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Relationships

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Money and other major issues in a newish relationship

85 replies

Hazlenuts · 27/07/2026 14:23

I'm a woman in a relationship with a man I met around 18 months ago. We are boyfriend and girlfriend to each other, which I think sounds a bit silly as we're both getting on a bit. I'm 55 and he's 63. He started referring to me as his partner a few months back and I suppose that's a more adult way to describe us. What I'm trying to say is we have agreed to be exclusive. I met him through a mutual friend, although her husband knows him mainly through working with him, not socially.

In my head, this is still an early stage of getting to know each other. We see each other 2 or 3 times a week, it can be less depending on our respective work schedules and other commitments. There are certain things I've noticed and I'm not sure if I'm over reacting.

He seems very interested in a commitment in the sense of me moving in with him. He is in the process of buying a brand new house, he's fairly financially secure, although once he has bought it, he will have used up almost all of his savings. He's mentioned it a few times and I've said I don't want that, I have my own home which is paid off and I don't want to be married again. We are both divorced and I don't want to go through that hoopla again.

He knows I am happy with how things are and that is unlikely to change. Over the weekend I wanted to treat him to a nice meal and he said something along the lines of you should keep your money, save it. When I said it was fine to splurge a little, we're talking nothing really over 20 pounds for each person, he said "as partners, what you do with your finances also affects me though".

I should have said something at the time, but I was fairly flabbergasted by his assumption that he could have a say in what I do with my money and that it impacts him in any way at all. I have to add that he also knows I am set to inherit around 200 k from a deceased uncle.

We went out yesterday just to pick up some stuff for our respective houses, a 6 mile drive there and back and he complained about the price of fuel going up again.

Earlier on, in the first few months together, he made a few miserly type comments about spending. I was understanding as I know he went through a difficult divorce and was paying a lot of maintenance. My divorce was not so hard on me, but I do understand how difficult it was for him.

The other thing that's happening is no sex. Again, we're both older, but he seems completely unable to get a proper erection. Again, I'm understanding, it isn't everything, but we've had sex twice early on and then never again. And it was really unsatisfying, the chemistry just doesn't seem to be there. A couple of times I have had to tell him to shower before we are intimate in any other way... but he doesn't really seem interested in me performing oral sex on him or anything else. Sometimes he pleasures me and it can be good. So I've given up on a sex life at age 55... some days I'm OK with it, others not so OK...

Which leads me onto his masturbation habit. I did snoop and he seems to use porn, Instagram etc. a lot. Kind of in spurts a few times a week before or after work. I asked him about it and he said it doesn't affect his attraction to me. He gets frustrated and it takes him hours to orgasm using porn. Some of the porn is light BDSM, with some male domination. I quite like that but he never wants to do anything like that with me. It seems he only wants to watch it.

It gets worse. Yesterday, when we were out, we stopped off for coffee. A bunch of teenage girls came in, he could not take his eyes off one of them. He even commented that he had a birds eye view of teenage girl behaviour and how interesting it was. In the supermarket the other day he said OMG look how tight that girl's leggings are, you can see everything! I've noticed he sometimes stares and stares at bottoms, he seems to like a lot of upskirt porn.

I need to walk, don't I?

OP posts:
Mum2Fergus · 27/07/2026 14:24

Yes, you do.

Yolo12345 · 27/07/2026 14:25

Um just move on and find a real silver fox worthy of you x

Zucker · 27/07/2026 14:27

Yep you need to walk and never look back.

DurhamDurham · 27/07/2026 14:27

You don’t need to walk.
You need to run.
It’s early days for the relationship and he’s already shown you who he is. Cut your losses now.

ShanghaiDiva · 27/07/2026 14:28

Don’t walk, run.

Idontjetwashthefucker · 27/07/2026 14:28

Ew, walk? You need to run for the fucking hills!

Maray1967 · 27/07/2026 14:29

Im a big older than you and I would not put up with this. Just end it.

The miserliness is enough. The rest is even worse.

loverrrr · 27/07/2026 14:30

Um… yeah

Sparrowsandbudgies · 27/07/2026 14:32

This whole thing is a list of things that are wrong with him. Just dump.

SpottyPyjama · 27/07/2026 14:36

He sounds gross.

SoBoredOfSelfDoubtHowToGetOut · 27/07/2026 14:40

God dump him.

EllaPepper · 27/07/2026 14:43

sorry Op, but yes i agree. the more i read the more awful it sounded. you deserve a whole lot better than this, and i think you know it. sending hugs though, as still not easy x

Wishimaywishimight · 27/07/2026 14:46

All you have listed are negatives!! Why are you even asking the question?

Hazlenuts · 27/07/2026 14:51

I should also add.... ha ha can it get any worse...? that he is tired... all the time..... very easily... I was putting it down to his age... he had bloods done and there are certain markers that the lab has highlighted as being out of range... even if slightly.. this has been going on probably since before I met him, but at least since May time last year. I have told him he needs to get another appointment as he may just need iron or B12 supplementation.

His response was that the doctor would get in touch with him IF there was anything wrong. But the lab has highlighted several abnormalities and in my experience, sometimes you have to push. I said today that I would back off as it isn't my job to fix him... or anyone else... he has the information and up to him what he does with it... none of my business... we talked about it for over one hour last night and despite him repeatedly saying he is always exhausted after work and in the afternoons and me explaining iron deficiency... I should know, as I had it and am still on supplements for the very same thing.... he has sent me a thumbs up symbol when I said I wouldn't mention it again.

Partners take care of their health for the other person but this is not a partner in any sense!!

OP posts:
Lilactimes · 27/07/2026 14:52

Yes @Hazlenuts - you do need to walk. You're still quite young and he's much older!!

The porn thing is really not good - my ex husband had this (into porn but cant get it up in real life) ... it's awful, and in time it will really eat away at your self esteem. Plus it's happening at time when women can sometimes start to feel less confident about themselves physically.

Better to be on your own in this instance, good luck, it's still hard to end things x

LividSummery · 27/07/2026 14:52

I'd be gone for the up skirting alone.

And the lack of sex.

And the miserliness.

And the not respecting you not wanting to move in.

And the looking at teenage girls.

And basically get the hell away from him.

StonwEd · 27/07/2026 14:53

I felt my fanny shrivel up just reading this! Get rid pronto you're worth so much more xx

orangehandles · 27/07/2026 14:55

@Hazlenuts Major issues in a newish relationship? There's is literally only one possible answer.

Dump him as soon as possible.

Sally2791 · 27/07/2026 14:56

Yuck. Totally gross with no redeeming features. Run!

Banoffeemuffin · 27/07/2026 15:00

He sounds insufferable , the no sex alone would make me walk never mind all his other horrible attributes. You deserve so much better than this.
I'm in my 40s and have been with someone a year and a half also, he is going through a difficult divorce, pays lots of child maintenance but we are still able to go out for nice meals and have holidays, the sex is also really good as it should be after only 18 months. I met him online, there are good decent ones out there.

Blueuggboots · 27/07/2026 15:02

Dump him!! Just lack of sexual chemistry is enough without everything else!!

Hopefulsalmon · 27/07/2026 15:02

Yes, it doesn't sound like he makes you happy so what's the point.

PetulaGordeno · 27/07/2026 15:03

I read this with my head in my hands.
You are not exclusive because you are not having sex.
He wants a nurse with a purse - for you to move in, make life easier on him, he’s happy as he gets to still sort himself out watching God knows that.
What type of shit life is that? 55 isn’t old, you have your own home and a huge chunk of security on the way. Do not give that up.
And finally, all of that is bad enough but the comments about the young girls are sickening. He clearly has some compulsion which he feels the need to disclose to you.
It is appalling.
You have been through a divorce so don’t get entangled with a man like this. Let him go
and deal with his own health issues and get rid.
If you have to tell a man to get washed before sex that is grim.
When he is peeping at young girls it’s not just grim it’s sick.

MarthaLovesLaughing · 27/07/2026 15:14

Oh ffs. Get out now. Dump him

Velvetandleather · 27/07/2026 15:34

Um why are you with him? Surely it’s not a man at any cost? If you’re lonely there are ways to make friends.

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