Husband Refused to Host Wife’s Distant Relatives for Another Free Vacation: ‘Never Even Heard a Thank You’

A retired man sparked debate on Reddit after refusing to host his wife’s extended relatives for what he described as a “free vacation,” leading to tension within the family.

After three decades of marriage, the man said he and his wife have opened their home to relatives many times. But this latest request went too far. “Recently my wife’s cousin contacted her and said she would like to come out to visit the family,” he explained, adding that his wife’s mother and sisters, who live nearby, “always bully my wife into getting their ways.”

Because his wife and her sisters all work full-time, he was tasked with picking the cousin up from the airport. “I’ve never met or seen pictures of this person, so I’m told to hold a sign like a chauffeur,” he wrote. As soon as they met, the cousin asked for food. “She said she was starving [and] asked if we could get something to eat.”

He paid for the first meal, assuming she would contribute later. Instead, he said, he covered every single meal during her four-night stay, including food at family gatherings. “Even at a picnic where everyone else chipped in, she didn’t contribute a thing,” he added.

To make matters worse, she never thanked him. “Her entire 4-night stay was free! I never even heard a Thank You,” he said, noting that he also drove her everywhere she wanted to go.

The situation escalated when the cousin’s sister emailed his wife afterward, saying how much fun her sibling had. “So now that cousin, and her other two sisters, want to bring their mother for a surprise visit for my mother-in-law,” he wrote, referring to four more uninvited guests.

That’s when he decided to draw a line. “If they were close family I would have no problem with this, but I have never met them,” he explained, adding that even a closer cousin had warned them this side of the family had a reputation for freeloading.

His wife tried to mediate, but he refused to back down. “I told her she can tell them that I’m being an asshole and I insist they get a rental car and stay in a hotel,” he said. For him, the issue wasn’t just money — it was about boundaries and respect.

He also pointed out that his wife’s sisters live in a small condo and can’t accommodate guests. “They said they would contribute money towards food, but to me it’s more than that,” he wrote. “Four more people I have never met, invited themselves to stay in my house and expect me to chauffeur them wherever they want? NO F—– WAY! Get a rental car and stay in a hotel!”

After refusing, he said he became “the a——” in his wife’s family. “So now this is where I’ve become the a—— to my wife’s family…,” he wrote, adding that he planned to take the dog and go camping while the unexpected guests stayed at the house.

He also reflected on his wife’s kind but accommodating nature. “In defense of my wife, she’s the sweetest person you could ever meet and that’s part of the problem because people…take advantage of her,” he said. “She places her needs last, and mine second to last if others may get their feelings hurt.”

This time, however, he chose to stand firm. “I will NOT support her decision to not push back against her family, and I’m going to leave her with all of the responsibilities that come along with that decision,” he wrote.

Support poured in from Reddit users who agreed with his stance. One commenter wrote, “YNTA, but your wife and family surely are,” while another encouraged, “Enjoy your camping trip. Don’t feel one ounce of guilt.”

He thanked the online community for the reassurance. “Thank you and all the people who replied. I think I just needed to know I had a little support for my actions,” he said, admitting that setting boundaries can be difficult — even when they’re necessary.