College student refuses to use her new credit card to buy her mom new clothes and shoes, mom demands the card back: ‘I’ll keep it so I can use it when needed’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Nov 26, 2025 7:00 AM EST

One of the most important lessons young adults must learn is how to responsibly handle their credit score. If you're lucky, your parents are there to help you navigate that confusing bureaucracy; otherwise, you have to learn about it all on your own.

Some even get to learn from their parents about all the things they shouldn't do with their credit cards, like the daughter in the story below. This young college student just got her first credit card, and she knows she has to be careful with it. Her mom, however, decided that her daughter should use this card to buy gifts, clothes, shoes, and toys for the entire family. She fully expected her daughter to agree to putting it all on her brand-new card just because she asked her to. 

When the daughter refused, mom got upset and demanded the card, claiming that her daughter was not responsible enough to use it. "Kids these days are so selfish", is what she said, all while her daughter was simply trying to be a responsible young adult…

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  • 01

    my mom tried to take my “adult card” because it made her feel embarrassed

    so i'm in college and i finally got my own card this year. nothing fancy. it just helps me manage my money without asking anyone for every little thing.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 02
    Happy older woman with shopping bags
    via Getty Images

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

  • 03
    i was honestly proud because it felt like a small grown up milestone. last weekend my mom came with me to the mall to buy stuff for my younger cousin's birthday.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 04
    the plan was simple. we grab a gift, maybe some snacks, and leave. we get to the store and she picks a bunch of things.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 05
    not just a gift. like three outfits, shoes, a toy, and then randomly adds stuff for herself too.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 06
    i quietly ask if we're staying in budget because i know how these trips go. she says yes yes don't worry.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 07
    at checkout the total comes way higher than i expected. she looks at the bill and then immediately looks at me like a solution just appeared.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 08
    she goes "put it on your card." i tell her i can't because i'm on a tight student budget and i didn't plan for all this.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 09
    she laughs like i'm joking. "why do you even have a card if you can't use it for family stuff" i say i can pay for the actual gift but not everything else.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 10
    that's literally what we came for. she gets annoyed right there in front of the cashier.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 11
    "wow. so you're counting money with your own mother now. i raised you and this is how you act." i try to stay calm and repeat that i'm happy to cover the gift and that's it.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 12
    then she says the wildest thing. "fine. give me the card. i'll keep it with me so i can use it when needed.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 13
    you're clearly not responsible enough." like what. i tell her no. she starts doing that dramatic sigh thing and says to the cashier "kids these days are so selfish.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 14
    Woman paying with credit card
    via Oleg Ivanov

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

  • 15
    they forget who paid for their whole life." we end up paying separately. she sulks the entire ride home and later tells my aunt that i "refused to help family" even though i literally paid for the gift we came to buy.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 16
    the funniest part is she didn't want help. she wanted control. the moment i said i have a boundary, suddenly my card became community property and my budget became a personal insult.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 17
    anyone else deal with parents who think your money is still their money just because they raised you.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 18
    how do you set limits without turning every small thing into a guilt festival.
    via Clear_Medium_5858
  • 19
    LinwoodKei She's absolutely terrible to try to embarrass you into overspending. It's very important to pay off your credit card. I'm glad that you are responsible and did not let her get you into a bad situation. I'm sorry that you had to go through that
    via LinwoodKei
  • 20
    Secure-Corner-2096 She wants your credit. Check your check reports and put a lock on your credit as well.
    via Secure-Corner-2096
  • 21
    triscuitty She wanted to use your credit card whenever she wants? Bruh. Please lock down your SSN with the credit bureaus if you haven't already. She sounds like the kind of mom who'd try to open new cards with your info, which would be identity theft.
    via triscuitty
  • 22
    bkwormtricia 1. Never let that card out of your sight when she is around. And 2. contact the three credit bureaus (Experion, Equifax, TransUnion), get a free credit report to make sure no loans or credit cards have been taken out in your name (your parents know your social security number and date of birth, they could do it easily). And then 3. freeze your credit with the credit bureaus so no one can do that.
    via bkwormtricia
  • 23
    Baguetele Sorry OP. The bright side is that she embarrassed herself in front of the cashier. And definitely tell this "cute little anecdote" about her at the next family function.
    via Baguetele
  • 24
    Crown_the_Cat Lock down your credit NOW!!
    via Crown_the_Cat

  • What would you have done in this situation? Should the daughter take a step back from her mom to ensure her financial safety?

    Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Tags

aita credit card mother shopping entitled daughter mom money college college student entitled people
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