I’m dating a man who isn’t as financially well-off as I am. I knew that from the start and it genuinely never bothered me. I told him that early on because it simply wasn’t something that mattered to me. Since Christmas, though, he has had a run of really unfortunate expenses such as household bills and car repairs. He is not frivolous at all, quite the opposite. Because of this, I have ended up paying for around 90% of things recently. We are in a long-distance relationship, so one of us always has to travel, and I have been covering most of that as well. I have reassured him many times that I am truly okay with it. Lately I have noticed he seems a bit different. He is not quite as open or expressive about his feelings as he was before these financial stresses started. He has also told me he hates that I am paying for everything and even described himself as feeling like a “parasite”. That honestly broke my heart because that is absolutely not how I see him. He is just going through a difficult patch and he is actively looking for extra work. Sometimes I pick up small basics he needs like socks or underwear. He never asks for anything, and occasionally I get the feeling he feels a bit uncomfortable receiving gifts. He has said he feels bad about it. I really do not do this often, and when I do it is simply because I love him and want to ease a bit of the pressure he is under. What I am worried about is that he might be pulling back because he feels ashamed or guilty about the money situation. I would hate for that to create distance between us. For the men here, I would really appreciate your perspective. How might he be feeling in this situation? And how can I talk to him in a way that reassures him without making him feel worse? He is a genuinely good man and I care about him a lot, so please be kind. I just want to understand him better and keep our relationship strong. submitted by /u/magnaroyale
Originally posted by u/magnaroyale on r/AskMen