AITA for refusing to give my family money and considering leaving them over it?
I (22M) have worked hard to start my life and keep my finances stable. I save what I can and make careful decisions, build credit score and what not. Recently made some decent choices, and ended up with a significant return (stocks)~ put some money into something i saw potential in and it paid out.
I was pretty excited and proud obviously and told family but ig that was a mistake because everything got tense after that.
my mom casually started mentioning how the house could use some repairs. My sister (29F) said her car was “basically on its last leg” and how nice it’d be to finally upgrade. My dad didn’t ask outright, but he dropped hints about how “family looks out for each other.”
Ok like I love my family. Growing up, we weren’t wealthy, and I understand the struggles of financial pressure. I always help where I can—buying groceries when they were tight on cash or covering smaller expenses when emergencies came up. This is different tho.
They weren’t asking for help with urgent needs—they were treating my earnings like a family windfall. I explained that I was fortunate but that this money isn’t endless. I have my own future to think about, paying off college, a house, more investing (farther down the line marriage) and I’m not in a position to just hand out large sums.
after explaining that things kinda blew up. My mom said I was being selfish, my dad called me ungrateful, and my sister is accusing me of “hoarding money.” They started bringing up every time they’ve supported me in the past—smaller financial help, rides to school ,nepotism into jobs (where i got the money to invest int the first place( minimum wage tho)) , ect. I still have college loans to worry abt and more to come in the future.
Ok I get that I didn’t handle it perfectly. I was already frustrated and ended up snapping on them and pointed out the irony of them always mocking the homeless for begging, calling them lazy and so on.
the family group chat is now silent tbh prob created one w/o me 😂 My sister sent a long text about how she’s been struggling emotionally and thought I’d be more supportive. My mom hasn’t spoken to me directly since.
I'm sick of them acting like absolute children. I do feel awful that they’re upset, but I also feel like this money doesn’t suddenly make me their ATM. I didn’t win the lottery— again I decided to put some of my hard earned money into something i saw potential in and it paid out.
Idk what to do- I've been living w them to save money and that still was the plan till I finished college and got a real job even w the added money now.
Again I do really love them and would kill me to distance myself from them but if i'm really not in the wrong I think the only option is moving out and distancing myself for awhile :/
kinda freeking out and have a lot of brain fog.
AITA?