Submitted by throwRAsataychicken t3_125yn2r in relationship_advice

My (25F) boyfriend (28M) lack of drive is ruining our relationship

As a backstory- I’m 25F and work a very good job for someone my age. I have worked my ass off to get here and sacrificed a lot to be where I am. My partner (28M), who I have been with for 4 years, has a minimum wage, part time, unskilled job which he has had since we met. I never had any issue with this until he kept complaining how unhappy he was and also how much he wanted marriage/ kids in the next few years. This has been ongoing for the last year. My stance on this was very firmly a) if your job is making you extremely unhappy you should look for another and get out asap. And b) choosing marriage and kids is great but if you don’t have the funds to support yourself/ a child it’s reckless and irresponsible. He regularly makes jokes about being a stay at home dad while I earn all the money which makes me incredibly uncomfortable. To clarify- my issue with his job is not the job itself, it’s the fact that he hates it so much and to financially be in a position to have a family he either needs to take on more hours which he won’t do because he hates it, or find a different job.

He dropped out of college at 17 with no qualifications beyond GCSEs. He in his words ‘wasn’t ready’ to figure his future out (which I understand at that age you are still a kid) so got this part time job where he has stayed ever since. Since it has made him miserable I tried to be supportive and help him figure out what careers might be for him in the long term and how to get there. At this point, with my help he has done some volunteering in the industry he wants to work in but has no qualifications. Unfortunately because it is a VERY competitive field, he is unlikely to get a job without more experience and/ or a relevant qualification. He states he is absolutely opposed to going to uni which is fair enough, but also can’t afford any private vocational courses in his subject area. My suggestion was to continue volunteering and look for a new job that might make him happier than the current one. He agreed (this was in January) and said he would prioritise getting a new job so we could move out of my parents house where I pay rent. My parents were extremely abusive to me growing up and still have their moments, which he is aware of, hence why my biggest priority is moving out. I could move out alone and afford it but naively I would rather live with him, which is why I said I was happy to stick it out for another 6 months with my parents so he could find an alternative job.

That was 3 months ago and in those 3 months he has applied for one job. We got into it earlier because he was moaning about how hard it is for him to be under ‘so much pressure’ to move out and I said I’ve been nothing but supportive but my mental health is being destroyed living with people that abused me as a child. I also explained I find it really childish that he thinks he has it so hard when he’s applied for one job and regularly spends all day in the gym when he could be job hunting if he was actually serious about getting a new job. He said he didn’t want to make sacrifices but my point of view is that sometimes to get to be where you want in life, sacrifices have to be made. He has been mollycoddled by his parents his entire life while I come from the opposite background and I think this might be why he has such a victim complex.

I’m starting to resent him for being so lazy and selfish then complaining how hard it is when he’s barely even tried to get a new job.

Is this relationship even salvageable? Should I just move out with my friends? I have raised this to him before but he says it will destroy our relationship. I just don’t know what to do, I really want to marry and have kids with this guy but this entire ongoing situation is extremely off putting. I’ve tried to express how this makes me feel but it never translates to anything more than him moaning that I don’t understand how hard it is for him despite the fact I’ve got to where I am with absolutely no support or guidance, never mind a set of parents or a partner who consistently go above and beyond to help me out.

TLDR; I(25F) make a lot more money than my partner(28M) and want to move out of an abusive household, he can’t afford to but refuses to take on more hours at work (he’s currently part time) or apply for better jobs yet claims if I were to move out with friends it would destroy him.

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WildlyUninteresting t1_je6m2sw wrote

No. This is the him package. It hasn’t changed in years and it won’t.

It was a day one red flag. Learn from it for your next relationship.

You are wasting your years with someone not motivated.

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Own_Singer_5201 t1_je6mh88 wrote

He sounds like a typical underachiever. I doubt he will improve.

Idk how y'all share and expenses, but you could potentially go 50/50 on everything. That tough love might do it. Or promise him some exotic sex act to get a better job.

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JFC_ucantbeserious t1_je6nl2n wrote

Please move out on your own. This guy may or may not get his act together before you lose interest all together, but you don’t want to hitch your mental and physical wellbeing to his wagon right now!

When someone says directly that they’re unwilling to make any sacrifices for the sake of their future… can there be a clearer sign that this isn’t someone you should be planning a future with?

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throwRAsataychicken OP t1_je92fwt wrote

Thankyou all for sharing your perspectives. I was concerned I was being too harsh but I can see this isn’t going to work in the long term.

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HHIOTF t1_je6rwog wrote

My 2 cents is to leave. He isn't willing to change. If he even made some effort it might be different, but he's stuck and not willing to get unstuck.

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shrimpfajita t1_je6z7k6 wrote

Don’t date potential. Who he is is clearly not who you want.

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