Imagine being a teenager with a part-time job. Would you be willing to chip in to help pay for household expenses and even pay rent, or would you think your money should be your money?

In this story, one teenage girl is in this situation, and it seems like she doesn’t get to keep any money for herself. However, she’s not sure if it’s okay to refuse to give her money to her dad.

Let’s read the whole story.

WIBTA: If I (17f) didnt give my dad (44m) as much money as he’s been asking for?

For context my parents are divorced, they have been since I was about 9. Since then I have mostly lived with J (my bio mom) and have visited R (my bio dad) on the weekends.

About 6 years ago I stopped talking to my dad due to a conflict with his girlfriend. 5 years after that we started talking again and half a year later I made the ultimate decision to move in with him, which ticked off J.

Moving in with my dad was great, I graduated early, made friends, even got a job. Ive been there for about 6 months and I adore it.

Here’s a breakdown on how much everyone in the household earns…

I work for $17 an hour with 50 hours a pay period (2 weeks) which averages to usually about $700-$800 a check, so usually $1,400 a month, while my dad averages $1,600-$2,400 a check, and $3,200-$4,800 a month. My step mom earns about $1,400 a paycheck and $2,800 a month.

Well about a month into starting my job my dad asked me to start paying rent (yes rent), $400 a month, which wasn’t too bad, $200 a paycheck.

I bought my own groceries and consumables (soap, cleaning supplies), I even shop for the house most of the time!

I pay for both me and my little brother to have foods and drinks we like, I do our laundry, buy our clothes, and sometimes I will spoil us when I have the spare money, but most of it just goes to those things.

All of which doesn’t sound too bad, right?

But her dad keeps asking for more and more money.

Well after one time paying $200 he started asking for more, $50 here and there to help out, then $100 to buy new tires for the car (which I don’t use), another $100 cause the extra $100 wasnt enough, then an extra $100 a paycheck (total $300 a check, so $600 a month), while taking money from my account to feed his activities.

Well my hours got cut and I was only supposed to get $400-$500 a check, well he started asking for all of it so he could buy Christmas presents for everyone.

To which I told him no cause I still have to care for me, my brother, and my cat and their animals.

She doesn’t want to pay more than $200.

He got really mad and told me that I am ungrateful and that I need to learn to do what he says.

Which it’s not like I’ve been using a lot of utilities I haven’t slept there in well over a month, and continued to pay rent and buy food for the whole house.

So WIBTA if I just went back to paying the $200 we originally agreed on so I can still take care of everything I already have been?

She’s only 17. I don’t think she should feel like she has to pay anything. Rent at 18 or after high school graduation, maybe. But giving her entire paycheck to her dad is insane!

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

Exactly!

She might want to move back in with her mom.

Here’s a suggestion to get the education she needs to get a better job.

This person has a lot of questions.

Parents shouldn’t charge kids rent.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.