Money is a complex subject—some people save it, others spend it wisely, and then there are those who end up wasting it. In this article, we’ve compiled a series of short stories about people who lost their money in unexpected and astonishing ways. From outrageous purchases to falling for wild schemes, these experiences offer valuable lessons that could guide you in your next financial decision.
We've all experienced those moments where money seems to slip through our fingers without explanation. Often, it's due to hidden costs or subtle habits we pick up without realizing their impact. Over time, we may come to accept these small drains on our finances as normal, but behind these everyday frustrations are clever strategies quietly draining our wallets that we should spot and be aware of.
Some people think that money can spoil a person, but we are sure that it is nothing like that. They simply show their true colors. Someone will create a better life for their family with a generous hand, and others will quarrel with their relatives over every penny of inheritance.
Money: can’t live without it, but it sure stirs up trouble. Some say it brings out the worst in people, others think it’s all about how you use it. These stories won’t give you a straight answer, but they’ll get you thinking about how money shapes our lives—for better or worse.
Hundreds of books have been written about the problems connected with money. It’s believed to spoil people. Here are a few stories that don’t necessarily confirm this belief, but will certainly make you think about these things.
Family arguments can escalate when it comes to money. In this story, our reader is frustrated because her daughter, a single mom, keeps asking for help with baby supplies while spending on herself. Feeling fed up, she tells her daughter to stop spending on luxuries and prioritize her baby.
Treating your stepchildren like your own can be tricky. Astrid thought she was doing the right thing by not giving her stepdaughter money, even though her son gets a weekly allowance. She hopes to teach her stepdaughter a valuable lesson about responsibility but is now questioning if she made the right decision. To find reassurance, Astrid decided to contact Bright Side for advice.
Family conflicts about money can become especially intense and emotional. May is adamant that her son should focus on paying for his sister’s medical treatments instead of his in-laws’ rent. After voicing her concerns, the situation took an unexpected and painful turn. May reached out to share her difficult experience with us.
Concerned about their children's futures, parents often look for universal parenting techniques to secure their kids' success and happiness. However, as times change, old success principles may no longer apply. Ironically, actions meant to help can sometimes create new challenges for their children's future.
A woman, 65, has penned an emotional letter to our editorial and shared her story that made a huge stir among us. She shared how she raised her grandkids as her own kids after their parents died in a bad accident. The woman went through a lot and gave these children the best of lives, only to discover later that her granddaughter want to get rid of her because she had no money left. But the loving grandma didn't want to swallow this bitter pill and decided to teach her a lesson that they'll probably remember for the rest of their lives.
When we get married, we expect our spouse to stand by us through both poverty and prosperity. However, reality often deviates from our expectations, and a partner's true nature can reveal itself during times of significant adversity. This is what happened to our heroine today, a woman who discovered that her husband intended to exploit her wealth to become a millionaire at her expense. However, events took a different turn, and he ended up empty-handed.
We often think we know our spouse inside out until one revelation shatters our entire reality. Jim experienced this when he stumbled upon a secret bank account belonging to his wife. A confrontation led to a heated argument and things quickly escalated. Seeking advice, Martin shared his story with us.
Fiona finds herself in the midst of an incredibly challenging moment in her life. Her mother’s health is declining, and despite having the financial means to assist, her husband has opted to donate the funds to a charitable cause as a tribute to his late son. This decision has left Fiona deeply saddened, and she has reached out to seek guidance during this trying time.
Money can be both a good support for the family and an apple of discord between the spouses. Our today’s protagonist is a woman, 33. She has shared a story with us how a big sum of money that she owns has become a reason why she wants to divorce her husband now. The woman is desperate, because she instantly revealed what kind of person her beloved husband is, and this revelation is far from pleasant for her.
Many people want to propose in a memorable and unique manner that their partner will cherish forever. However, sometimes the preparation for this significant moment can become excessive. A reader had to reassess her relationship after leaning what her fiancé did.
In China, there’s a sweet older lady named Liu who recently made a decision about her 20 million yuan (US$2.8 million) fortune. Instead of leaving it to her grown-up kids, she’s leaving it all to her beloved cats and dogs. Read on to discover how people are responding to this unexpected twist in her will.
There’s a type of relationship fail that’s called “financial infidelity”. It’s when the spouses actually don’t cheat on each other and may be the embodiment of faithfulness. But one of the spouses, or both, lie to each other about money, such as hiding debts, or having separate accounts and not telling about this to a partner. Such thing happened to our today’s hero, a man, who’s happily married to the love of his life and is busy with making plans for their bright future. But his wife is acting like she’s preparing for the worst, and is even saving money for this case.
Recently, a video has gone viral on social media. It features a man arguing with his wife for spending all their money on cosmetic surgery.The video has captured everyone’s attention due to the intensity of the emotions that emerge from the discussion between the couple, thus generating a wide debate on social networks.
About 20% of new moms noticed things got trickier with their mother-in-law after having a baby. Balancing parenthood is tough, and some must return to work quickly. A Bright Side reader was stressed when her mother-in-law asked for money to babysit her grandchild.
Losing someone we love leaves a huge hole in our lives, and it stirs up a mix of emotions. Now, add money into this equation — and you’ve got a potential disaster waiting to happen. A Bright Side reader recently lost her parents and when inheritance came into discussion, her relationship with her siblings took a turn for the worst. She asked for our advice, and we tried to find some tips that we hope will bring back her relationship with her brother and sister.
Oh boy. You find yourself in the mysterious ruins of an ancient city. You’re the only member of the expedition who has managed to make it here. You’re walking through a dark maze when you accidentally activate a trap! Whoa, that’s a strange sound.Suddenly, a huge rock starts rolling towards you down the hallway! You run as fast as you can, jumping over debris. A final dash, and... Phew! This room looks like a treasury! Gold coins and gems are scattered everywhere.You go wide-eyed with astonishment. That’s enough money to live a life of luxury for decades on end! But it’s not the shiny gold that interests you. It’s an old lamp that lies in the rubble. As soon as you pick it up, the lamp starts shaking, and a huge genie jumps out of it!
For the past couple of years, Nick Cannon has been a constant presence in headlines everywhere for the outstanding number of children he has welcomed in a short amount of time. In fact, he became the father of 5 children in 2022 alone, all with different mothers. Now, in a recent interview, he talked about how he shares his wealth with his kids, stating he doesn’t abide by the government’s child support system.
A fiancé calling off the wedding is a nightmare for any bride. The idea of a happy marriage you’ve been painting in your head is falling apart. And when, in addition to all of this, your ex-fiancé doesn’t pay a penny for the wedding, making you and your family pay a fortune for nothing, it surely adds to the stress. What should you do now? Do you forget about him and let it go or try to get your money back?
We often buy certain products or use services just out of habit, without even thinking about how much money we spend on them. But expenses that seem insignificant at first glance, may turn into a decent sum over time. All these “parasitic” items only imitate the pleasure we get from shopping and gradually make a hole in our wallets. As a result, we end up with no money in the bank and a lack of funds to purchase things that are really necessary.
“If you want to be a friend, never borrow, never lend.” More and more people agreeably nod their heads when they hear this phrase. And it’s not all that surprising since the number of stories about lenders’ uneasy destinies grows more and more, like a snowball.
You don’t have to have a lot of money to waste it on something useless. Sometimes, we might even save or borrow money just to buy something we think we really need, right until the moment we actually get it.
Parents tend to care about their children’s future, and these worries often push them to look for the most universal upbringing methods that will help their offspring build a successful career and live happily ever after. But the world is changing, and the old rules of success have ceased to be effective.
Money can come and go easily for some people, and they don’t really think about it. For others, it can be a big issue, whether they’re worried about spending too much or not having enough of it saved for an emergency. In any case, how you see and manage money doesn’t just reflect your financial situation. It might also reveal something about your personality. For example, what fears you have.
Money helps us to live the life of our dreams, as long as we’re earning plenty and not splurging too much. While most of us are busy balancing our personal expenses with one yearly trip to make sure we have a bed to sleep in and food to eat every day, many others are pretty sorted with their paychecks and credit card bills! They work as much as we do and yet their saving game has upped the ante.
Handling money as a couple can sometimes bring up challenges you didn’t see coming. A reader recently reached out to share her concerns after discovering her fiancé’s desire to merge their finances into a joint account. She, however, strongly values her financial independence and isn’t on board with the idea.
Some people love winter, some hate it, but there’s definitely something about it. Snow, big cozy jumpers, lots of cocoa. And then there’s that festive feeling that something good is about to happen. Here are stories that prove that even the harshest winter can be a joyous time.
In many fairytales, sagas, and even real-life stories, stepmothers are often portrayed as villains—cruel and unkind. However, some people break these stereotypes, showing love, care, and kindness toward their stepchildren. The heroine of today’s story is a young woman with both a biological mother and a stepmother. To her surprise, her stepmother turned out to be an incredible person, earning the young woman’s love and admiration.But when a large sum of money came into play, her father and biological mother revealed their true colors. The woman shared her dramatic story on Reddit, and we believe it cannot leave anyone indifferent.
Of course, it’s not nice to ask about other people’s income and spending. But sometimes the way other people handle their finances can serve as a lesson, good or bad. Today’s stories will tell you about money and how it affects our relationships with others.
Imagine a world where a single act of kindness can rewrite someone’s destiny. From unexpected acts of heroism to quiet acts of support, these stories will remind you that love, these stories will leave you feeling inspired and remind you that even the smallest act of kindness can have a ripple effect that changes lives forever.
Sometimes people keep being friends for years or even decades, and then something happens, and they stop communicating for good. Internet users told us about their friends, whose actions made them think whether they had been friends at all.
If plumbers, electricians and builders could leave customer reviews, they’d obviously have a lot to write about. We found a whole bunch of stories on the Internet about what happened to handymen on call. Some of these stories made us laugh, while the heroes of other stories genuinely deserve compassion.
