Source: Reddit
My tenth anniversary is coming up, and my kids are getting old enough to be a pain in the butt regarding our single bathroom.
I have been saving up, and for my tenth anniversary, I am getting a bathroom installed in the basement. I am going all out. Well, as much as I can afford.
I am getting a two person tub with jets, in floor heating, and a heat lamp so my wife can dry off and stay warm.
Anyway, the issue is that my brother is having money problems. He called me and asked if I could spare any money to help him out.
He has a tendency to live beyond his means. We have similar jobs and salaries, but he has a huge house with three and a half bathrooms. He drives a $150,000 truck that he will never use to tow, haul, or go off-road with. His wife’s engagement ring cost as much as my motorcycle.
My family lives in a bungalow my wife and I bought. It was built in 1956, and it is cozy for us and our two kids.
But my mom constantly compares our lifestyles. She loves showing people pictures of his Christmas decorations and other stuff. And she shows off his vacation photos. that sort of thing.
The bathroom budget is $25,000 but it will probably go higher when the contractor starts working.
My mom is backing him up. She says that I don’t spend any money, so I should have some saved to help my family. She is saying he might have to sell his truck or downsize his home. I told her that’s not really my problem. He makes a little more a year than I do, so he should have savings too. She said that he needs to have a big house so he can entertain since he wants to kiss a** all the way up the ladder. That might just be my interpretation.
I don’t want to lend him money and watch him waste it and disappoint my wife. She deserves a bathroom where she can take long baths without the kids or me interrupting to use the toilet.
I could cut corners and lend him some money, but I really don’t want to do that. Even if it means he has to sell his stuff.
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