His Parents Pressured Him to Help Pay Their Mortgage — So He Hid His Real Income to Avoid Paying More
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Financial independence can feel less like freedom when family members already view every paycheck as communal property.
For one young 3D artist, revealing his growing income could mean funding parents who prioritize luxury vacations over easing their children’s burdens.
Rather than disclose his success, he has quietly saved tens of thousands while contributing as little as possible at home.
See how long he plans to keep the balance hidden.
I (20M) have been hiding tens of thousands from my parents for years
At the start of high school, I was pretty broke as many high school kids are.
To gain more freedom I worked hard to start my career as a 3D artist, and I was making a couple hundred every few weeks at best during most of high school.
Even with how little I made compared to how hard I worked; my mom and stepdad would pressure me to chip in for the groceries and mortgage payments.
His parents have plenty of money.
Keep in mind, we aren’t poor or anything, we were middle class, and they just wanted more financial freedom for themselves so they can consistently go on luxury vacations.
I also have a few siblings (now in the higher years of high school) who they also do the bare minimum for, not bad enough to where it’s child neglect but definitely not great parenting considering none of us could focus on our studies while having to work.
He doesn’t want to give his parents his money.
The creative industry is difficult and unforgiving, and I put blood sweat and tears into my work to get where I am at this age.
I’m not going to let them pressure me into making any big contributions to their finances so that they can keep going on excessive vacationing sprees.
His parents don’t know how much money he makes.
Only me and my girlfriend know how much I really make.
I have been saving tens of thousands of dollars without anyone else around me knowing.
One day they’ll find out how much I have, but for now I will bide my time and take advantage of as little financial burden as possible.
Once they do, I’ll simply move out and be done with them.
Good for him for having a great career at a young age. With that kind of money saved up already, he could afford to move out now.
Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.
This is good advice.
This is really good advice.
This is also very good advice.
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This might be the best advice.
I agree. He should move out.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a woman who refuses to change her 4th of July traditions for her in-laws, sparking a family feud.
A parent weighs in.
OP concealed his rising income because he believes his parents would pressure him to subsidize their vacations and household expenses.
He plans to protect the savings until moving out, though paying a fair share as an adult would make his position easier to defend.
That secret account carries enough emotional baggage to qualify for checked luggage on one of those luxury vacations.
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