Man Who 'Wastes His Money' Slammed for Expecting Partner To Buy Him Food

The internet has slammed a man for expecting his partner to pay the food bills, leading users on popular forum Mumsnet to brand him a "man-child."

The poster explained: "We have moved in together. He earns around £1,500 a month after tax and I earn £1,000. I get paid on the 28th of the month and he gets paid on the 12th. I buy the food on the 28th to the 14th and he said once he was paid he would stock the fridge. I said to him last night, can you grab something for tea tonight and get some bits?"

But the boyfriend claimed that he hasn't got the money and is unable to pay for the food, causing his partner to vent their frustration: "I'm fuming. I'm spending so much money now on food and his two cats. What would you do? It's really not fair is it? Surely when he gets paid he should put some money aside for food."

"He gets paid. Wastes his money, then I buy food for the month," they said.

As inflation in the U.S. reaches a 40-year high and the cost of everyday groceries around the world continues to rise, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that it expects food prices to rise between 6.5 and 7.5 percent this year, a rise again from the five percent rise predicted earlier this year.

With grocery bills up by around 12 percent from last year in part due to factors such as the war in Ukraine and post-farm factors including processing, packaging, and transporting costs, the impact on families is becoming more apparent.

Joseph W. Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, told Newsweek: "On average, food expenditures are a small share of overall household expenditures—about 10 percent—but for those poor households in the bottom 20 percent of household earnings, food accounts for about 27 percent of total household expenditures."

Mumsnet users rushed to slam the boyfriend's behavior. One commenter said: "Why are you sharing a home with a great big baby of a man-child? What a huge turn-off. Game over for me."

Another comment said: "My only response would be: you're going to be very hungry then," while another user wrote: "Money is the real measure of a man or woman forget all the romance and roses stuff, that nice but it's not everything."

In a recent study by insurance provider Royal London, 62 percent of couples admitted that they have had an argument about money, with a third admitting they're incompatible with their partner when it comes to spending and saving.

Meanwhile, a third of respondents said that they keep financial secrets from their partners, including hiding savings pots and secret debt.

In a later update though, the issue became a little clearer.

"He plays the slots on his phone," wrote the Mumsnet poster: "I'm assuming that's where most of his money goes. I wasn't aware of how much he enjoyed gambling. When we first met he would always have cash, not his card, now I'm assuming that's so he isn't able to spend it online."

"Seriously nip this in the bud now," said another commenter on the viral post: "Unless you are splitting the costs for everything he's leeching off you."

Meanwhile, another reply said: "Always discuss this stuff before you move in. He's a loser, get rid."