19 Family Stories That Prove Discussing Money Is Like Walking on Thin Ice

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Money and family, when mixed, can end up in fights and hurt feelings. Even the strongest bonds can crack when finances come into play. Some feel blatantly shortchanged, others feel used, and some simply can’t find common ground because their views on money clash. In this article, you’ll find real stories about how money issues have damaged relationships between relatives, friends, and couples.

Important: all stories in this article are the personal experiences of the heroes and are published for entertainment purposes. They do not constitute legal or financial advice. Please consult a qualified professional to address your questions.

My mom inherited an apartment, a summer house, and some money from her mother. She transferred the apartment (a 3-bedroom in a big city’s nice neighborhood) to my older sister. She sold the summer house, kept the cash, and bought my sister a car.
And me? Nothing — not a single penny. Why? Because I don’t do what she wants.
I went to school for a major she didn’t approve of, dated a guy against her wishes, even dressed in ways she didn’t like. She thinks I got tattoos just to spite her, not because I like them. She’s always criticized me for everything, for every choice I make.
Meanwhile, my sister was obedient, did whatever she said. So, as my mom put it, I’m being punished with no money. I have to rent a place because I don’t have one on my own.
But at least I choose myself how to live. My sister married the guy mom chose for her, she’s unhappy in that marriage, and had 2 kids because it was “time,” and mom pushed her into grandkids. © Overheard / Ideer
My friend is a fool. He secretly bought an apartment without telling his wife and put it in his father’s name. Then his father passed away, leaving no will.
Suddenly, his son from a previous marriage shows up. Now they can’t figure out how to split that miserable studio in the middle of nowhere. My friend’s wife quickly made a move and filed for divorce, saying, “I don’t want to live with such an idiot.” © Overheard / Ideer
I bought 2 apartments by the sea. I stay in one myself and rent out the other short-term. I was excited and told my aunt, who then told the whole family. And the family decided to surprise me by showing up uninvited.
I said, “How great that you came! That’ll be 1 week’s rent.” Their screeching could be heard across the neighborhood!
Suddenly I was the greedy cousin and an ungrateful brat. They ended up booking an expensive hotel right across the street — and sent me photos to prove they were just fine without me. © Overheard / Ideer

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My husband and I got married when we were broke. Since then, he started making a lot more than me, but our finances have stayed completely separate.
Right now, I’m working 3 jobs and haven’t had a single day off all year. I pay my own way, buy food, and help out my parents. Meanwhile, he spends tons of money on expensive clothes, trips, gadgets, and stuff like that.
If I want to go out or travel with him, we each pay our own way. He said that when we have a kid, he’ll only chip in a little... © Overheard / Ideer
My aunt stole a large sum of money from me. When I turned 18, I was to get a check for 18 years of percap with interest.
6 months before my 18th, she quit her job and started working at a small 5 location credit union. She asked me to move my accounts there to help her meet quotas since she just started and would do joint accounts so I could get the benefits too.
10 months later, I thought she had a better job and was reaping the benefits when she started to remodel her house and spend her nights at the bar. I didn’t think anything of it because she was my aunt and had a decent job.
When I went to change banks because I was moving across the country, she told me she already withdrew the money and I couldn’t get it and since it was a joint account, there was nothing I could do about it. While not fine, the worst thing about it was that she claimed it was what my mother wanted and was in her will. © K****r_Tomato / Reddit

I’m 17. I recently found out my dad left me a large sum of money in a bank account. I didn’t believe it at first — the amount was huge.
Turns out, when he got sick, he decided to leave most of his money to me. He and my mom were no longer living together at that point. Naturally, my mom found out about the money, took her new husband, and went to a lawyer, demanding that I give part of it to my half-siblings.
She said, “It would be a generous thing to do — your father was selfish to leave it all to you.” I refused to share, and now she and her new husband are furious, calling me selfish too. © Beginning_Jaguar9693 / Reddit
My boyfriend gave me an expensive gift. I accepted it. I liked the thing, and I’d been wanting it for a while. Then we had a fight and stopped talking.
A month later, I get a call from the police — turns out the guy reported me for theft. So much for a sweet surprise. © Overheard / Ideer
It was our first New Year as a married couple. We were still living with my husband’s parents and barely making ends meet. I asked for a simple, practical gift — a set of bedsheets. Affordable and necessary.
When the moment came, my husband handed me a set I had given his mother as a wedding present. I still don’t know what upset me more — that he didn’t bother finding a gift himself and just ran to his mom, or that she told him not to waste money since she had extra sets in the closet, or maybe it was because I was pregnant. It’s been 10 years, and I still haven’t forgotten it. © Overheard / Ideer

My dad left when I was 12. Just vanished without a word — left me, my mom, and my grandma (his own mother). About 6 months later, we started talking again, and he introduced me to his new family. They were doing well.
Growing up, he never helped us financially. Meanwhile, he wore expensive watches, clothes, shoes, drove nice cars. For my wedding, he gave me a tiny sum.
Now, for the past 3 months, he’s been texting me his bank account number. I’ve been sending him money to cover the rent for an apartment he partially owns. Says he’s having financial problems. © Overheard / Ideer
My husband and I have been married for 31 years. We live on a farm. We’ve always helped out his parents, but for some reason, his sisters think we owe them something too.
I inherited a large sum from my parents, and now my husband wants me to use that money to buy a place for his sisters. I don’t understand why I should spend my inheritance — money earned by my parents — on his family.
I want to put it into our kids’ accounts. Lately, I’ve been seriously thinking about divorce. © Feeling-Savings-1462 / Reddit
My great-grandmother left her village house to my mom in her will. She had 5 sons, and each of them had several kids — but the house was left to just one granddaughter. Some of the relatives got upset. In the end, to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings, my grandparents told my mom not to sell it. She listened.
20 years passed, the house fell apart, and no one needs it anymore. Only one of great-grandma’s sons is still alive. The grandkids are scattered. And yet, if my mom had been allowed to sell it back then, she could’ve gotten a good price — there were people ready to buy it.
With that money, my parents could’ve bought an apartment. At the time, we were living in a dorm room that was 129 square feet. Now, all that’s left of that house are expenses. Nobody wants it anymore. Not even the land. © Landysh Khairutdinova / ADME

I’m a real estate lawyer. A few days ago, a friend of mine lost his father. He left behind a lot of property and several businesses where he was either the CEO or a founding partner.
He also had many children from different marriages — even some born out of wedlock, whom he supported but never officially acknowledged on their birth certificates. He had a wife too. And now all of them are calling me, asking for legal advice on how to cut the others out of the inheritance.
It feels disgusting. The funeral hasn’t even happened yet, and the family is already tearing each other apart over who gets what. © Graff2052 / Pikabu
I come from a very wealthy family, but I fell in love with an ordinary guy. We were great together. One of my dad’s friends gave him a high-paying job.
But soon, my boyfriend said, “It’s hard being with you — I can’t keep up with your lifestyle.” Turns out he was in love with someone else.
So, I called my dad’s friend, and the guy got fired immediately. Tomorrow, he’s moving out of his rented apartment and back in with his mom. I don’t even feel sorry for him. © Overheard / Ideer
I had a shameless friend. She loved eating out and having fun at my expense. It started back in childhood — she once lied that it was her birthday just to get a present from me. I was a naïve little girl, crying because I couldn’t congratulate my friend properly.
I waited for my mom to get home from work. Then we bought a gift together at the store — and on the way, we ran into her mom. That’s when the lie came out. © Overheard / Ideer

When I was very little, my mom passed away. Family friends deposited money into an account to help support me in the future. My aunt adopted me.
But later I found out she withdrew all the money from the account before I even finished elementary school. She left me with nothing. © greenizz / Reddit
My younger brother got married. The whole family chipped in — spent a good amount on the wedding, the party, the gifts...
And 3 months later — bam! They’re getting divorced. I went to him like, “So? Where are the gifts? What about all our money?”
And he hits me with, “That was money for life, not for marriage.” Mom told me not to be mad with him — “Young people have it tough.”

A classmate of mine (this was a while ago) married a “guy from a good family.” Basically, they were rolling in money. They lived together for over 20 years, generally fine, had 2 sons.
Recently, she became a widow and during the inheritance paperwork with the notary, she found out that her husband’s illegitimate daughter filed a claim on the estate. Naturally, everyone was shocked. She decided to meet the girl.
It turned out the daughter was the result of a one-night stand at a bachelor party, born exactly 9 months after their wedding — to the day. The husband kept this secret from the family all his life, but officially recognized the child and supported her generously all these years.
I always thought stuff like this only happened in soap operas. The widow is still confused and unsure how to handle the situation. The sons, meanwhile, want to meet their sister. © Caramel / VK
The longer I live, the more I’m convinced that relatives continue to be your family only until inheritance comes into play. After my mom died, my uncle started demanding we give him a plot of land that we inherited. It ended in a huge fight and cutting off all ties.
I thought I just got unlucky and was glad my husband’s family was normal. Yeah, right! His uncle is already dividing property, even though the grandma is still very much alive! Friends I know have relatives trying to sue them for land. I’m shocked! © Overheard / Ideer
I cracked my phone screen. My boyfriend said he’d handle it — a real man, right? So we went to buy a replacement together.
The seller named the price, and my boyfriend reluctantly reached into his pocket to get his wallet... then pulled his hand back! Awkward silence. I ended up paying myself.
Later, I broke up with him. I told him we were just different. © Overheard / Ideer