Single mom asks friend to help her pay her bills for a year despite having $25K in savings: 'I paid 20% of her rent, paid for her phone bill and helped with groceries and clothes for her kids.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Jan 6, 2026 11:00 AM EST

If she had used the money from her savings instead of her friend's money, she would still have $20K left over!

How broke would you have to be to start panicking about your finances? Some people freak out if they have to take a cent out of their emergency fund to pay for an actual emergency. Others are chilling even when their bank account is a couple of hundred dollars in the red because they know they'll get paid in three days. Money is deeply personal, and your feelings about it often depend on your financial situation growing up. A lot of people who grew up poor and start earning a stable income in adulthood spend all of their money as soon as they get it, because when they were kids, they were never taught how to save, and saw the adults in their lives spending money as soon as they got their hands on some. Not all people who grew up in poverty are serial spenders. Sometimes they're chronic savers, never spending any money on anything fun because they're nervous about keeping the lights on and spending only on essentials. 

The other side of this coin is people who grew up rich and think they don't have enough money to survive, even though that's patently untrue. Anyone catastrophizing about having only $50K in their High Yield Savings Account needs to get a grip, no matter how high their cost of living. 

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  • A young mother giving piggy back ride to her little daughter
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

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

  • There's no way to know whether the single mom in this story grew up rich, but she is definitely one of those people who won't touch their savings, even in an emergency. She would rather rely on her friend's money to support herself than to open up her own coin purse. 

  • I found out my friend that keeps asking me for help has 25k in savings

    My friend Naomi is a single mom and after her divorce, she asked me for help financially. I've known her for many years and felt bad for her kids so I pledged to help her until she found a better paying job as she was working at Walmart at the time.
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • So for the past year, I helped her by paying 20% of her rent, paying for her phone bill and helping with groceries and clothes for her kids. Yes I know this is VERY generous but I truly believed in her and wanted her to succeed. However I had grown tired of helping her so
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • much while she jumps around with different jobs. In 2025, Naomi was hired and quit 3 different jobs, with her reasons being "I don't think it s good fit for me" to "the managers keep hitting on me." I told her that me helping her isn't a free ride for her to try out different jobs or
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • endeavors and that she needed to secure a full time job and commit to it. Now last week, I overheard a conversation she was having with her sister on the phone. Her sister is about to get her real estate
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • license so Naomi asks. "Are you selling me my house next year? I had about 25k saved up right now." This caught my attention.
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • "Wait did I hear you say you have 25k in savings right now?" I ask. "Yeah it's for my house when I'm ready to buy it." She answers.
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • Brown and white wooden house near green trees under blue sky during daytime
    via Dillon Kydd

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

  • "And you've been asking me to help you for the past year with rent and other expenses when you've had money this whole time?"
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • "That's MY savings though. I don't want to spend it unless I HAVE to. Trust me when I get my house, you'll win too and you can come over whenever you want."
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • Naomi continues to defend this as she says she struggled weekly due to not having a steady job and that is the reason she needs me so much and that her savings is an account she refuses to touch or take from. She also goes on to
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • mention that she had actually already taken out about $5,000 to help cover her expenses so she still claims to struggle. Honestly I'm so angry. I respect people's desire to save money but she's asking me to help her when
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • she objectively has plenty of her own money to support herself. After some consideration, I informed her that I would not be helping her anymore starting in 2026. Naomi argued against this and claims she still needs help and
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • is about to start work at a friend retail store where she's going to make enough to support herself but needs my help for just another two months. I refused and told her to use her 25k in savings and again she argues that's for her future house and can't touch that.
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • What should I do should she continue to push this issue? Again I don't plan to help her anymore but I'm quite upset to find out she had a savings this whole time.
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • Portrait of angry young Latin woman outdoors
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

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

  • TheRealTigers Vessel Is there some reason you keep helping her out? Are you hoping for a relationship with her or something? Because enough is enough. You dont owe her a penny or help her succeed. In fact, you should tell her to pay you back out of the 25k she has.
    via u/TheRealTigersVessel
  • OP bestfriendever714 I was always raised to be charitable and my parents often helped out friends and family that were going through tough times and that karma would reward you later so I felt bad for her at the time. But now knowing she actually had a savings full of money this entire time makes me mad tbh. And the fact that she tried to brush it off as money she can't use because it's for her "future house" also pisses me off.
    via u/bestfriendever714
  • Maronita2025 Cut her off and don't associate with her anymore!
    via u/Maronita2025
  • Tiggums81 I'm sorry, but you need to hear it: Naomi has zero respect for you. She's sitting on a pile of money and putting her hand out to you. She feels entitled to your money. She's a terrible person. Cut her lose and rejoice. If she really believed what she was doing to you was innocent and logical, she's have been upfront with you the entire time. You've essentially been "saving" for her by giving her monthly charitable donations.
    via u/Tiggums81
  • Ruebee90 Cut her out of your life. She is a selfish person why would you want someone like that in your life?
    via u/Ruebee90
  • No_Interview_2481 Naomi is not your problem. I can't believe how much money you have given her. Talk about getting scammed. I'm sorry this happened to you. You need to cut her off completely, which means blocking her.
    via u/No_Interview_2481
  • KaydxnMusic You made the right choice and should stick with it. Ask her how she would feel if you had 20k in savings and acted like u were in desperate need of help while now getting to save even more bc of it. It's deceiving and they're greedy and probably have financial trauma from the past. Pretty sure in this economy most of us would love to have the luxury to be able to save thousands while still getting help from people while we're at it.
    via u/KaydxnMusic
  • generickayak She's not your friend. Shes using you. Block her on everything. NC is the way.
    via u/generickayak
  • AlarmingDance9218 Naomi better be backing that THANG up 3-4 times a week and she better be 5'8" and 128 lbs... If not I only have one question...what u smoking bro?
    via u/AlarmingDance9218
  • rannerick You don't have to give any reasons or justifications for your decision. It's your money. Say, "I'm sorry I'm not able to help you financially anymore." Period.
    via u/rannerick
  • False Salamander2952 You were right by drawing the line. Her savings belong to her but it does not mean that she is obliged to continue receiving financial assistance and that you have to continue contributing to it, particularly when she is able to afford her own expenditures. And make up your mind and never be compelled with a sense of guilt to contribute more.
    via u/False_Salamander2952

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groceries divorced bad friend down payment rent bills savings money single mom entitled people
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