I'm 29 - I work full time and am a part-time Masters student. My parents are pensioners who often need my help (financially). I do the best I can, I don't often have a lot left over from my salary but family is family and this is life for the moment. My partner is of a different socio-economic background, so to speak. He went to the most expensive private school in the city and all his friends are from millionaire backgrounds. His ex was a doctor and his parents run a successful business - suffice to say money isn't much of an issue for him. he studied law but is yet to get a job in that field but he still runs his own business which is quite profitable. He also has an investment property and inheritances and what not.
He currently shares a house with his ex until they sell/divide profits and buy their own individual properties etc. Due to this, he doesn't like to stay home much as they get on each others nerves so he has basically lived with me for the past 15 months.
I'll start by saying that things are always 50/50 between us - there have been times he's wanted to go out for dinner/movie and I've literally been on my last $20.00 so he paid, but this isn't often at all. About 6 months ago I expressed that I needed to get a housemate just so I could catch up with things on the money front...I was tired of living pay-check to pay-check. But I mentioned that he wouldn't be able to spend as much time at my place because it wouldn't be fair on the housemate, especially since it's not a big place. He said that it was a bad idea, that it would cramp our style etc...but at the same time, never offered to pay a bill, a portion of the rent or any living expenses in all of our 15 months together. When I said that maybe he could contribute, he called me a 'gold digger'.
I actually feel like the opposite, like I'm the one getting used. He's so guarded/secretive about his finances, never tips waiters...even at times when I've been down to my last $20.00, never offered to lend me money until my next pay check (I've never not paid anyone back in my life). Am I delusional or is he just very tight? I've only had one relationship before this (for 9 years) so I'm inexperienced for my age and don't really know what normal is...all I know is that I never had this problem in my previous relationship...we just shared. I've done nothing to suggest gold-digger attitude; I don't have expensive tastes and I don't ask anything. If I can't afford to buy something, then I don't.
What do you guys think? I'm actually thinking about ending it because a) I don't want someone who thinks I'm with them for their money (which I've never seen any of so that's strange thinking) but I also don't want someone who priorities the mighty dollar over everything.
