Hi there everyone. I’m currently in a conundrum and concerned about my long term future. I grew up in an Asian family that values “interdependency” and thus we often help each other out, even financially. However, I found that the cause of my slowly-increasing savings is not because I spend a lot of money, but because I lived in a household where my family overspends (treat your self mentality/“you worked hard for your money so why not enjoy it?” mentality), and at times if I don’t shout them or give them money besides my rent, I am seen as greedy and big-headed (since I am a full time professional working in construction). Ever since I moved out, I feel so much more in control of my money and my spending. Even times when I feel like splurging and eating takeaway, I feel like I’m still saving so much more. People say living with your family means saving more money, but heck the rent I was paying them is more expensive than where I am now, and they also expect me to chip in more at home.
My parents are educated and also work full time, have a house in inner city suburb, and you’d think they’d be good financially... I never understand why they always ask me for money. When I wanted a casual job at a fast food chain 7 years ago, they were so against it and saw it as not a respectable job for a future engineer, but ever since I started earning that minimum wage, they asked me to chip in at home.
I don’t want this to be ongoing. Yes when they’re older I will take care of them and spend money on them, but they’re still 20 years away from retirement age. Even as I’m out of home 150 kms away they still ask me to chip in. I’m even paying for pet insurance for a puppy they got a week before I moved out. Am I the bad guy for not actively contributing financially? What am I doing wrong? I just want to start saving money for stocks and investments while I’m young, and it sucks that my counterparts at work are getting closer to that, and I’m not even halfway to their current saving achievements. I am willing to give my family money but from my own decision and my own free will, and not because they ask me to and they want me to. When they ask me as well, the want the money on the same day. Won’t even let me budget for it.
Submitted August 15, 2018 at 02:45AM by sappororamen https://ift.tt/2KUzNhG
