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Cheap houses can be tempting, but lifestyle matters just as much to some. So when a young woman‘s parents find a bargain nearby, she still says no. They take it personally.

See why the “great deal” starts an argument.

AITA for not buying a cheap house?

I (28F) live with my fiancé (31M) in a rented apartment in the city center. It’s 75 square meters, modern, in a good location, and 15 minutes by bike to work – perfect for us.

My parents can’t understand this. For them, paying rent is ”money down the drain.” According to them, you have to own a house, otherwise you’re not a real adult, and of course, we need a house for the kids.

Because apparently, kids cannot survive in a rental appartement. We do not even have kids, but we would like to in the future. We are not trying currently though.

Oh brother.

Now the part where I might be the AH: We had a huge argument over dinner at the weekend.

My father had found a nice house on the countryside, not far from their place. A friend of his wanted to sell it and he would give it to us at a very reduced price (it was truly cheap, but I didn’t see the condition of the house), because he is lifelong friends with my father and “young people should move back to the countryside to keep it alive.”

But we don’t want a house right now, we want to stay flexible and independent.

Fair.

We also do not want to move to the countryside, cause everything is literally DEAD there. There is nothing after 7 PM, no supermarkets are open, no buses run. I love going out for dinner or to the movies or maybe just to a nice café that is open late or a bar.

But my mother just says, “When you have children, you’ll want a house and a garden anyway. Kids don’t thrive in a concrete jungle! You’re acting completly egoistic. Your father tried so hard to get that offer so low!”

The complete disregard of my and my fiancés perspective on life made me burst. I got loud, I cried and I left.

Wow.

My parents now act as if I am lazy or irresponsible just because we do not want to buy a random house in a village at the end of the world.

However, we are saving money, have reserves, and could theoretically buy in a few years if prices change.

We could buy a house we would really want then.

Sounds responsible to me.

I really feel bad for shouting at my parents and for running away, but I really had to get out.

I haven’t spoken to them since, but they keep messaging me (despite my fiancé telling them, that we need time to discuss the matter).

AITA because I do not want to buy a cheap house?

Most Redditors agreed: being financially smart and valuing lifestyle flexibility doesn’t make you immature—it makes you realistic.

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This person says OP can enjoy life and not feel bad about it.

This person snarkily suggests THEY buy the house.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man who offered to buy his parents a house with his lottery winnings, only to find out they think they deserve half of all his winnings.

And this person makes some solid points.

She and her fiancé prefer renting in the city and staying flexible, even with a heavily discounted house available near her parents. Commenters overwhelmingly backed her, saying a cheap house is not a bargain if it forces you into a life and location you do not want.

Turns out “great deal” gets less exciting when it comes with someone else’s five-year plan.

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Author

Chris Allen