A man’s wife was left fuming after her husband refused to pay a £700 dinner bill for her and her friends, having prompted a huge discussion on Reddit.
Ah, the age-old debate about who foots the bill - a tale as old as time. No doubt our ancestors spent plenty of time squabbling about whose turn it was to cough up a few magic beans for a new cow, or who had to sell a few teeth to afford the new family crossbow.
The discourse still rages on today, with constant discussions about splitting drinks while out on a Tinder date or if someone should pay more for dinner if they’re on a higher salary.
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One man recently found himself in a particularly sticky situation when his wife and her friends expected him to hand over his credit card when they all went for a meal - which cost a lot.
Taking to Reddit’s 'Am I The A**hole (AITA)' forum, the 24-year-old explained: “My wife has 4 friends who she has been really close with since high school. For a celebration my wife decided to go to an expensive steak house.
“The day comes and we go in separate cars there. We all eat and my wife slides the bill (700+) and proceeds to say: ‘The man should always pay for the wife and her friends.’
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“I laugh awkwardly saying: ‘Why?’”
His wife tells him that it’s because he’s ‘the man’, but he responds saying the only people he would pay for would be himself and her.
The man continued: “Her friends proceeded to laugh at me calling me a broke husband. I stand up and put 2 one hundred dollar bills for me and my wife’s food and leave.
“My wife gets home and starts screaming at me. Saying I made her feel embarrassed. How she promised her friends I’d pay. And that her friends made fun for her on the ride home for marrying a man who can’t pay the bill.
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“I decided to pack a bag and head to my friend’s house. I told my parents/friends and they say I should have just [paid] it. Now I’m having second thoughts if I over reacted. AITA?”
Many people sided with the husband, saying it was ‘absurd’ that he was expected to pay for the group.
One Redditor wrote: “This is totally ridiculous. Unless it was discussed and agreed upon between OP and his wife before hand. It appears that only the wife told her friends that OP would be paying for everyone. You had no idea that was coming and rightfully just paid for you and your wife.”
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Someone else agreed: “Not only expect him to pay but try to shame him and putting it in a way that she thought would make him pay. Also, you have a penis which means you have an open wallet? Just no.”
A third said: “I found it hilarious she told the friends OP would pay without asking OP and than tried to call him broke when they couldn’t pay their own bill.”
A fourth added diplomatically: “I agree, but it sounds like the wife told the friends it was their treat. The whole thing is so bizarre.”
In an edit, the man explained that his wife had never acted like this before, which was why he ‘just laughed awkwardly’.
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“The only other time she did this was when I didn’t buy her mom food,” he said.
“Which happened when we first started dating. And it was the first time she ever screamed at me like that. Instead of escalating it, I just left. And when we do argue it’s not a screaming match.”
He also admitted he ‘didn’t pay the full amount’ for his own dinner and his wife’s meal, and should have 'added another 50-75 dollars to make it the price of 2 people'.
Topics: Reddit, Sex and Relationships, Money
Jess Hardiman