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My fiancée does not know how to order off a menu. Actually she does, she doesn't care to order from a menu like most people do.

Going out to eat with her is pretty much an hour long ordeal of me gritting my teeth while she racks up a bill 3x mine, all while trying nicely to steer her to just one item. She'll open the menu, get overwhelmed with options, and end up ordering a la carte from places that do not work that way, asking for endless substitutions and upcharges. As an example, at a restaraunt, she might not be able to decide between a burger or chicken tenders, so she'll ask for "a half order" of both of them, then she likes the sound of one specific dipping sauce that comes with another entree so she'll ask for a cup of that, etc. Etc. I'll say something before we go in, she'll promise me she'll just get a water, and then get a water - and a margarita. It's draining. At this point, we go out maybe once pr twice a year unless something forces us out more than that.

The scenario that prompted this rant was that tonight was one of those times. Our bill was $82.10. My entree plus water was $10.99.

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[-] devolution@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Is the sex good at least? That’s the only reason I can see you staying with her.

[-] Marketsnodsbury@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 weeks ago

Do you have separate accounts? If she pays for her own meal with her own money, nbd. But I’m guessing since you’re planning a future together you’ll also be commingling your finances at some point (if you haven’t already), and with this in mind I urge you to have regular financial planning and check-in sessions with each other to mitigate frustrations over different spending habits.

I didn’t have parents who were great with money, and I don’t naturally have a great head for numbers, so when I got married I had a lot of learning to do. My husband is the complete opposite and stays on top of things much more than I do, but financial spending, saving, and planning are important to be on the same page about. Personally, if I know we’re saving money for a particular project or trip or something, I make much better choices in the moment.

In your specific situation, my advice would be to agree on an amount you want to spend on the outing beforehand so you’re on the same page. This still gives her the option to modify her order to her tastes, she just has parameters to work within. If she completely disregards that agreement, you can always step it up old school with the money-in-an-envelope method, where you can’t fall back on a debit or credit card if you “accidentally” go over (although if I were in your shoes going this route, I’d stash a card on me for emergencies, but make her sweat just enough she feels the burn of her mistake).

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[-] paraphrand@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

If expectations were set ahead of time, this sounds like a lot of fun.

[-] Today@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

I do this - order a la carte and hold stuff. I try to be very nice about it. I don't want a 3 taco plate with rice and beans for $20, only to throw most of it away. I want a la carte one taco and rice. Everytime I get a salad without dressing, a burger without sauce, anything without cheese, etc., it gets questioned. Please stop trying to give me other dressings, different sauces, and cheese on everything. I get menu anxiety and usually check it before we go so I can make a plan, especially if we're dining with people I don't know well. Know that's it's frustrating for her too; extra frustrating if you're calling attention to it.

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[-] Xande@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Run my friend... run fast and do not stop until you're out of her reach!

btw: In restaurants à la carte is the practice of ordering individual dishes from a menu in a restaurant, as opposed to table d'hôte, where a set menu is offered. It is an early 19th century loanword from french meaning "according to the menu". Your fiancee acts like she's the queen.

RUN!

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[-] JigglySackles@lemmy.world -1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

This is a red flag. Don't turn fiance to spouse until you really think about this or get her to corrupt it. Never going to dinner will make any future dates exceedingly difficult.

But honestly, if she has this red flag, there are likely a bunch of others you aren't seeing. The level of inconsideration she has to have to let her treat other people this way is exceedingly high. Not just how she's treating the wait staff, but the imposition placed on the cooks, as well as how the experience is affecting you. She's at best extremely thoughtless and inconsiderate.

Edit:or don't, divorce is available later if things bother you bad enough

[-] Pattylay@lemmy.world -3 points 2 weeks ago

Take a swing at her next time

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[-] undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch -3 points 2 weeks ago

How is this a “good” off my chest?

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this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2025
59 points (92.8% liked)

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