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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:
Allthatwegotisthispalebluedot · 19/10/2024 10:42

You sound very materialistic, OP. You say you aren’t but you really do come across that way banging on about future inheritance and the charity shop.

That said, it sounds like your needs are wildly mismatched with his. I understand that to some extent. I would not want to live with such extreme frugality - for me, life is for the here and now. I would leave him, based on that alone. That would not be unreasonable - he’s happy to forgo treats and theatre trips and stuff, you aren’t. I don’t blame you, you just want a different life to him.

But shut up about the future inheritance and his stocks and shares. He owes you nothing.

TwistedWonder · 19/10/2024 10:42

AmIbeingUn · 19/10/2024 10:32

One of the ironies is that he actually set me up with stocks and shares and an ISA after I told him that I was putting what I had left over every month into a bank savings account. He explained that I could do better by investing that way. Then we actually sat together at my laptop and he showed me how to open the accounts online and all through doing this he never once said, "I have these accounts myself."

Also I would add that the inheritance he will get from his elderly wealthy mother's property and savings will give him at least £1m so he really does not need to squirrel away every last spare penny for his old age.

We do go out now and again if its something he really wants. For example one of those tribute bands was playing at our local theatre, a tribute to one of his favourite bands, and we went BUT he chose the cheapest possible tickets (ie the worst seats) and I had to pay for my own because he "could not afford" to pay for us both. Also I had to buy my own Maltesers in the lobby and he would not pay the theatre's inflated price. And in the interval when everyone made a dash to the bar he pulled out a small carton of Ribena.

Some people have mentioned about me "liking" him. We are well past that stage, telling one another "I love you" every day now for nearly 2 years.

The stupid thing is, I genuinely DO love him as a person, even as a totally skint person. This is about him lying to me, not about me wanting to get my hands on his money. The fact that I am still with him after nearly 2 years of no treats, no trips and constant frugality proves that.

The keeping his investments private and separate to his day to day finances I totally understand because as I said upthread, my savings account I don’t see as relevant to my disposable income. I wouldn’t dip into those funds to go on dates but equally I wouldn’t be happy never going anywhere and staying at home scrimping.

However the fact he seems stingy with his day to day spending would be a huge no for me. I’m all for not expecting a man to bankroll dates but to expect you to pay for your own ticket for an event HE wants to attend and not even buy your snacks - no that’s tight as fuck

IMO it’s two different scenarios. The investing side as private I totally get - the being a cheap date no that’s very off putting and I’d struggle to get past that.

Cardinalita90 · 19/10/2024 10:43

I think it's difficult to bring up without sounding like you were snooping or money grabbing. So I'd probably approach a conversation from the angle of we've been together 2 years now, I understood at the start when you said you had to tighten your belt for xyz reason, but it's been years now that we have never gone for a nice meal etc. When do you realistically see that changing because I want us to be out there living our lives as a couple and having new experiences (within reason).

My worry would be that even when he's finished his project, the mentality of scrimping and saving will be so ingrained after years that he'll continue the charade of having no money and things will never improve.

TentEntWenTyfOur · 19/10/2024 10:43

For those insisting that the man's finances have absolutely nothing to do with the OP...

His finances are not the issue.

The issue is that he is LYING to her.

Gwenhwyfar · 19/10/2024 10:43

"He hasn't lied he just hasn't detailed his entire financial set up."

Yes, he has. He's said he's skint when he's a millionnaire. And the house money is now in his bank account not it's cash not an asset. The ISA is also easy access according to OP.

Cremacreme · 19/10/2024 10:44

Sounds asset rich but cash poor to me.

yeah but you often have the option of releasing cash from that asset so you don’t have to be poor. It’s like when someone says “my house is worth 2m but I’m cash poor”. Sell and buy a 1m house then….

JubilantTurquoiseGerbil · 19/10/2024 10:44

Yuck no thanks. I wouldn’t be with someone who was a liar, and someone who doesn’t have faith in me not to be a ‘gold-digger’ so pretends to be poor to ‘sound me out’.

ohforfoxs · 19/10/2024 10:44

Stormyweatheroutthere · 19/10/2024 10:40

Imagine heaven forbid he was infirm in his dotage.. All that cash and unable to have fun with it. If he isn't prepared to spend money in his 50's on living he is wasting his best years... Don't waste yours op.

It may be exactly this - and he is making provision should it happen. It all comes into focus as we get older. The state of care for older people is shocking if you can't afford it.

TroysMammy · 19/10/2024 10:45

If you hadn't snooped how would you be thinking about your relationship at this precise moment in time? Happy or not?

Acornsoup · 19/10/2024 10:45

He's a liar so that would be a no from me. Quietly distance yourself and step away. He has been happy to take your gifts and cash. 🚩🚩🚩🚩

AmIbeingUn · 19/10/2024 10:45

ScabbyHorse · 19/10/2024 10:39

He's very stingy, I would find this deeply unsexy. I am genuinely poor and find it offensive that a rich person would pretend not to have any money. Also if he can lie about this what else can he lie about?

The other thing that occurred to me is, by buying all his clothes in a charity shop he is preventing genuinely poor people from buying those items. With £1.5 million invested and another quarter-million in his bank account he can easily afford to fork out on some reasonably cheap clothes from a chain store or whatever.

OP posts:
Gwenhwyfar · 19/10/2024 10:46

" had to buy my own Maltesers in the lobby and he would not pay the theatre's inflated price. And in the interval when everyone made a dash to the bar he pulled out a small carton of Ribena."

Now, you know he's just tight and not really anything to do with the renovations. This goes beyond being frugal and I'd argue that a rich person breaking theatre rules to bring their own stuff in (I presume it's against the rules) is bordering on being ill.

Gwenhwyfar · 19/10/2024 10:47

"by buying all his clothes in a charity shop he is preventing genuinely poor people from buying those items. "

I don't agree with that. It's not like foodbanks, anyone can go to charity shops.
However, it's hard work to find the right thing for you in there so while many people like to look around charity shops sometimes, someone who ONLY buys from them when they are rich is really showing their personality. Again, nothing to do with the renovations.

ChampagneLassie · 19/10/2024 10:48

I’d be absolutely livid. You’re having to conduct your lives like paupers when he’s a millionaire. I doubt he’ll change though. He obviously hates spending money, the ribena at the interval, Lidl, your Christmas gift. If I were you I’d tell him exactly what you saw, how disappointed and upset you were, and end it. IF he makes a big effort to win you back and you want to continue then you could but if he doesn’t make an effort then I’d say he’s really not worth it and you’ll be allowing him to treat you badly. It’s duplicitous, uncaring, greedy, selfishness.

ohreallythatisveryinteresting · 19/10/2024 10:48

Sounds very annoying op. It is not the money, it’s the fact that you could have had much nicer times together if he’d been honest about the money.

I wouldn't ‘confront’ him but say ‘look sorry, I I know about all your money. I can’t really get how you lied to me. Can you be honest now about why, and will things change?’

give him one chance. The stuff about the crap tickets and can of ribena give me the ick.

he has obviously got obsessed with hoarding money. You could say you want him to spend at least £200 a month on you as a couple, he can budget it and maybe it will help him.

tricky

Ohnobackagain · 19/10/2024 10:48

I agree @AmIbeingUn it’s fine to keep quiet about being really well off. But to say he can’t afford things when he can? That’s mad. You could have had some cheap weekends away and so on, doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s too extreme. But, it does also sound like it started as a good habit and is now an obsession. I would maybe start by saying you noticed the spreadsheet when you took the plates out, something like that. See how the conversation goes.

Gwenhwyfar · 19/10/2024 10:49

Cremacreme · 19/10/2024 10:44

Sounds asset rich but cash poor to me.

yeah but you often have the option of releasing cash from that asset so you don’t have to be poor. It’s like when someone says “my house is worth 2m but I’m cash poor”. Sell and buy a 1m house then….

It's not even true. He's got the cash from his last house in the bank and can access his ISA.

Catticoo · 19/10/2024 10:49

I know a number of widowed and divorced women in their fifties and they are quite clear that even though they have partners, they will never share finances or even a house with these partners because they want all their money to be passed to their children.
There will be lots of women like your boyfriend who do not want to share finances and they are in it for the nice company. There is nothing wrong in that.
If it doesn't suit you, you can walk away.

AmIbeingUn · 19/10/2024 10:50

TroysMammy · 19/10/2024 10:45

If you hadn't snooped how would you be thinking about your relationship at this precise moment in time? Happy or not?

Very happy apart from his ongoing lack of funds which stops us from doing what normal couples do like the odd meal out, weekend away, or summer holiday in Benidorm.

But the thing is I was expecting things to be more like normal in the future. Once the house was finished his money would not be swallowed up by building materials and once he had returned to full time work he'd have double the income. But now I know he has pretended to be skint when he is not, I believe he will continue to lie to me in the future.

OP posts:
Awfeckoff · 19/10/2024 10:50

Thing is, op, he won't change. This is him. You will never go away for nice trips together, or have luxury treats Or good theatre tickets

Plus he's a liar or a poverty fantasist.

I know someone similar. He uses a tea bag twice. Seriously.

Sparsely · 19/10/2024 10:50

I think you just need to look the facts in the face: he’s a massive skinflint and always will be. Can you see a happy future with someone like that? I imagine that the answer will be no.

He didn’t tell you because he can’t change and he knows most women would find it impossible to live like this if there was a permanent state of affairs with no prospect of improvement in circumstances.

ohforfoxs · 19/10/2024 10:50

Although I stand by what I said in principal - I've now seen the Ribena at the theatre comment and he is deeply unattractive for it. Next level stinginess.

6pence · 19/10/2024 10:50

I’d have a frank chat about retirement and how old, how comfortable life will be - and move it round to peoples differing attitudes to money. Ask him directly about his attitude.

Depending on his answers, I’d maybe then say you saw the screen and didn’t want to say as you weren’t snooping, but it’s worried you as your attitude is save a little, spend a little and you don’t want to live frugally all the time, despite being ok with it whilst he’s doing his house up.

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.

NotMyDayJob · 19/10/2024 10:52

Oh come on, he's not pulling out his carton of ribena in the cheap seats as some part of long game to check the OP is not just after his money. He's a frugal miser. And if he is playing a weird long game, who wants to be with someone like playing games like that?

It's absolutely fine for him to be careful with money and to choose to live in a certain way, but he's not saying to OP 'look I've got money in the bank, but for personal reasons I chose to only live off my job income which means I don't have anything spare for fun stuff'

He's not choosing to spend low amounts of money (dinner at wetherspoons) or whatever, he's choosing to spend nothing, and he's lying to OP pretending he's actually poor.

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