I Spent $200 On A Birthday Gift And He Just REJECTED It | r/BestOf

[00:00:01] [SPEAKER_00] Hey Waffle Gang, I do hope you are well. My name is Mark and today we're checking out some more Reddit stories. And if you do love a Reddit story, why not consider hitting that like, subscribe, maybe that notification bell too. And let's crack on with today's first story. Much love guys. Now today's first story comes from pornad4324 from the AmITheArsehole subreddit. And it says,

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_00] AmITheArsehole for not buying my boyfriend another birthday gift after he rejected the original present? Throw away and please refrain from breakup comments. Those don't help. I'm 25 female and I've been with my boyfriend for over 3 years. His birthday was last week. Him and I are not into the same music so we don't go to many shows together but when we have gone together it has been very fun.

[00:00:50] [SPEAKER_00] My boyfriend loves bands. I don't really know how else to put it. He listens to a lot of rock music from these bands I've never heard of. Imagine Dragons are coming to our city this summer. I know who they are and I know they're a band so I figured this would be an awesome present for my boyfriend. I got us tickets and was very excited. My excitement was short lived. It turned into sadness very soon. Here is a summary of how the gift exchange went down.

[00:01:18] [SPEAKER_00] I bought him some other smaller things but put the ticket confirmation in an envelope with the card I made for him. He opens the envelope and I met with a, uh, what? I explained to him they're coming to town and I thought it would be a lot of fun to go together and I want to get more into the music he likes. Then he responds, I'm getting very sad at this point. I asked him if he really wouldn't have fun.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_00] He says, Honestly, you should just try to get your money back. I don't want to go to this. I say, Okay, as I'm literally holding back tears. He then says that I could try and resell the tickets. He goes on his phone and Googles concerts in the area around that date and says we could go to one of these shows instead. I snapped at him. I said I really tried to do something I thought he'd like and that is extremely hurtful the way he responded. He says, We've been dating for three years.

[00:02:16] [SPEAKER_00] How did you not know that I don't like that music? I wouldn't get you tickets to the Travis Scott concert for your birthday because I'm well aware you hate rap. You should have known I wouldn't like this. At that point I actually started crying. I just said I wanted to do something together and he didn't have to be so mean. He tried to walk back everything he said and he was like, We can go. I'm sure it would be fun. I told him, Fuck no. I know how he really feels.

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_00] He's now upset saying that it's basically like I got him nothing for his birthday since I won't resell the tickets to get different tickets and I won't suck it up and go with him after he made it very clear how he feels. Am I, the arsehole. Oh bloody hell. It was the way that OP linked together that he might like it because my boyfriend loves bands and just went, I know there are bands so I figured this would be an awesome present. The commenter says to OP, You're the arsehole.

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_00] Your intentions were good but it wasn't really that great of a gift. If he's never expressed that he liked Imagine Dragons, why would you think he would want to go to a show for a band he doesn't care for? He reacted badly, understandably, and so did you. OP says, I don't know. I just figured he would because he likes bands. Novels and Dessert says, Bands is not a genre. There are rap bands, folk bands, metal bands, rock bands, poker bands.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_00] You're the arsehole for being with someone for three years and clearly not caring enough to understand what they like. Cute says, You're the arsehole. It's the equivalent of taking someone to a restaurant and forcing them to eat food they don't like and calling it a gift. Then you're surprised and get mad when they don't like it. You could have just looked at some of his playlists to see what artists he likes before actually booking the tickets. OP says, This comment here is making me think that I may have overreacted and not be as much of a victim as I thought.

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_00] Pots Antique says, I kind of think you're the arsehole here. It feels like you didn't check his music list or look at his band t-shirts or maybe check his Spotify to see what he might actually like and just got him tickets to some band you heard of. It also feels like he tried to let you know you could resell the tickets and tries to find other shows that you would both enjoy. So here's what I see. Instead of lying to you, he decides to turn it into a different show you can enjoy together. Which is what you wanted in the first place. You threw a fit.

[00:04:35] [SPEAKER_00] Do you want him to lie to you in the future? Do you want to go to a show with him? You're doing it all wrong. I wish you the best in moving through this with him. Edit, You're the arsehole. OP says, I guess I could have done more research on the types of bands he likes. My mentality was, A band that I actually have heard of it. I'm sure we'd enjoy this together because it also seems up his alley. Someone says, How did OP's boyfriend react to the tickets? OP says he did seem kind of offended at first that I would think he listens to Imagine Dragons.

[00:05:05] [SPEAKER_00] And he did say that bands like Imagine Dragons, 21 Pilots, Walk the Moon, All bands I've heard of are just radio pop. But OP did come in with an update on this one saying, Edit, Update, I spoke to my boyfriend and apologized. After reading these responses, I've learned that I was acting selfish. My gift showed him that I know nothing about his taste in music. And more than likely, That's why he got upset. I'm going to sell the tickets. And he apologized for hurting my feelings. He said that we can find another show,

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_00] And he will split the price of the tickets with me. Which I can probably make another, Am I the arsehole about? If I would be the arsehole to accept that offer, Or insist that I pay for both tickets. Single pumpkin says OP. Info, Please, Please, Please come back here, And tell us what bands he does like. And by that I mean, Go ask him what his top five dream rock shows would be. I just want to know, Just how off Imagine Dragons is from his taste. OP says, He likes the Growlers,

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_00] King Gizzard, And the Wizard Lizard, The Front Bottoms, The Walters, And Post Animal. I use the question marks, Because I've never heard of any of these bands. I've never heard of any of those bands either, But I absolutely love their names, And the way that they rhyme with each other at the start. About the Growlers, The King Gizzard, And the Wizard Lizard. I absolutely love that. But what do you guys make of this situation? That tickled me too much. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below,

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_00] And let's move on to another story. Our next story is from the Am I Overreacting subreddit, And says, Am I overreacting to my boyfriend's text about us going to dinner for my best friend? For context, I, female 23, Asked my boyfriend, male 28 of 3 years, If he would like to come to one of my best friend's, Female 23, birthday dinner. My best friend had asked if he would like to come to dinner with us, And I had even asked if he wants to come previously.

[00:06:59] [SPEAKER_00] But he said that I threw it at him. I can understand going out to dinner that late is not desirable. But it is because friend 2, male 22, Doesn't get off work until late. I can also understand the fact that the location was changed a couple of times. This was due to some places being out of budget. It's a bit annoying. This happens every single time my friends or even I try to invite him out with us. He gets upset at how far away things are, How we don't think like he does,

[00:07:28] [SPEAKER_00] And how late we want to be out. This is my best friend's birthday dinner. I want to be there for her. And if I have to stay late, that's fine. Yes, I don't really want to be out that late, But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make because I love my friend. I'm just so upset and annoyed because this happens so often. Where I tell him he doesn't have to go to something, Because he's complaining about it. Then he gets upset, proceeds to say that he doesn't like how I'm talking to him, And then says that I don't want him there. I love my boyfriend.

[00:07:58] [SPEAKER_00] He's a good guy that cares a lot about me. But when things like this happen, I just get so miserable and think, Why am I putting up with this? Am I overreacting with how I feel? So OP comes in with the text messages, And it started with OP saying, Friend one changed the restaurant and reservation time. It's 9.30 at the restaurant. Boyfriend says, What restaurant? How far is that? Jesus, 9.30, that's a late dinner. OP says, It's in location.

[00:08:25] [SPEAKER_00] No, I know it's because friend two doesn't get off work until 8.30. Boyfriend says, Really? What the fuck? Why do you guys need to go to places that are so far? OP says, I don't know. It's what friend wants. Boyfriend says, Like we're not going to get home till 12. OP says, I'm sorry. And boyfriend says, Like it really is a bit ridiculous. How does no one see this? I'm not that much older and think that much differently. OP says, My friends don't think like that though. I mean, We're all still in our early 20s and stuff. And they all want to do stuff like that.

[00:08:55] [SPEAKER_00] If you don't want to go anymore, It's okay. Boyfriend says, Would you rather not have me go? So then you can just be out later with them then. OP says, No, I want you to go. Boyfriend says, I don't know with what you just said to me. Just makes me feel that way now. OP says, I feel like you don't really want to go since it's so late. Boyfriend says, Of course. I wouldn't want it to be that late to eat dinner past 9.30. I'm sorry, But I don't like what you said to me. OP says, I know. I don't like it either. But I don't really have a say since it's for friend.

[00:09:25] [SPEAKER_00] I'm sorry. It just seemed like you didn't want to go anymore with what you said. Boyfriend says, OP says, OP says,

[00:09:59] [SPEAKER_00] That's not what I'm saying at all, babe. It was just the fact that I told him he didn't have to come and he got upset at me for even saying that. A downvoted commenter says, Quoting, He disregarded your intended purpose of trying to accommodate him. Accommodate him? How exactly? Nothing he wants is in any way being considered in that conversation. There is anything by her friends about her either. And it says, 9.30 is a late dinner, But Jesus fuck, Either don't go or eat a snack earlier in the evening, Then order something lighter at the dinner. It says, Conversely,

[00:10:28] [SPEAKER_00] If the only reason it is being held so late is because one friend is working late, Which is what the OP said and not even the birthday girl. Why can't they meet at 8.30? He can have dinner while the others have drinks and then leave earlier. Why make accommodations for the friend but not him? I know if I was the 22 male who had to work, I would have told my friends to start without me and I'll join when I'm done work, Especially if it's going to run late. Because I would want to be accommodating to others attending the event And not putting someone in a shitty spot

[00:10:58] [SPEAKER_00] To then call them a child if they don't like the shit sandwich that is being served to them. It then says, An occasional late night isn't that big of a deal. It then says, To quote the OP, This happens every single time my friends or even I try to invite him out with us. He gets upset at how far away things are, How we don't think like he does, And how late we want to be out. The truth is, On some spectrum of the boyfriend is finding excuses to not go. To her friends, Do not care at all about the boyfriend and plan things about trying to accommodate him.

[00:11:27] [SPEAKER_00] We cannot know for sure where on the spectrum it lies on the whole. But for this specific interaction, It is clearly the not accommodating for the boyfriend at all basket, While making accommodations for others in the group. OP says, The only reason why 22 male is being accommodated for Is because everyone else is riding together since he doesn't own a car. A commoner says, Is this on a weekend or during a work week? In either case, Go have fun with your friends, babe. It's a birthday party. If he has hard limits on being out late,

[00:11:56] [SPEAKER_00] He can just say no thank you without blaming you for tone. OP says, It's during the weekend, lol. I don't know why he's making it weird. It's not like he's doing it to be anything anyway. Commodore says,

[00:12:49] [SPEAKER_00] Opie says, I'm Brazilian. Late dinners and even lunches are somewhat normal for me. And I understand that's not the vibe for other people. Which is valid, But this dinner is literally on a Saturday night. Saturday. Commodore says, Why was a 24 or 25 year old pursuing a 19 to 20 year old? Is what I want to know. Opi said I was 21 and he was 26 when we got together. Commodore says, I was kind of on his side till the last couple of slides. He's being a dick.

[00:13:17] [SPEAKER_00] Curious how far away it is though. If it's like two hours away and I had to work at 7am, I'd be like, That's dumb as hell. I'm not doing that. But him going on about you not wanting him to come?

[00:13:28] Pshh.

[00:13:29] [SPEAKER_00] Opi says, It's like an hour max drive and it's on a Saturday night. If it was a Sunday night, I wouldn't have even asked him to come. Commodore says, Stop inviting him lol. She's your friend, not his. Opi says, My friend wanted him to come as well. Lol. I don't get the comments accommodating him for someone else's birthday. They arranged the time, you know, either go or don't go. It's quite that simple to me. You know, the guy just sounds bloody exhausting. And Opi said, you know,

[00:13:59] [SPEAKER_00] he does this every single time anyway. So, and Opi tried to give him an out. Says, you know, you don't have to come. And instead of saying, you know, thanks, I'll just sit this one out. He flips it. And now suddenly, you know, she doesn't want him there. She's trying to push him away. He's the victim. All this kind of bullshit. That sounds exhausting. And you deal with that every single time. Yeah, fuck that. But Opi comes in with an update and says, Hey everyone, I just want to thank you all for your comments.

[00:14:27] [SPEAKER_00] It really opened my eyes and saw what he was doing is not right. I appreciate you all. After work today, I came back home. And we started talking about everything again. I told him how I felt about what happened. And it kicked off. He kept saying that I don't want him there because I kept asking him if he would still like to come, even after he was saying it was too expensive for him and that I was annoying him. I tried explaining that I was just making sure after everything he was saying. And I guess he didn't like that because he said I ruined his day. Lol.

[00:14:57] [SPEAKER_00] Okay, diva. But that's when I realized everyone's comments about what he was doing. It clicked to me that he's trying to manipulate me. He just kept going off saying the same thing and trying to make me feel bad about it. He said, How thick is your skull, woman? Why is this not getting through your head? I just sat there in complete shock because that is actually ridiculous. You were complaining so much about it. What did you want me to do? He then said he can't take this anymore and that he was over me. Told me to pack up my stuff and leave.

[00:15:27] [SPEAKER_00] Anyway, TLDR is. He was trying to manipulate me in person, then broke up with me and kicked me out. Don't worry, divas. I'm still going on Saturday and have the time of my life with my best friends. A commenter asks OP, but are you taking him back when he inevitably comes back saying he regrets putting you out? OP says, Most likely not. If he was talking to me that way. I will not let a grown ass man speak to me like that. The commenter says, Sounds like he stepped up the manipulation.

[00:15:54] [SPEAKER_00] Guaranteed he expected you to beg or agree not to go in order for him not to break up with you. He'll be back. Please don't subject yourself to that. Keep him an ex. And one more commenter says, Well, you should have dumped him, but glad he did it. Please don't go back if he regrets it. It'd just be more of the same. Yeah. And hopefully OP does stay out of that situation because like those commenters said, I can almost guarantee that, you know, he'll get in contact with her at some point in the future.

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_00] But what do you guys make of this situation? Maybe you have a different take on the matter. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below. And let's move on to another story. Our next story comes from Can't Dress Myself from the Relationship Advice subreddit. It says, How do I, 28 male, tell my girlfriend, 28 female, a prenup, and keeping my inherited house separate and non-negotiable? I'm in my late 20s dating a woman in her late 20s.

[00:16:52] [SPEAKER_00] We've been together about six months, and I want to start to talk about long-term plans, potentially moving in together, marriage, and kids someday. About seven years ago, my parents passed away, and since I was an only child, I inherited their house. It's fully paid off. I rent out the upstairs currently, and live in the basement after I renovated it to be its own separate unit. Because of their life insurance and other assets, I'm financially secure, and technically don't need to work. I have a job,

[00:17:21] [SPEAKER_00] but it's not like I make six figures or anything. The house is my childhood home, and has emotional value to me. I've decided I will never add anyone to the deed, even if I get married. If I have kids, I would structure things so the house passes directly to them. I guess through a trust. Same thing with the inheritance money. I'm fine using income or growth from it to build a life together, as the core inherited assets themselves would always remain legally separate. If I ever get married,

[00:17:51] [SPEAKER_00] a prenup would be mandatory for me. It wouldn't just cover the house, but also clearly define that my inheritance remains separate property. This isn't about assuming divorce or not loving someone fully. It's about protecting what my parents left me, and making sure it ultimately benefits my children. I have a friend that ended up not getting anything from their mother when she died, because she left everything to her second husband, and I refuse to even let that be an option if I have children. I haven't brought this up yet, because we haven't been dating that long.

[00:18:20] [SPEAKER_00] But I don't want to waste her time, as we get more serious if this isn't acceptable to her. I definitely don't want to profit off her if we move in together. If we moved into my place, she would never have to pay anything to maintenance or property tax, only utilities and groceries. And if that seemed weird for her, I'd be happy to move into a separate place together and split costs. I don't want to have this be viewed as me being controlling or worried that it sounds like I'm planning for failure before we're even engaged. How would you approach this conversation?

[00:18:50] [SPEAKER_00] And if you were in her position, would you want to know this sooner rather than later? I do not need advice on how to structure a prenup. She will have her own lawyer should she agree to a prenup. I will pay for this with a smile on my face. I'm not forcing her to forever live in this home. We can live anywhere. She just won't have equity in this one home. I'm not counting down the days until I can make her become a homeless widow. Things will be structured so she wouldn't have to leave home when I die.

[00:19:17] [SPEAKER_00] She would be very well taken care of once we actually come to an agreement on prenup terms. I'm a huge believer in life insurance. I have my own retirement account she will get access to. Sorry if this sounds like I'm condescending, but apparently you need to explicitly state you don't relish the chance to be a villain from a Dickens novel. Thank you for any advice. Shelby the Turd, what a name, says, The thing with prenups is you can structure it where both parties are protected.

[00:19:46] [SPEAKER_00] Should you have a prenup with your girlfriend prior to marriage, you could also include conditions such as if she contributes financially to the home that she should be compensated and that future assets would be split. I would talk to a lawyer regarding options. It makes financial sense what you want to do. Another commenter says, Protecting both parties is the whole point of a prenup. Adventurer says, In a perfect world, yes. In reality, it can be predatory. That's why you talk with lawyers present. Wishbone says, Before a prenup conversation,

[00:20:16] [SPEAKER_00] have you guys discussed what you want for the future in more general terms? Does she want to stay in your current community permanently? Does she want kids and marriage? What are her goals in the next five years? I also think you need to consider from a relationship perspective is that if you die, your wife of say 20 years could now lose what has become her family home with no financial gain. If her adult children inherit and sell or move in, that's very long-term thinking, but it'd be one of my several concerns if I was her.

[00:20:46] [SPEAKER_00] Another commenter says, Yeah, I think it's important to secure her future if he passes. It'd be horrible if she were kicked out of her home for some reason or would suffer financially. I know someone who's been through a similar situation. I don't know all the legalities behind it, but basically he owned the house. She lived with him for years and years and he owned the house. It was passed down to his kids after he died, but when the kids didn't get on with her and basically they kicked her out and that was it. So she was barely left with a pot to piss in.

[00:21:16] [SPEAKER_00] Again, I don't know the four ins and outs of everything that went on there, but I can remember hearing about that. So agree with those comments, you know, she has to think about her future properly and her financial security and will she be okay if the worst was to happen? OP came in a month later with an update and said, First, thank you to the minority of people who actually read the post and responded to the question I asked. A few of you gave thoughtful, practical advice about framing and timing

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_00] and that genuinely helped. That said, most of the comments were unhelpful at best or highlighted a pretty clear misunderstanding of the basic premise of the post at worst. A surprising number of responses invented scenarios I'd already explicitly addressed. For an actual update, she brought up moving in together first a couple of weeks after the original post. We were talking about her lease being up in a few months and she asked whether I thought about us living together. That naturally opened the door to the bigger long-term conversation.

[00:22:13] [SPEAKER_00] I told her I'd been thinking about it too and that before we made any major decisions, I wanted to be transparent about something important regarding my house and inheritance. I framed it as not planning for divorce, but as ensuring long-term success for future kids. I explained clearly, the house will always remain solely in my name. The inherited principle will remain separate property. If I ever get married, a prenup would be mandatory. I would ensure my partner is protected. Life insurance, retirement accounts, etc.

[00:22:41] [SPEAKER_00] But the core inherited assets would stay legally separate. Then I waited for the dramatic fallout. Many commenters seemed convinced was inevitable. She responded, that makes complete sense. She said she would think it was irresponsible not to protect inherited assets. She said it made sense. I would want it confirmed in writing that she was aware of these conditions beforehand to remove any confusion or contention later on. She appreciated that I had thought it through carefully and had clear values around it.

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_00] When I told her she would absolutely have her own independent lawyer, paid for by me, to review any agreement, she said that's exactly how it should be handled. She was also genuinely excited when she realized how financially secure I am. Not in a weird way, just that it made her feel stable and optimistic about building a future with someone who plans ahead. She especially appreciated that while I made it clear the house itself is off limits, I was completely willing to move if shared property equity was important to her.

[00:23:39] [SPEAKER_00] She's never even seen the upper levels since it's currently rented out. If we ever bought a different home together, that would be joint. The inherited house is the only thing that stays separate. And yes, I showed her the original post. Her main takeaway was asking why over half the people couldn't understand that the house was off limits. While it was clearly stated that I was willing to move to another house if property equity was important to her, she was genuinely baffled at how many responses ignored that basic detail.

[00:24:06] [SPEAKER_00] She also didn't understand why so many people kept explaining what a prenup was when that was completely unrelated to the post. As for my apparent villain arc, if living together goes well and we get married, somehow we'll have to survive me being underemployed and only working 40 hours a week, splitting the tragic pittance of my above median salary, rental income, and interest in dividends. While she saves nearly 30k a year that she previously spent on rent. All while,

[00:24:35] [SPEAKER_00] I cackle with glee, knowing I set it up that she's out on the streets the second I die. I'll be sure to tell the next homeless person I meet that they're lucky they didn't have to deal with real financial insecurity like she does. The only painful thing is now that she fully understands my financial situation. She truly questions why I voluntarily drive a 10-year-old Prius. Apparently, financial security does not excuse that level of commitment to fuel efficiency. All sarcasm aside, the conversation made us closer.

[00:25:04] [SPEAKER_00] It forced us to talk seriously about long-term values, money philosophy, and what marriage actually means to each of us. I'm glad I didn't avoid it because of worst-case predictions from strangers online. For anyone in a similar position, have the conversation sooner rather than later. How you frame it matters far more than the fact you want a prenup. Don't be selfish and only discuss how this will protect you. And anyone who insists you split equity with someone who contributed nothing is an idiot. Commenter says, Wow,

[00:25:34] [SPEAKER_00] people having adult conversations and come into a reasonable conclusion. Get the fuck out with that shit. This is Reddit. We don't come here for that. Commenter says, You get what you pay for, and Reddit is free. Lemon Icing says, A healthy, normal relationship they can discuss money. Yay for both of you. What a relief. There is one thing you wrote that does leave baffled, though. The original post is about prenups and isolating core assets. Yet she thinks it isn't about that.

[00:26:01] [SPEAKER_00] She also didn't understand why so many people kept explaining what a prenup was when that was completely unrelated to the post. Opie says, Thank you. The original post was asking how and when to bring it up. But what one was. Like if I were to ask how long to bake a cake, and people kept describing to me what a cake was. I know what a prenup is. I know what they include. I have a lawyer for that. I don't have a group to ask when and how to talk about that in a relationship. Bloody hell. It did work out in the end.

[00:26:29] [SPEAKER_00] I was expecting another update where it all went tits up or something. But what did you guys make of this situation? I think communication wins the day. Or maybe you have another opinion on the matter. You bloody cheeky so and so. But what do you guys make of this story? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below. And just a huge thank you for being here today. Getting involved in the stories. Your love. Your support. Your time. It always means the absolute world to me. So thank you so so much. And hopefully I'll see you in the next one.

[00:26:59] [SPEAKER_00] Take care. And much love.

[00:27:15] [SPEAKER_01] Love was ridiculous. You see we in the. Spare crime everywhere. You selling false hope. Cause it.