Are my parents taking advantage of me?
I lost my job back in October and haven't been able to find a new one. I'm working part time and I'm on unemployment, but I'm still burning through my savings fast. If something doesn't change in the next month or two, I'm going to have to move back in with my parents.
I told them this. Obviously they aren't happy about it seeing as how I'm in my thirties, and it would be a huge inconvenience for both of them, but my mom had already told me that if it came to that I can always rely on them.
Apparently my dad never got that memo because the first thing he asked was how much I pay every month on basic living expenses at my current apartment. Rent, water, electricity, internet, phone bill, etc. I told him, and he immediately said "I want that." I tried to explain to him that the whole reason I'd be moving in is because I can't afford to pay that much, but he just put his foot down and said that's what it's going to cost if I want to live in his house.
He also said I'm going to have to give my cat away, because he's absolutely not having that in his house. I lost my dog back in June and got my kitten to replace her. I don't know if I can lose a pet twice in one year.
Are they (specifically my dad) taking advantage of me? I'm completely fine with paying what I can to live there, and I'd help out around the house. But it bothers me that my dad very specifically picked an amount that common sense should tell him I'm not going to be able to pay (I'd actually be paying even more than I am now since I'd also have to rent a storage space for all the stuff in my apartment). Is he just being greedy and trying to drain me for every cent he thinks he can get? Is he deliberately setting me up for failure so he'll have a guilt-free excuse to kick me out and make me homeless?
Posted Dec 9, 2025, 9:32 AM UTC