Mom Says Her 'Frugal' Dad Complained About Her Daughter’s Diner Order Because It Violated His 'Rule of Etiquette'
The mom said that although her dad grumbled at the table, things came to a head later that day when he started complaining about their "lack of manners"
Getty
People arguing during a dinnerA mom said that she and her teenage daughter were treated to breakfast by her “frugal” father only to later be berated by him for the price of one of their meals.
In a recent post on Reddit's “Am I the A------?”, a 44-year old mom vented about the situation.
“My Dad has always been frugal,” she wrote about her 68-year-old father. “His frugality has served him well, he has a beautiful home, savings, he's been retired for over 10 years, multiple rental properties, etc.”
The mom went on to explain that she and her 15-year-old daughter recently drove to Phoenix to visit him for the weekend — and that during the trip, he did something a little out of character: he invited them out for breakfast.
“Typically my Dad cooks breakfast every morning, on this particular morning, he didn't feel like it and told us we were going out,” she wrote. “This is a little unusual since he does not like to eat out due to the expense.”
Related: Dinner Host Makes Friend Walk Home After He Insults Meal That Took 'Hours' of Preparation
The woman said her dad took them to a casual diner, but that her dad mumbled something under his breath after his granddaughter ordered the chicken fried steak.
“I heard my Dad mumble something like 'the things you order,' " the woman wrote, but shared that overall it didn't seem like a big deal at the time. But later in the day, her dad was still visibly irate and eventually exclaimed, "I can't stand it anymore!"
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
He then started complaining about their “lack of manners."
“He has this ‘rule of etiquette’ that says that if someone invites you to a meal out, you should never order anything more expensive than the person that's paying,” the woman wrote. “I think it's rude to put that responsibility on a guest.”
And as she pointed out, her daughter only ordered a chicken friend steak, not an outrageously overpriced meal or a “magnum of champagne.”
Not wanting to make an uncomfortable situation worse, the mom said she apologized for “any disrespect he felt."
“I'm going back to my Dad's house this weekend, if it comes up again am I the a— here?” she asked her fellow Redditors at the conclusion of her post.
“Unless you order steak and lobster or something ridiculous like that, being a few bucks more than the payer is fine,” commented one Redditor. “I would not go out to eat anymore with him or I would just pay for myself from now on.”
“I've never heard the rule about not ordering something more expensive than your host, just to not order something wildly extravagant,” replied another. “At a diner, I can't imagine anything on the menu would be fancy or disproportionately expensive.”
Yet another commenter wrote that while they do keep price in mind when somebody else is paying, there's only so much you can reasonably be expected to do.
“When someone else is paying, I order something mid priced. Not the most expensive thing but not the cheapest thing either,” wrote the Redditor. “I feel this is pretty fair. But ordering something that costs less than the payer's dish sounds silly."
Read the original article on People
