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Saving money as a teenager should build independence, not turn a child into the household lender.
This 16-year-old sacrificed weekends and Fridays to accumulate $9,000 while earning just $13 an hour.
Meanwhile, his mother repeatedly borrowed thousands, prioritized other expenses, and used guilt when he finally hesitated.
How many loans should love require?
AITA for not giving my parents loans at 16
Hey guys, so I’m 16 over the last year I’ve gotten myself a job and worked very hard at $13/h to save myself $9000.
My parents are split and dad is living comfortably and decided to buy me a car which was $2000 meaning that I still have my 9k in my bank.
Good for you!
You’re getting a great head start.
Mum has asked me for multiple loans over the the year including a $2000 one, $1500, $750 and now a $2500 while she still owes $700 and is repaying roughly $100 per fortnight.
She asked for the loan and I replied ‘do I have to say yes.’
She then got upset said she was going to bed.
I texted ‘love you’ and she replied saying something like ‘I don’t think you’s really care at all’ and put a post on Facebook saying thy technology and laziness has taken over?
Complaining about lazy tech use…on Facebook.
Sure, why not?
I work two 8 hour shifts every weekend over the morning and day along with a Friday shift and also do sports on Thursdays.
When I come home there’s nothing, no backyard, no lounge, only a tv and my Xbox so obviously that’s the only thing to do.
If I ask to go to a friends house she complains saying she’s not good enough so I never invite people over or go to their houses.
Excuse me, I think you dropped these:
🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
She makes stupid financial decisions like buying a car she can’t afford then selling it 2 months later, buying a French bulldog and comparing she has no cash and owes people money then comes to me for my help with repayments being the last of her priorities.
She says I don’t spend time with her but there’s nothing to do other than watch tv and she goes on her phone.
The money she asked for was to buy a lounge which she sold for quick cash and now want to buy a new one and wants my money saying she will repay me $100 per week meaning I will be repaid by jan-feb next year if she doesn’t ask for another loan which she definitely will around Xmas time.
If you already know it’s never gonna stop, you already know what you need to do.
She also gets jealous that we enjoy being at dads house and that he’s living comfortable, but she throws her life away making stupid financial decisions, saying she has no money but works minimal hours and I know she gets plenty of cash from child support + Centrelink.
Then she says we don’t love her and comes begging for my money which i worked so hard to save for giving away every weekend and Friday to work for minimal wage.
Still, they feel conflicted:
I feel like I’m the [jerk] because I have the cash and it’s true that I don’t spend lots of time with her, but I guarantee I won’t be paid back until a few month into next year IF she doesn’t ask for more and follows repayments.
AITA for not giving her my money every time she asked which I have done up until now and not spending much time with her because of work, sports and because there’s nothing to do other than as I said watch TV which is boring.
People responded in the comments:
It truly is quite a feat.
It’s not gonna change, unfortunately.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man who deliberately kisses his newborn nephew while sick with a cold, going directly against the parents’ explicit wishes.
Bottom line:
This hardworking teenager was right to stop lending money after multiple large requests and an existing balance being repaid slowly.
His mother needed to address her spending and income instead of treating her son’s savings as revolving credit and questioning his love.
She saw a responsible child and somehow opened a bank account.