How to ask parents for money when they already support me
Asking parents to fund an expensive trip creates intense guilt after already receiving significant financial help for college necessities. Students worry they have cost too much already, which stops them from feeling comfortable pursuing rare social and travel opportunities.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Applying for scholarships to offset the costDid this help you?
- 2Offering to pay parents back once financially independentDid this help you?
- 3Gathering materials on the educational outcomes of the trip before pitching itDid this help you?
- 4participating only in what makes sense or what you can affordDid this help you?
- 5ignoring suggested donation amounts that are unaffordableDid this help you?
- 6Setting strict spending limits or gift caps for birthdaysDid this help you?
- 7Offering lower-cost alternatives or cash equivalentsDid this help you?
- 8Encouraging teenagers to save their own money and work odd jobs for high-ticket itemsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“My son asked for a new computer for his birthday this month. My husband said we couldn’t get him the exact one he wanted (around $3000)”source ↗
“Today he blew up about his bday sucked and he didn’t get anything good and the clothes are basically “unwearable” because he doesn’t have new sneakers to go with them”source ↗
“Apparently instead of a Nike hoodie that he always asks for he wanted some instagrammers brand instead which costs about 3x as much. He also wanted a pair of $220 loafers from the same brand.”source ↗
“Got the paperwork that they expect us to donate nearly 1k per child and I don’t remember it being so crazy when I was a kid.”source ↗
“There is no way I could afford that, but I’m still shocked.”source ↗
“He’s been choosing very particular skin care and hair care products from online. Stuff I’ve never heard of that costs a fortune that I have to tell him we simply cannot afford but he’s convinced it’s the “only thing that will work for him”.”source ↗
“Should I do it or do you think I cost my parents too much already?”source ↗
“I also don’t really have any friends or social connections so a group trip like this might be my only chance to travel to Japan.”source ↗
“I just feel guilty.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 3How to say no to parents asking for money
- 2Is it okay to ask wedding guests to pay for their lodging?
- 2Non-religious parent whose kid wants to go to church
- 17How to handle family demanding to pay for wedding beauty and expenses