Couple fakes medical emergencies to get money from daughter and son-in-law to fund luxury lifestyle, Facebook posts detailing trips and fancy dinners reveal where the funds really go: "It was always right after we helped them"

Author image for Ely Bulnes
Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Feb 18, 2025 6:00 PM EST

It is endlessly fascinating to me how much people betray themselves by posting to social media. I once found out I was being cheated on by a high school boyfriend by means of an Instagram post. He and I didn't have the same lunch period, and I had planned to skip a bit of my World History class to be able to eat with him. However, he said he was "sick," and I ended up sat in class learning about Genghis Khan or the Code of Hammurabi. However, it came to my attention that a girl that gave high school-me "bad vibes" was missing from the class. I checked her Instagram, and lo and behold, she posted a picture of herself and my boyfriend skipping school lunch to hang out at Taco Bell. 

In our story today, a couple exposes their own manipulations by posting to Facebook. After years of getting handouts from their daughter for medical bills and other emergencies, their son-in-law begins to notice a pattern: every time they ask for money, they post about fancy dinners, luxury items, and vacations. To get the full story, scroll down below. 

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  • 01

    AITAH refusing help my -laws financially after realizing they're taking advantage and my wife?

    "They straight-up lied to us so they could go on a fancy vacation."
    via Money Business Images

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    So, I (32F) have kinda reached my breaking point with my in-laws and now apparently I'm the bad guy for it. My wife (34F) and I have been helping her parents out financially for years. We've covered
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 03
    medical bills, helped with their mortgage, and whenever there was some "emergency" they couldn't handle, we stepped in. We never really thought twice about it because, well, they're family, and my wife felt like it was our responsibility.
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 04
    But then I started noticing a pattern. Every time we gave them money, suddenly they had cash to go out. to fancy restaurants, buy expensive designer
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 05
    clothes, or splurge on stuff they absolutely did not need. At first, I tried to brush it off maybe they just needed a little joy in their lives or whatever. But it kept happening. And the thing is, it was always right after we helped them.
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 06
    Cheezburger Image 10469669888
    via RgStudio

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 07
    The final straw was last month. My MIL called my wife crying about overdue medical bills and how they were struggling. We sent them a good chunk of money because, obviously, that's important. A few
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 08
    days later, I see MIL posting on Facebook about how they're having a "much needed getaway" at some luxury resort. I showed my wife and she immediately started making excuses for them maybe it was a
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 09
    gift, maybe they used a different credit card, maybe we were overthinking it. But the more I looked into it, the clearer it became. There were no overdue medical bills. They straight-up lied to us so they could go on a fancy vacation.
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 10
    That was it for me. I told my wife we're done funding their lifestyle. If they can afford designer clothes, they can afford their own house. My wife was
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 11
    hesitant at first she's always felt responsible for them but even she had to admit this was messed up. So we told them we weren't giving them any more money. And all h I broke loose.
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 12
    Cheezburger Image 10469669632
    via Martin Prescott

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 13
    MIL called us ungrateful and sobbed about how we're abandoning them. FIL said I was manipulating my wife. And then they dragged other relatives into it, who are now guilt-tripping us, saying things like, "But they're family" and "You have the money, why wouldn't you help?"
    via u/Aria_Simone_

  • “Wouldn't you help?” With what? Funding their luxury lifestyle? Making sure they have the latest designer clothes and have tried every fancy restaurant in the city?

  • 14
    Now my wife is second-guessing everything, and I feel like the villain. But I can't keep lighting money on fire for people who refuse to act like responsible adults. AITAH?
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 15
    Animals_are_Angels87 Make a time-line of all the money you have given them. Include dates. Next put what they did with the money. Put everything on it. Print it out and hang it on your refrigerator for your wife to see.
    via u/Animals_are_Angels87
  • 16
    When relatives that feel its appropriate to discuss finances with you because your inlaws shared private information with them send them the document.
    via u/Animals_are_Angels87

  • I'm not sure that posting on Facebook like that would solve any of their problems. It will just cause more strife in the family. Best to just cut the parents off financially and leave it at that until it blows over. No need to justify it.

  • 17
    SavingsSensitive3796 And post the timeline on FB for all the family to see
    via u/SavingsSensitive3796
  • 18
    Traveling-Techie Normally I'd think this was tacky but they were the ones to expand the issue into a wider forum.
    via u/Traveling-Techie
  • 19
    ΝΤΑ ExcitementGlad2995 You don't have control over how your in-laws spent the money you gift them but you do have control over whether you give them more. They are abusing your kindness. The other relatives joining in can put their money where their mouth is and give to your in-laws to support them. Let's see how many do.
    via u/ExcitementGlad2995
  • 20
    Aria_Simone_ OP They won't see any more money from us except it is really for some emergency or medical bills and even then they won't get the money I will pay the bills directly
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 21
    justwalkawayrenee Be careful, they will have you use your money to pay the bill directly and then use their own money to do or buy whatever they want. I had to play the game before with my brother.
    via u/justwalkawayrenee
  • 22
    lamLuann I was thinking the same thing. People who complain about someone not giving other relatives anymore money NEED to step up and give the relatives their money.
    via u/lamLuann
  • 23
    Petitebourgeoisie1 NTA your wife is the problem quite frankly. She is an enabler. She seems like she is okay with being taken advantage of, but not that you stand up for yourself and setting boundaries. I see this more as a marriage issue.
    via u/Petitebourgeoisie1
  • 24
    Aria_Simone_ OP This is definitely a marriage issue as well which we need to get sorted asap!
    via u/Aria_Simone_
  • 25
    Commercial_Cut_9105 Please seek marriage counseling, your wife may end up seeking money behind your back to give to them to avoid the judgement from other family they're now giving. I'd also tell everyone that's judging to
    via u/Commercial_Cut_9105
  • 26
    either step up and help her parents or be cut off from your wife and yourself if they keep coming at you without helping the in laws. I'd only pay medical bills and pay them directly, that'd be the only time I'd allow help.
    via u/Commercial_Cut_9105
  • 27
    KatnissGolden THIS IS IMPORTANT OP! Your wife could be guilted into giving them money without your knowledge or consent - you have to get her on board and open her eyes to seeing the ab e
    via u/KatnissGolden
  • 28
    justwalkawayrenee They called YOU ungrateful? I'd have to ask them to elaborate. "Please tell me again how I should be grateful about funding your extravagant lifestyle."
    via u/justwalkawayrenee

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