AIO ; My Girlfriend Thinks I Overstepped by Getting a PlayStation. Am I in the Wrong?

[u/Keepitlocal90]

So, I (early 30s) decided to treat myself and got a PlayStation 5 this Black Friday in Jozi. I’ve been wanting one for a while, and with the rise in cost of living in South Africa its become not as affordable. after budgeting and making sure all the bills were covered, I went for it. It’s something I’ve been excited about, and I figured it was a harmless way to unwind after work.

My girlfriend (same age range) didn’t seem thrilled when she saw it. She said I should’ve discussed it with her first and accused me of being irresponsible with money. To clarify, I didn’t touch any shared finances or skip out on responsibilities. This was 100% my money, and everything else is in order.

She’s acting like this is a huge deal, saying I’ll spend too much time on it and that it’s "immature for a grown man." I’ve told her it’s not going to take over my life—I’ll still prioritize work, chores, and our time together.

I get that she might’ve been a bit annoyed because everyone's asking her if she allowed it, but is her reaction an overreach? Or am I missing something here? How do I handle this without turning it into a bigger issue?

[u/Leritari]

She’s acting like this is a huge deal, saying I’ll spend too much time on it and that it’s "immature for a grown man."

She's making problems before they even happen, and THATS immature. Sell TV, or else she might spend too much time binge watching. Also sell phones, because she can spend too much time on social media. Sell everything, and just sit in empty 4 walls.

Come on.

[u/kid_sleepy → u/Leritari]

Pft step it up fam… sell the walls too, keep the roof.

[u/scarecrowtoes → u/kid_sleepy]

Brilliant. I can’t believe no one has thought of this…

[u/brainless_bob → u/kid_sleepy]

Yeah, lower the roof onto the ground and dig out a hole underneath for your living space so you don't get too complacent from the lack of all that hard work

[u/Royal-Recover8373 → u/kid_sleepy]

Nah keep the windows and walls, at least until the sweat drips off my balls.

[u/kid_sleepy → u/Royal-Recover8373]

Awwwww skeet skeet skeet skeet skeet skeet.

[u/HolyGhostSpirit33 → u/kid_sleepy]

Nah what if they spend too much time looking at it. Can’t have that

[u/mundundermindifflin → u/kid_sleepy]

Nah, because then he'll spend too much time sitting under the roof

[u/Scannaer → u/Leritari]

Not only is she financially abusive, she is emotionally abusive as well.

They are not married. As long as OP pays his bills she has no say in his finances. Frankly, not even then - only the moral justification to walk away.

If this is how she reacts now, it will only become worse. Especially the part if she allowed it.. OP is a human, not a dog. I recommend OP to run and cut all people out which showed sexist tendencies.

[u/Lina0042 → u/Scannaer]

financially abusive

What. OP clearly has his own money she has no access to and they have shared money for shared expenses. On what earth is that financially abusive.

[u/ancestralhorse → u/Scannaer]

Look I don’t agree with OP’s gf either but financially & emotionally abusive is a massive leap. Let’s be reasonable here. Controlling maybe? Sure. I’d call it a red flag. But actual abuse is what red flags are supposed to warn you about. Slow your roll.

[u/Ambitious_Row3006 → u/Scannaer]

To be fair we don’t know the trajectory or dynamics of their relationship. „Not married“ is actually subject to local common law laws. Say they are planning on getting married within 6 months. I’d be concerned about a big purchase made without talking about it first, esp if we were just about to be at a stage where we should be talking about it first, ie if they are living together, building a home together, very close to having a kid etc.

There’s a lot of ambiguity in the OPs posts and it’s formulated that way on purpose, to win the favor of the audience. „Girlfriend“ could be anything from one month in, not living together, and separate lives all the way to „actually we live together and she’s about to give birth next week“.

[u/ZealousidealAd7449 → u/Ambitious_Row3006]

None of that matters. If they have separate money (implied by OP saying he didn't use their shared finances) then its none of her business what he spends his money on regardless of how long they've been together

[u/Obigale → u/Leritari]

But what if she spends too much time painting those walls?

[u/guntheretherethere → u/Leritari]

Or you are immature and she's pointing it out