32-year-old roommate asks 34-year-old woman to cover her rent for her because she's financially struggling, brings home a $2000+ MacBook weeks later: 'I informed her that if she can afford luxury products, she should repay me the rent I paid immediately'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
May 31, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

If we're being cynical here, which—let's be honest, we are—it's worth pointing out  that roommates are a relationship of convenience, convenience of a primarily financial nature. 

Unless it's your partner or someone you really want to live with for some reason, there's really no other reason to be living with people, even if (and sometimes especially if) that person is a close friend.

By the time your roommate situation becomes a charity one, you're probably wondering what the heck the point of it is anyway. Things happen, people lose their jobs, and you might end up in a situation where you're covering more or less of the expenses for someone close to you, but everything should be discussed and above board.

This, of course, isn't accounting for situations where you're intentionally trying to help out a friend or family member by putting them up and giving them a place to stay, but that's not really a roommate situation at all and would be organized from the outset with that intention in mind. Even still in this case and any others, when you're helping someone out financially, you're going to be upset when you see them unpacking expensive new fancy things while you've been going out of your way to help them financially, and your own money has been covering their expenses for them. 

Everyone has a different understanding of what "broke" means, and I'm sure a lot of us can share the experience of having bought drinks or meals for our friends who are happy to let you do so and claim to have "No spending money" only to learn that they have a sizeable savings account (or even a trust fund) that they've been less than honest about. 

And, in this specific scenario, it's not even like these roommates are young frys anymore, they're big fish who are already out there in the world and need to be more responsible than this.

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  • 01

    "AITA for demanding my unemployed roommate pay me back after seeing her buy a MacBook?"

    So my (34F) roommate (32F) and I have been living together for 2 years now. We split rent 50/50 even though my room is slightly larger, but I cook more so it evens out. She lost her job last month and asked if I could pay her share of the rent until she gets a new job. I said yes since we are a friend and times are hard.
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  • 02
    D
    via Mushaboom Studio

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 03
    Fast forward to yesterday. I come home from work and see her unpacking a brand new MacBook ($2000+) and some clothes. I asked her where she got the money to buy this when she doesn't have a job and she became defensive and told me her parents sent her money for her birthday. I informed her that if she can afford luxury products, she should repay me the rent I paid immediately. She claimed the money from her parents is a gift exclusively for those products and that I volunteered without any condi
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  • 04
    I reminded her I am not rich either and I missed a weekend getaway with my friends in order to pay her rent. She began crying and told me that I am being materialistic and do not understand her problem. I discovered this morning I received half the rent money in an envelope with a message stating she'd pay the other half when she can but won't speak to me much anymore. I don't feel I'm being unfair in demanding my money when she's spending money on non- necessities, but perhaps I should have bee
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  • 05
    OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the a hole: So my (34F) roommate (32F) and I have been living together for 2 years now. We split rent 50/50 even though my room is slightly larger, but I cook more so it evens out.
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  • 06
    Last month she lost her job and asked if I could cover her portion of the rent until she finds something new. I agreed because we're friends and times are tough. Fast forward to yesterday. I get home from work and find her unpacking a brand new MacBook ($2000+) and some designer clothes. When I asked how she could afford this while unemployed, she got defensive and said her parents sent her some money for her birthday.
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  • 07
    Here's where I might be TA. I told her that if she has money for luxury items, she needs to pay me back for the rent I covered ASAP. She argued that the money from her parents was a gift specifically for those items and that I agreed to help without conditions. I reminded her that I'm not made of money either and that I skipped a weekend trip with friends to cover her rent. She started crying and said I was being materialistic and didn't understand her situation.
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  • 08
    This morning I found an envelope with half the rent money and a note saying she'll pay the rest when she can, but she's barely speaking to me now. I don't think I'm wrong for asking for my money back when she's clearly spending on non-essentials, but maybe I should've been more understanding?
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  • 09
    Cheezburger Image 10512077312
    via Mushaboom Studio For Unsplash+

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 10
    Big_Bookkeeper1678 She started crying and said you don't understand her problems? No, I don't understand using your birthday money to buy a $2K while letting your roommate sacrifice her weekend to pay YOUR rent either. Pay up. NTA.
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  • 11
    SQ_Madriel Do you believe that her parents gifted her money for these items? If so, they can afford the items that they want their daughter to have and may feel will help her to get a new job more quickly. So I guess I'm asking an INFO: Do you believe her about the money?
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  • 12
    SavingsRhubarb8746 She's buying luxuries instead of paying rent?? Even if her story is true, she should have said to her parents "Thank you so much for offering to buy me some clothes and a MacBook, but honestly, what I really need now that I lost my job is to cover my rent until I find a new one. Would you mind if I took the cash and put it towards rent (or even, took the portion of the cash that went on clothing)?"
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  • 13
    NTA. She should be paying her debts, including the one to you, before she buys luxuries. I might make an exception for a computer, which is an essential for many people, but I suspect that whatever her computing needs, there are cheaper options than a MacBook.
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  • 14
    Momjamoms NTA. She's leaching off you. Also, I find it hard to believe that her parents sent her thousands of dollars for her birthday to buy a MacBook and clothes while she was unemployed and struggling to pay rent. It's far more likely that they sent that money to help her pay her bills.
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  • 15
    DeliPolat INFO: Let's start with this - When was her birthday?
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  • 16
    Appropriate-Baby-431 her parents will buy/gift her money for a macbook but not rent ???? ΝΤΑ
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  • 17
    Ornery-Wasabi-473 NTA. You didn't volunteer to cover her rent she asked you to cover it. If - her parents can afford to gift her a $2000 macbook, plus clothes, they can afford to cover her rent, too. Most likely they had no idea that her roommate was covering her rent.
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