Woman mocks best friend for being “too responsible” with money, only to reveal she got denied for an apartment because she has no credit: ’It would’ve saved her a lot of stress'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Oct 23, 2025 5:00 PM EDT

Since no one at school really teaches us how to be financially responsible, we all learn it in our own way as we go through adult life. Some of us are lucky enough to have parents who ensure we have enough tools before we go out into the real world, but some young adults have to face that world knowing nothing about how they should behave with adult money.

Take the two friends in the story below as an example. One is cautious with how she spends her money, making sure to budget her monthly income and even refusing to eat out when she knows she can't afford it. The other friend is more "spontaneous" and goes through life without worrying too much about the money in her bank.

When the second friend started apartment hunting, her lack of knowledge about the way the financial world works finally caught up to her. Sunddely, she learned what a "credit score" is, and realized that the fact that she has none is preventing her from living her spontaneous life.

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  • After she mocked her friend for being too responsible with her money, the second friend is now no longer as cheerful…

  • 01
    Woman Comforting her Friend
    via Karola G

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

  • 02

    My friend mocked me for budgeting, then got denied for an apartment because of no credit

    One of my closest friends used to make fun of me for being "too responsible" with monev.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 03
    Every time I'd say no to eating out or mention sticking to my monthly budget, she'd laugh and say I was acting like someone's mom.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 04
    I never took it personally, she's always been the spontaneous type, and I figured we just thought about money differently.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 05
    A few months ago, she started apartment hunting. She found a place she loved, went through the application process, and then got denied because she didn't have any credit history.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 06
    She called me upset and confused, saying she always paid for everything with debit and didn't owe anyone money, so why did that count against her?
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 07
    I didn't have a great answer, I just told her I'd been trying to learn about that stuff too, because apparently, not having credit can make things harder even if you're responsible.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 08
    It's weird watching someone go from teasing you about being cautious to realizing why it matters.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 09
    I wasn't smug about it, just kind of sad that none of us were really taught how any of this works before adulthood hit.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 10
    Woman Talking to her Friend
    via Karola G

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

  • 11
    Edit: Thanks for all the comments and advice, a few people DMed me explaining how credit history actually builds over time and how you don't need a credit card to start.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 12
    Some mentioned tools like Fizz, which runs on debit but still reports to credit bureaus, so it's a safe way to build credit using your own money.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 13
    Others brought up Discover's secured card as a solid beginner option once you're ready for a credit line.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 14
    Honestly, I wish we both knew about this stuff earlier, it would've saved her a lot of stress.
    via Weary-Hair-316
  • 15
    rednemesis337 She teased you for budgeting, but to build credit you don't need to budget. If she had paid everything on her credit card and paid the credit card straight away she would have built credit and still continue teasing you regardless. If you budget, save but you then do the same as her (pay on debit card and don't have any debt) you will too have a hard time when looking for a place or anything else that requires a credit check.
    via rednemesis337
  • 16
    AdelHeidi2 I personally don't think she is entitled, but rather living in a dystopian nightmare... Where I'm from (Paris), it's hard to find a flat, but I don't need to have a credit history...
    via AdelHeidi2
  • 17
    WomanInQuestion I was always told growing up that having bad credit is better than having no credit because at least it shows that you are a real person. Getting a secured credit card is an easy way for your friend to establish credit history and begin building a good report.
    via WomanInQuestion
  • 18
    CapeMOGuy Please suggest your friend start listening to Clark Howard's podcast or watch it on YouTube. He has great consumer, finance, investing (though basic) and travel info. All with real empathy, kindness and no judging like another famous host.
    via CapeMOGuy
  • 19
    WomanInQuestion I was always told growing up that having bad credit is better than having no credit because at least it shows that you are a real person. Getting a secured credit card is an easy way for your friend to establish credit history and begin building a good report.
    via WomanInQuestion
  • 20
    Miss_Panda_King Budgeting won't have helped her. In fact having a debit card instead of a credit card is initially more fiscally responsible than having a credit card cause you can not go over. What her parent should have done is made her an authorized user on their card so it would build her credit over time until she got her own card.
    via Miss_Panda_King
  • 21
    Bumbeepuff Reality hits different when responsibility starts to matter.
    via Bumbeepuff
  • 22
    shantyyxo She found out the hard way that spontaneous doesn't pay the security deposit
    via shantyyxo

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Tags

responsibility friendship credit score credit card adulting friends reddit story financial adulthood entitled Reddit money budget entitled people
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