No matter which relation it is, the topic of money is quite sensitive. Especially within families, money can either break or make ties, so it’s always better to set financial boundaries in order to protect what rightfully belongs to you or the person you intend it for.
Just look at the original poster (OP), who has saved an education fund for her daughter along with her ex. The trouble is, her husband is demanding half of it for his son as he doesn’t have any savings, but drama erupted when she refused!
More info: Reddit
It's important to set up financial boundaries in any relationship, or things could take a bad turn
Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The poster set up an education fund for her 15-year-old daughter, along with her ex-husband, and they still put money in it
Image credits: anonymous
Image credits: user4455122 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Her current husband and his ex-wife didn't save anything, so their 18-year-old son has to take out loans for college
Image credits: anonymous
Image credits: Timur Weber / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Her husband demanded that she give half of her daughter's fund to her stepson and threw a fit when she refused
Image credits: anonymous
He kept pestering her about it and got angry as she kept refusing, as it's only for her daughter and nobody else is entitled to it
In today’s story, we will dive into a family drama that centered around the education fund OP set up for her 15-year-old daughter. She and her ex-husband have been putting money into it for a long time and have $73,000 saved for her college. On the contrary, her current husband has an 18-year-old son who has to take out loans for college as his parents did not save anything for him.
Now, folks, this is where the problem starts, as one day, her husband mentioned that she should give half of that education fund to his son as he needs it now, while the woman's daughter still has a few years. Of course, our poster refused and clarified that she had been saving the money longer than they had even been together, and her daughter is aware that the money is for her and nobody else is entitled to it.
Well, the man laughed it off as a joke but later broached the topic again and acted more demanding this time, stressing that his son has debt. He even claimed that the poster had an obligation to help him, but when she pointed out that she never signed up for it, he said that she didn’t love him.
In a huff, he drove off, but when he did return, he apologized to his wife. She probably thought that was the end of it, but unfortunately, he again brought up the topic. This time as well, the poster refused, and again, he got angry with her. The poster might have been tired of it all, so she vented online and sought advice from netizens.
Image credits: jcomp / Freepik (not the actual photo)
It has been observed that 30% of all U.S. adults have taken out a student loan at some point in their lives, and 40% of adults who pursued postsecondary education have been in student loan debt. Managing studies and paying off loans is not an easy feat, so it’s no wonder that OP and her ex planned ahead and saved for their daughter’s college education.
Folks online pointed out that it was very unfair of her husband to bombard her with this demand. They said that he should have been more responsible and saved up in advance rather than fight with his wife because of his lack of planning. Many even applauded the poster for standing her ground and refusing to share the money with him, while some even said that she should have drawn financial boundaries sooner.
Research suggests, “Financial boundaries should be viewed as a positive step towards protecting your financial and mental health, as well as your relationships with those closest to you. Without implementing financial boundaries and learning to say no gracefully, you might find yourself being stretched too thin both emotionally and financially.”
It looks like saying no to her husband was a healthy step that the poster took for herself. Many people couldn’t hold back from calling out her husband, who had the audacity to be angry with her. They said that he was just trying to intimidate the poster with his anger, and they expressed that his son is not her responsibility.
What did you make of the story? Would you have done the same thing if you were in the poster’s shoes? Let us know in the comments below!
Folks felt that the husband was trying to manipulate her with his anger, and they applauded her for standing her ground
