Vacations are so much fun, and sometimes having family go with you makes it even better.

Other times, family is exactly why you need to get out of town.

Check out this story and decide which type of family we’re dealing with here.

AITA for not “taking one for the team” and not paying for my SIL and her family to come on our Spring Break trip?

Twice a year, my wife, three kids, and I go on a trip with just us.

During Spring Break, it is a domestic trip.

During summer, it is an international trip.

These two trips are my favorite things we do throughout the year.

We live very frugally throughout the year, but during these trips, we do it big.

The money for the trips comes from separate, non-martial passive income I have from a family commercial real estate business (in case anyone is wondering, we have a prenup)

A slightly confusing money situation, but anyway, he goes on:

After our trip last summer, my SIL (wife’s sister) told my wife that her husband and her were going to save up and come on next year’s trips (ie. the 2025 trips) with their two kids.

My wife didn’t push back.

I heard about this a couple of months later and was quite frustrated.

I do not like my SIL at all (it is a long story).

My wife convinced me to be ok with it by laying out that they will get their own accommodations and outside some shared meals, I did not need to spend much time with her

Then, the economy did its stupid thing:

Well, in January, my BIL’s job issued a “return to the office” directive.

He was working remotely and lived out of the state of his office.

They offered a short window for anyone who did not want to return to resign and get a good severance package.

He resigned and took the severance.

After that happened, they decided they could not come on the trip.

There is a chance they will need to sell their house and move in with my in-laws.

And here’s the drop:

Well, about two weeks ago, my MIL, wife, and SIL were spending the day together.

My SIL kept being up how upset she was about the whole thing and about how much she was looking forward to the trip.

My MIL pulled my wife aside and said, “I know y’all can pay for the trip. Just pay for it.”

So, my wife offered for us to pay for it.

Maybe you should have checked in first.

After my wife told me this, I was livid.

I said, “You want me to pay for the terrible experience of doing this trip with your sister? No, I will not do it under any circumstances. This is a two ‘yes’ and one ‘no’ situation, I am a ‘no’ so she isn’t coming.”

My wife thinks I should take one for the team and pay.

I refuse.

So who’s the victim here, and who’s in the right?

I do feel bad for her kids.

But, I am not paying for the displeasure of being around my SIL.

Heck, I have offered to take her kids only on the trip.

I would be fine with that.

They can stay with us.

But, right now, I am left with either effectively doubling the cost of the trip or having them stay with us on the trip, which is counter to why I agreed to let her come in the first place.

AITA?

Let’s check the comments:

Wait, WHO can afford it, exactly?

“Stand your ground,” some say:

There may be a way to break the news gently:

Seems like a vacation should be the least of their priorities right now, in any case.

Which is sad, but oh well.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.