024 12:05

How has he expected her to subsidise him? He pays his share and refuses any offer of a loan

i just read she offered to pay for stuff and give him cash I didn’t realise he never accepted anything from her. Sorry. I Still think it’s deceitful.

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