Couldn’t You Have Paid for All the Shopping, Not Just Yours?: Got Upset on the First Date

I met a boy at a friends birthday party. It turned out he was a mate of her boyfriend. Apparently, we hit it off, and he invited me out for the evening.

When we met up, he mentioned we needed to pop into the supermarket to buy some food, as wed be heading over to a friends house. Since it was chilly outside and he didnt suggest anything elselike a coffee shop or the cinemaI decided to go along.

He suggested we pick up a pizza and a few nibbles. We grabbed a trolley and started shopping. Then he began tossing in a bottle of pricey brandy, a pack of posh sausages, cheese, a pineapple…

I was a bit taken aback. I added some tangerines and biscuits on my part, as I hadnt brought much money, thinking it was a date, not a shopping spree.

So I thought, well, maybe hes just generous and thats that.

When we reached the checkout, there were five people ahead of us. Suddenly, he wandered off from the trolley saying, “Ill be right back.” I didnt understand quite what was going on. When my turn came, I took the tangerines and biscuits Id chosen, paid for those, and left the rest behind.

I walked out and found him waiting for me by the door. He took the bag from me, felt the weight, and immediately looked puzzled. Wheres the rest? he asked, a bit baffled.

I pointed back towards the supermarket. He shouted after me, calling me stingy, complaining I could have paid for everything, accusing me of wasting his time

Looking back, I realised that sometimes people expect more from you than is reasonable, and its more important to value your own boundaries than to let someone take advantage of your kindness. The right people will appreciate you for who you arenot simply for what you can buy.