October 14, 2026 at 5:35 am

Man Is Tired of Funding Gifts for His Partner’s Dad While Her Sister Takes Credit Without Contributing

by Michael Levanduski

Couple fighting over money

Shutterstock

Buying things for your parents can be a really nice thing to do, but you shouldn’t be responsible for purchasing every major thing that they require.

What would you do if your partner always used your money to buy things for her father that he didn’t plan for, such as stoves, laptops, phones, and even a mattress? Then, to make it worse, what if her sister would always promise to pay for half, but she never actually did?

That is the situation that the guy in this story is in, and he is tired of it since they don’t have a lot of money for themselves. Now he is putting his foot down and telling her no, but it is going to cause a big fight.

In my opinion, he should have done this long ago. It isn’t their responsibility to pay for these types of things all the time. Check out the full situation below and see what you think.

AIO for my partner asking me for money

Right so for context, the money isn’t for her, its for her to buy her dad a new mattress, but we’ll get to that.

Why do they need to handle the cost of planned purchases for her parents?

I’m very angry, as when it comes to her parents genuinely needing things, like a new cooker, new laptop or phone etc, its always, always down to my missus, who with me has 4 kids to look after.

For the last 10 years nearly, her sister and brother-in-law have both been in full time work, until her sister had a baby soon after our 4th.

Whether they have the money or not is almost irrelevant.

I have been in full time work since I left the army, but even so, right now with xmas, our money be incredibly tight.

So, everytime one of these purchases comes up, her sister says I’ll give you half back to the missus, never does but her name goes on the label, she gets the credit.

Why can’t her dad pay for his own mattress?

Now I stopped the missus spending X amount on a new cooker for her dad because I said I wanted to see her sisters half in her account first, otherwise no.

Now her dad does genuinely need a new mattress, but I’ve argued back and said no, why can’t your sister do it for once in her life, we have 4 kids to look after and a house to run on limited funds, but your sister who has just returned to work and her fiance who hasn’t stopped working only have 1 child.

This couple really needs to focus on their own needs.

I then added on that I’ve got to call out an engineer to fix our washing machine, buy new headlights, cambelt and brakes for her car, and find time to do 4 exams for work.

But she said I was being selfish and I’m in the wrong. At thise point (I”ve had severe depression since I was 11) I’m tipping because I feel like trash.

Am I Overreacting?

Helping family is one thing, but having them rely on you for every purchase that should be planned is just insane. Neither they nor the sister should be doing all of this. It should be left to the dad himself.

Read on to see what the people in the comments have to say about it.

He really is not overreacting at all.

Comment 5 67 Man Is Tired of Funding Gifts for His Partner’s Dad While Her Sister Takes Credit Without Contributing

This commenter thinks he should talk to his father-in-law directly.

Comment 4 71 Man Is Tired of Funding Gifts for His Partner’s Dad While Her Sister Takes Credit Without Contributing

Maybe he should talk to the sister directly.

Comment 3 74 Man Is Tired of Funding Gifts for His Partner’s Dad While Her Sister Takes Credit Without Contributing

It is time for a financial wake-up call.

Comment 2 77 Man Is Tired of Funding Gifts for His Partner’s Dad While Her Sister Takes Credit Without Contributing

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about siblings who don’t think they should have to give up their own sports’ seasons to help with their younger siblings.

There is a pattern of issues that needs to be addressed.

Comment 1 76 Man Is Tired of Funding Gifts for His Partner’s Dad While Her Sister Takes Credit Without Contributing

They need to set some boundaries with her father and her sister. It isn’t fair that they are the ones paying for everything.

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Senior Contributing Editor, Workplace & Community

Michael Levanduski is a veteran journalist and digital culture specialist with over 15 years of professional writing and research experience. While his background spans emerging technology and complex technical subjects, Michael specializes in analyzing workplace ethics, property disputes, and viral interpersonal dynamics across modern digital forums.

Since joining TwistedSifter in 2024, Michael has authored some of the publication’s most widely read coverage on corporate policy, malicious compliance, and neighborhood relations. Rather than simply aggregating online debates, he brings rigorous research, organizational context, and an empathetic editorial voice to everyday human dilemmas—transforming raw forum discussions into insightful, highly engaging narratives.

When he isn’t covering internet culture, Michael enjoys traveling, keeping up with tech trends, and spending time with his family. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn and Facebook.