Mom Sets Girlfriend Food Budget After Steak Demands

A mother just sparked massive debate on Reddit after she put her son’s girlfriend on a girlfriend food budget. The 21-year-old had been living rent-free in their home. She was cooking dinner most nights using the mom’s credit card. Things got messy when expensive steaks entered the picture.

The whole situation started innocently enough. The mom’s 23-year-old son moved back home after graduating university in June. His long-distance girlfriend Carmella needed somewhere to live after her mom kicked her out. The son was moving into his own place in January. He asked if Carmella could stay with them temporarily.

Being generous, the mom agreed. She doesn’t charge her kids rent. It felt wrong to charge Carmella either. The only rules were simple: clean up after yourselves and be respectful. Carmella moved in after Halloween. She seemed like a joy to have around.

How the Girlfriend Food Budget Battle Started

Carmella started cooking dinner most nights. She insisted on doing this to give back to the family. The mom always told her it wasn’t necessary. But Carmella was a good cook. The mom figured why not let her help out.

A week in, Carmella mentioned wanting to make a dish. They didn’t have the right ingredients. The mom offered her credit card for grocery shopping. This became their regular arrangement. Carmella would pick up groceries for everyone. It seemed like a win-win situation.

But then things changed. Carmella started making multiple grocery trips per week. She began buying expensive items like steak and seafood. These weren’t things the family normally budgeted for on a regular basis. The mom asked her to get everything in one trip on Sunday. Carmella agreed.

Monday night changed everything. After dinner, Carmella mentioned wanting to make steak on Thursday. The son immediately turned to his mom. “Mom, give her the card,” he demanded. The mom said no. She had already given money for Sunday shopping. She told Carmella to get everything she needed then.

The Moment Everything Exploded

The mom explained they couldn’t afford steaks for six people that week. Maybe she could make them for Christmas dinner instead. Then she dropped the bomb. If Carmella wanted to keep cooking, she’d need to stick to a girlfriend food budget. She apologized for not setting this boundary sooner.

Carmella looked upset. The son seemed offended by his mother’s reasonable request. Later, he confronted his mom privately. He said she “embarrassed” Carmella when she was just trying to be nice. The mom explained she appreciated the cooking. But Carmella was doing it on her dime. She simply couldn’t afford unlimited grocery expenses.

The mom pointed out something obvious. Her son was free to give Carmella money for expensive ingredients himself. But the son had a different argument. They were only there “a few more weeks.” Couldn’t she just make her “guest” happy for that short time?

This whole situation reminds me of other family drama stories where boundaries get blurred. Living situations can get complicated fast when money enters the picture.

What Reddit Users Really Think

Reddit users overwhelmingly supported the mom’s decision. The top comment got over 12,000 upvotes. “Treating you as an unlimited bank for food purchases is disrespectful,” one user wrote. They called capping food expenses completely reasonable.

Another popular response took a gentler approach. They called it a “no assholes here” situation. The commenter pointed out that most 21-year-olds are pretty clueless about budgets. Carmella probably had no idea the arrangement was problematic. She was likely just embarrassed about making a mistake.

Many users focused on the son’s entitled attitude. One commenter suggested asking him a pointed question. Would he give Carmella an unlimited food budget when they moved in together? That reality check might change his tune quickly.

The grocery bill situation highlights how expensive food has become. Most families have to watch their budgets carefully these days. Setting a girlfriend food budget isn’t unreasonable when you’re already providing free housing.

This drama fits perfectly with other entitled people stories we see online. Sometimes people take advantage of generosity without realizing it. Other times they know exactly what they’re doing.

The mom handled this situation with grace. She provided free housing for months. She never complained about the initial cooking arrangement. She only spoke up when expenses got out of control. Her son and his girlfriend will learn about budgets soon enough. Moving out in January will be their reality check about grocery costs.

From r/AmItheAsshole (7,690 upvotes)