Generosity is a wonderful trait to have. Especially with the competitive, hustle culture mindset that many people have today, it’s rare to find kind souls who genuinely want to share what they have. But one woman made a point to give back to all of her loved ones in celebration of her own 70th birthday. The only problem was that her daughter then attempted to exploit her generosity.
Below, you’ll find a story that was recently shared on the Entitled People subreddit, detailing the demand that this selfish daughter made to her family members. And keep reading to find a conversation with the story’s author, as well as some of the strong opinions that netizens had on the situation!
In celebration of her birthday, one generous aunt decided to give all of her loved ones something special
Image credits:nrradmin (Not the actual photo)
But when her daughter found out about the checks, she decided that she was entitled to that money
Image credits:Tatiana Syrikova (Not the actual photo)
Image credits:RandoBoomer
“These types of things have happened so many times she just rolls her eyes”
To find out more about this situation, we reached out to Reddit user RandoBoomer, who posted the story online and was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. He shared that he was inspired to share the story because it just recently happened, but this isn’t the first time Kay has caused family drama. “This is one of dozens of ‘Kay moments’ as the family calls it,” he noted.
And because Kay is the OP’s wife’s cousin, he says that they’ve had limited interactions. But those that they have had were almost universally negative. “My wife said she ‘wasn’t this bad’ when they were kids,” he added.
But her mother is well aware of the fact that she was trying to take everyone’s money back. “These types of things have happened so many times she just rolls her eyes,” RandoBoomer says. “She is utterly defeated in hoping that Kay will not behave this way.”
“Kay wants the money sent back because she gets upset anytime Aunt Louise spends money because she thinks Aunt Louise is depleting Kay’s ultimate inheritance,” the OP explained. “The fact that the money was given to others in the family instead of her is just that much more galling.”
“She is loving, kind and generous”
We were also curious if RandoBoomer’s wife and children had decided how to spend their generous checks. “My wife and I are going to use the money on our next trip to California (where my wife is from), where we will be visiting my wife’s family (including Aunt Louise),” he shared.
“For my kids: One is going to use it to adopt a puppy. One is adding an extra couple days to a business trip to Boston so she can explore (she’s never been there),” he continued. “One is putting it towards a new sofa (he just graduated college and is furnishing a new apartment). One is buying a new XBox. My youngest hasn’t made up her mind yet.”
The OP also noted that he enjoyed reading the responses to his post, but he knows that ultimately, there’s not much he can do in this situation. “It was more venting about an insufferable jerk,” he shared.
Finally, the OP added that he has a lot of sympathy for Aunt Louise. “She is loving, kind and generous. Her daughter is the complete opposite and she feels so bad about it, like she did something wrong as a mother.”
Elder financial abuse is a serious issue that costs Americans billions each year
Our family members should be the people that we can trust the most in the world. But unfortunately, not everyone has their relatives’ best interest at heart. And when it comes to finances, some will always put their own greed first.
Sadly, there are individuals out there who simply see an inheritance when they look at their parents, and some who don’t even wait until Mom and Dad are gone to start taking advantage of their money. According to U.S. News, elder financial abuse is on the rise, and it’s often perpetrated by loved ones. One tenth of Americans over the age of 60 have experienced some form of abuse, and elder financial abuse causes $28.3 billion in losses every year.
People often take advantage of elderly individuals’ finances by forging their signatures, convincing them to sign checks or documents that they don’t fully understand, withdrawing money directly from their accounts or posing as legitimate companies to scam them out of funds. But luckily, there are ways that older individuals can protect themselves from this exploitation.
First, it’s important to plan for the future and have a power of attorney or a living will to avoid any confusion or miscommunctions later down the line. Also avoid giving out any personal information over the phone, and don’t allow anyone else to open up your mail. Use direct deposit for all checks, and know your rights. Never feel obligated to give someone money just because they say you should.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. What would you do if you were in these family members’ shoes? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda piece discussing family financial drama, look no further than right here.
Readers were quick to weigh in on the situation, and the author joined the conversation to share more details
Many also shared their concern for the aunt and her finances
