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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:
Vannymcvan · 19/10/2024 22:12

After two years of seeing each other so regularly, it is beyond belief he hasn't been completely open about his finances. It suggests he is not planning a future with you, but is using you to pass the time. He has outright lied and misled you. Do you want to spend the last of your fit and healthy years with a miser who won't even spend one night in a hotel and sneaks drinks into the theatre on a rare night out? Sounds absolutely dreadful to me. You really do need to speak to him very honestly to see if this relationship is something you want to continue.

BettyBardMacDonald · 19/10/2024 22:12

" If he does have a mental illness he's possibly compartmentalised his assets into long term, cannot touch if my life depends on it, and his current income stream via work. "

This made me laugh. Reputable financial guidance is to do just this: create long-term, cannot-touch accounts for retirement/old age care, that are separate from one's current income stream. It's hardly a sign of mental illness, it is what financial professionals advise every single day.

It's the people who repeatedly dip into "retirement" savings because they want to "have fun and live for today" who are standing around dumbfounded at age 65 wondering what they are going to do for the next 20 or 25 years.

Xyz1234567 · 19/10/2024 22:15

Haven't read all posts but if the shoe was on the other foot, would you be desperate to tell him everything about your finances? I know I bloody wouldn't.
He sounds sensible and cautious, and I don't blame him. It's none of your business is it?

timenowplease · 19/10/2024 22:16

Xyz1234567 · 19/10/2024 22:15

Haven't read all posts but if the shoe was on the other foot, would you be desperate to tell him everything about your finances? I know I bloody wouldn't.
He sounds sensible and cautious, and I don't blame him. It's none of your business is it?

Op's doing quite nicely for herself. Is mortgage free with saving and investments.

Stravaig · 19/10/2024 22:16

BettyBardMacDonald · 19/10/2024 21:58

"Later on in the conversation, you could ask if there are any other investments or funds that he hasn't previously mentioned and see what he says."

Whoa! He'd be well within his rights to say "There's the door, been nice knowing you."

On what basis does anyone have a right to interrogate him about his finances? They aren't married, engaged, living together, investing in property together or otherwise entwined. He's not asking her for money and he sounds scrupulous about paying his own way, in addition to offering generous hospitality.

He owes her zero explanations.

All of this!

I am horrified by the responses on this thread - only a handful of you seem to understand the respect for boundaries and ethical behaviour necessary in a healthy relationship. And I say this from the opposite extreme financially, living in poverty with zero tangible assets of any kind.

I hope this man has someone looking out for him, who can warn him about OP's snooping, her sense of entitlement regarding his finances, and her derogatory descriptions of him on a public forum. If the sexes were reversed this would be a unanimous Run for the hills! scenario.

Ebeneser · 19/10/2024 22:18

BettyBardMacDonald · 19/10/2024 22:12

" If he does have a mental illness he's possibly compartmentalised his assets into long term, cannot touch if my life depends on it, and his current income stream via work. "

This made me laugh. Reputable financial guidance is to do just this: create long-term, cannot-touch accounts for retirement/old age care, that are separate from one's current income stream. It's hardly a sign of mental illness, it is what financial professionals advise every single day.

It's the people who repeatedly dip into "retirement" savings because they want to "have fun and live for today" who are standing around dumbfounded at age 65 wondering what they are going to do for the next 20 or 25 years.

Absolutely I worded that badly - what the OP has written does suggest he has proper issues surrounding money. It sounds like he has taken it to quite the extreme. He could and probably should, set up a "fun" fund. I expect he probably won't though.

Purplehat123 · 19/10/2024 22:18

The answer seems pretty simple: it’s not about whether he has no money or a lot of it.

The real issue is that he’s consistently lied about his financial situation and given you a completely misleading picture of his finances.

At this point, it doesn’t matter whether his lie is justified or not. What’s clear is that he has deep issues and hang-ups around money, and he’s already shown you what life with him will be like. Don’t expect things to magically change after this renovation — you won’t suddenly be going on nice holidays or enjoying fancy dinners out. This is the same guy who chose to drink a 20p Ribena at a show instead of buying a £4 pint. How that didn’t instantly kill any attraction, I don’t know. But what I do know is that he’ll let that money pile up in a savings account forever, and he’ll never spend a penny because he’s hoarding it.

If you’re okay with spending the rest of your life never enjoying anything together beyond a home-cooked meal, that’s your choice. But it sounds incredibly bleak to me.

timenowplease · 19/10/2024 22:22

@AmIbeingUn Thanks for the thread. It's been fascinating to see the different takes on the situation.

You deserve better that what you're getting at the moment. It would be great if this man could give it to you but I fear he is incapable.

BettyBardMacDonald · 19/10/2024 22:23

Xyz1234567 · 19/10/2024 22:15

Haven't read all posts but if the shoe was on the other foot, would you be desperate to tell him everything about your finances? I know I bloody wouldn't.
He sounds sensible and cautious, and I don't blame him. It's none of your business is it?

Exactly. And I disagree that he has been "lying."

There's a difference between the ebb and flow of ready cash, and having zero assets. Many of us choose to live modestly on our available cash flow and let our savings accumulate. How he budgets is his concern. He's not "lying" if he says his budget won't allow for this or that.

If the OP doesn't like his bare-bones lifestyle (and I don't blame her) she needs to find someone with a different lifestyle, not force him to account for how he spends and saves. He's not asking her to fund him and he's honest about what he does and does not consider worth spending on.

What if he says "Oh, well, yeah, I have savings for old age, don't you? Surely you don't consider that they can be accessed at this stage of my life, just to pay for pubs and shows?"

Then what?

Xyz1234567 · 19/10/2024 22:23

timenowplease · 19/10/2024 22:16

Op's doing quite nicely for herself. Is mortgage free with saving and investments.

Which begs the question why is she so bloody nosey, snooping and downright out of order?

timenowplease · 19/10/2024 22:25

Xyz1234567 · 19/10/2024 22:23

Which begs the question why is she so bloody nosey, snooping and downright out of order?

She wasn't snooping and she wasn't out of order.

Are you another Ebenezer sitting on a pile of gold?

Ebeneser · 19/10/2024 22:26

timenowplease · 19/10/2024 22:25

She wasn't snooping and she wasn't out of order.

Are you another Ebenezer sitting on a pile of gold?

I wish. I'm not poor though if that helps.

timenowplease · 19/10/2024 22:28

Ebeneser · 19/10/2024 22:26

I wish. I'm not poor though if that helps.

You may not be poor but are you skint?

Skint is a new word millionaires use to describe themselves when they don't want to spend any money.

wowzelcat · 19/10/2024 22:29

There are no pockets in a shroud.

AmIbeingUn · 19/10/2024 22:30

Xyz1234567 · 19/10/2024 22:15

Haven't read all posts but if the shoe was on the other foot, would you be desperate to tell him everything about your finances? I know I bloody wouldn't.
He sounds sensible and cautious, and I don't blame him. It's none of your business is it?

I HAVE told him everything about my finances. Which you would have known had you read all the posts but I do realise there are now far too many to read!

It's not about how much money he has or has not got. It's about LYING. It's about him telling me almost every day that he cannot afford this or that, fretting and worrying about how he's going to pay for this and that and all the while he is actually secretly sitting on £1,750,000.

OP posts:
AmIbeingUn · 19/10/2024 22:32

Stravaig · 19/10/2024 22:16

All of this!

I am horrified by the responses on this thread - only a handful of you seem to understand the respect for boundaries and ethical behaviour necessary in a healthy relationship. And I say this from the opposite extreme financially, living in poverty with zero tangible assets of any kind.

I hope this man has someone looking out for him, who can warn him about OP's snooping, her sense of entitlement regarding his finances, and her derogatory descriptions of him on a public forum. If the sexes were reversed this would be a unanimous Run for the hills! scenario.

I vote this as the STUPIDEST and the most INSULTING "take" on my situation.

OP posts:
CheekyHobson · 19/10/2024 22:32

only a handful of you seem to understand the respect for boundaries and ethical behaviour necessary in a healthy relationship

@Stravaig

Honesty, for example?

Jammedchakra · 19/10/2024 22:34

HollyKnight · 19/10/2024 20:06

Go ahead.

@HollyKnight he isn’t a new though is he, and he advised OP, plus markets were up about 16% on a balanced portfolio this year, so everyone bar the idiots are up!

You are clearly less informed on matters financial than you like to think.

Smittenkitchen · 19/10/2024 22:35

I'd be interested to hear how things go for you, OP, please consider making a new thread.

Ebeneser · 19/10/2024 22:36

timenowplease · 19/10/2024 22:28

You may not be poor but are you skint?

Skint is a new word millionaires use to describe themselves when they don't want to spend any money.

Nah not this month 😜

I have been like OPs fella though, but without the moaning and I was only in my early/mid twenties and had absolutely no savings. I got a second job for about a year and then things started getting better.

Now I'm a saver (with the can't touch my savings mentality) but have a surplus amount each month I'll happily spend on whatever.
So I'm very fortunate in this current climate.

SweetSakura · 19/10/2024 22:37

Stravaig · 19/10/2024 22:16

All of this!

I am horrified by the responses on this thread - only a handful of you seem to understand the respect for boundaries and ethical behaviour necessary in a healthy relationship. And I say this from the opposite extreme financially, living in poverty with zero tangible assets of any kind.

I hope this man has someone looking out for him, who can warn him about OP's snooping, her sense of entitlement regarding his finances, and her derogatory descriptions of him on a public forum. If the sexes were reversed this would be a unanimous Run for the hills! scenario.

So it's ethical to lie day in day out to your partner?

She hasn't shown any entitlement to his finances, just a tremendous frustration at discovering she was lied to.

I'd say honesty is pretty fundamental to a healthy relationship (and I say that as the wealthier partner -by salary and savings - in mine)

YellowphantGrey · 19/10/2024 22:39

Stravaig · 19/10/2024 22:16

All of this!

I am horrified by the responses on this thread - only a handful of you seem to understand the respect for boundaries and ethical behaviour necessary in a healthy relationship. And I say this from the opposite extreme financially, living in poverty with zero tangible assets of any kind.

I hope this man has someone looking out for him, who can warn him about OP's snooping, her sense of entitlement regarding his finances, and her derogatory descriptions of him on a public forum. If the sexes were reversed this would be a unanimous Run for the hills! scenario.

I pointed this out and got accused of victim blaming.

It's laughable that no one, including the OP can see what she has done wrong and are all joining in on the bitchfest and mocking him for charity shopping and shopping in lidl.

They don't share finances and don't live together and she was happy till she discovered he had millions

But absolutely doesn't want to finish with him because although he wears holey clothes and buys charity shop pans and has lied to her and got her a £2 gift she liked and is miserly and tight, she doesn't want to be lonely and the millions he has is of absolutely no interest to her

timenowplease · 19/10/2024 22:40

Ebeneser · 19/10/2024 22:36

Nah not this month 😜

I have been like OPs fella though, but without the moaning and I was only in my early/mid twenties and had absolutely no savings. I got a second job for about a year and then things started getting better.

Now I'm a saver (with the can't touch my savings mentality) but have a surplus amount each month I'll happily spend on whatever.
So I'm very fortunate in this current climate.

You really should have read some posts on thead. OP's fella has £1.7 m in investments and ISAs and £250k in his current account. If that's what you were like in your 20's then good on you.

I was brassic. Have a few quid now but not a skint multimillionaire.

Supersimkin7 · 19/10/2024 22:41

Miser. He won’t be much fun to live with.

You wont even get NMW for the housekeeping or shifts as his DM’s carer.

Mean with money, mean with love.

Shelby2010 · 19/10/2024 22:43

The fact he has savings is irrelevant really.

He has chosen to live frugally & has not tried to take money off OP. As OP does not enjoy matching this frugality, she needs to talk to him about what she wants from a relationship & whether he can meet this. It might be as simple as going out for a nice meal once a month.

I suspect that now OP knows about the savings it will eat away at her until the relationship is poisoned anyway.

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