What is your MSE bug bear?

Jaymz

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

The last time I went out for a meal with colleagues I only had a main course as I don't really like puddings or starters and everybody else had 3 courses and wine. I ordered a big bottle of fizzy water for myself and everyone else nicked it! I think I only had one glass! Then I was made to feel guilty when I said I'd just pay for mine so I ended up going into the kitty with them. My meal came to about a tenner but I ended up having to put £20 into the kitty.

This is a huge bug bear of mine. Only recently I went out for a meal with a group of friends and they eat so much and drink twice as much as me. They always have to buy the biggest dish with all the extras and because I don't eat an awful lot I only get something small.
I ended up paying twice the amount I would have paid if I had gone there on my own!

Deep_In_Debt

Got me started again now!

I have a friend who lives about 10 mins away from me and she totally refuses to drive anywhere. I usually have to go and pick her up which is often out of my way. She never offers any petrol money (not that I would take it anyway but it's nice to have the offer!) and she doesn't drink so could offer to drive so that I could have a drink and doesn't even offer to buy me a drink instead of petrol money! I find I often get home quite wound up with her but she is a good mate in other ways.

My brother lives abroad and he and his wife are loaded. They spend a lot of their money on expensive cars, expensive holidays, designer clothers etc and yet have the nerve to ask my mum to pay for my nephews's school uniform! Whenever they come over here and we go for a meal, they always choose the place and it's the most expensive they could find and then expect me and mum to pay when we would have been more than happy with pub grub! The last time they did this, me and mum agreed to pay for the wine although neither of us were drinking it and the wine alone came to over £100 for a couple of bottles! We could have had a decent meal in the local pub for 7 of us for much less than that. My bro doesn't seem understand that me & mum need to watch our pennies and can't afford these expensive luxuries and seems to think that everyone is loaded! I wish!

Beerworshipper

Is thread is awesome,

I just spent the last half an hour nodding and shouting yes yes yes at the screen.

Biggest MSE bug bears for me are:

1) People skipping out on rounds or calling me tight for refusing to double up on spirits for, strangley enough double the price.

2) having to split meals equally regardless of what I've had. Or even worse is if I get the first round in and then the rest of the drinks go onto the bill, grrrrrhhhhhh:mad:

3) friends who have weddings in far flung locations costing loads of money to get there and stay over and especially so when they are mid week so it means time off work.

4) People who don't pay their way when I end up buying the combined present, they always seem more than happy to agree up front that they want to contribute (Don't worry I never force it on people I always ask people up front if they'd like to contribute) but then they never seem to pay!!!

5) People who assume that I'm either tight or poor just because I don't have the newest gadget or car or I fix things rather than throwing them away, I think that I'm just being sensible and often get a kick out of solving the problem and getting it to work.

6) Friends and family that don't drive but are more than happy to request lifts here there and everywhere and never ever seem to appreciate it or reciprocate it in another way - I've learnt the value of the word No with this one now.

I'm going to leave it there for now, but keep up the posting because I'm really loving all the input.

P.S. I want to put out a big cheer for the MSE Lifestyle :T :T :T :T

redrabbit29

Poosmate wrote: »

Hi Jak

My lodger gets through toilet roll like it's fresh air and he's hardly ever here! I'm doing an experiment at the moment. I put a new one out today for him to use. I also took a new one for me to use although I have that one hidden. I bet his will be gone long before mine!

Poo

You have too much time on your hands!

continualdiamond

Just read though these and like most people have been nodding at the screen.

My biggest bug bear at the moment is people judging me at work for ways i am saving money due to my OH being unemployed. I am a teaching assistant and a few fellow teaching assistants come across as though because they do alright on 1 income and have children that i should be able to cope on 1 income because its just me and my OH.

This mth i decided to stop paying into my pension thus giving us an extra £78 a mth. I will restart paying it again once my OH has a job.

Well people at work got on their high horse, giving me the whole speal that i should be paying it and that my employer pays double into it, so because i am not paying it the employer wont be putting any into either. That i need to think of my future and how stopping it for a bit wont help me when i am older.

I just simply told the truth, that at this moment i cannot think of the future, i need to think of now and if all it takes to get £78 extra mth, is stop paying my pension for a few mths, then i'll do it.

They also seem to think i should be able to afford our staff nights out, they all went out on Fri night and a big get together is organised for the end of the school year as 3 people are retiring.

Well i didn't go out on Fri night, nor am i going to the retiring celebration thingy and nearly most people are like, im sure you can afford £20. I think they honestly think i am lying, when i say, no really i can't. £20 on a night out, could be £20 towards my food shopping for the week.

Uniscots97

my bug bear's are:-

- former neighbour who bought takeaway EVERY lunchtime and EVERY night as she didn't want to mess up her kitchen, then complained that they couldn't afford a holiday or designer clothes for her or the kids (she didn't work, just hubby did).

- current neighbour who pays to get her grass cut now (not allergic, disabled etc) and then asks the rest of us if we are 'poor' because we cut ours ourselves.

- someone I knew that complained of having NO money at all and couldn't lose weight. Seen on numerous occassions by a neighbour of mine who worked in the supermarket where she went buying the takeaway meals, cream cakes, pizza, ready meals, fresh flowers, booze and cigs. Never mind the food, why buy fresh flowers for the house every week if you claim you're skint!!!! I cut mine from my garden!

jak

This thread is making me laugh! Keep them coming...
By the way, that is SO TRUE about spliting the bill when you go out to dinner. i hate that! I've had to start saying I will just pay for my own now because I realy can't afford it! Last time I went out with some work friends it cost £25 and they were all saying how cheap it was. I was SO horrified!!! AND from now on i'm a pay for my own girl!
J
X

sophie27

Jaymz wrote: »

This is a huge bug bear of mine. Only recently I went out for a meal with a group of friends and they eat so much and drink twice as much as me. They always have to buy the biggest dish with all the extras and because I don't eat an awful lot I only get something small.
I ended up paying twice the amount I would have paid if I had gone there on my own!

I had to post when saw that! Went out for meal with work and I had one main meal (part of which my colleague said oh you will never eat all of that naan on your own so I'll help!!!!:eek: ) and ONE glass of wine. So about 8 quid. However I had to pay 20 as split equally. OK its my choice to go but I would look really weird if I didn't and mad if I said can I just pay for my share! They even commented oh you didn't eat much so its not really fair to pay 20, no offer to pay anything less though. Aaahhhh!

Tesco_points_addict

Just had to pop back in and tell you all how much i'm enjoying this thread!!
So many of us with the same problems, perhaps we should print the thread and put it up in work!!!!
TPA x

Puzzledbubbles

Evening all,

I know this is about bug bears, but ive just realised how lucky i am with one of my mates, she is a star, we both have limited cash and are honest with each other about it.

Also when we go out for a meal it helps that we both always pay our own way which leads to everyone else doing the same (unless its just the two of us then we split, lol)

but ..... back on to the bug bears ......

Went shopping in Mr T's earlier to get some custard powder (been reading the OS board although not posted on there yet and found an idea for making bannana custard to use up my bannanas when they go a bit brown im definately learning) and picked up the value pack (8p) then OH (bless him) says "dont you want to buy a deecent one" pointing at the 47p a packet branded custard!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just laughed at him and said if he really minded about it being value he didnt have to eat it. Im really trying to kick him out of the thought that value means rubbish.