For nearly a decade, a 31‑year‑old woman quietly shouldered her family’s phone bill — a six‑line Verizon Wireless plan that once started as a kind favor when her dad was laid off and her mom was still using a flip phone.
What began as a temporary solution turned into an expensive, years‑long commitment that tangled her credit, maxed her cards and left her chasing relatives for their share.
Posting to r/AITA_WIBTA_PUBLIC, she explained that the bill runs about $188 to $210 a month, depending on taxes. It covers her, her boyfriend, her mom, dad, brother, and aunt — the latter who joined in 2020 “because her phone died.” She managed payments in a Google Sheet, asking everyone to Zelle her their portion by the fifth of each month. Her mom paid reliably, but the rest of the family turned it into a full‑time job. Her dad always “forgot until a reminder,” her brother sent half and promised to “top up Friday,” and her aunt vanished for weeks until she called.
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The balancing act finally snapped when her credit card got declined at the grocery store. “I stood there with a cart of food and a red face because the phone autopay had just hit again and it tipped me over,” she wrote. That moment pushed her to send a group text and an email giving everyone sixty days’ notice. She said she wasn’t angry — just done being “the bank.” Her message was clear: she’d move her own line by Oct. 1, and the others would be removed by Nov. 1 if they hadn’t switched to their own accounts.
Her mom, ever practical, asked for help setting up a new plan and handled it immediately. Her dad, less gracious, replied “Wow, harsh,” adding he had “more important bills.” Her brother accused her of “sabotaging his job search,” claiming recruiters couldn’t reach him without his number. And her aunt called her mother crying, saying she was “punishing her” and still owes her niece $58 from July and August.
The post sparked a wave of support from Reddit readers who said she was right to stand firm. “You gave them all fair notice and explained your reasons,” one commenter wrote. “Instead of guilt‑tripping you, they should feel bad for making you responsible for their bad financial planning.” Another put it more bluntly: “NTA — shut that ATM down.”
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While it might seem like a petty family feud, the story hits a familiar financial nerve. Many young adults take on shared bills out of love, only to find themselves trapped by rising balances and uneven responsibility. In this case, the entire monthly bill was charged to her credit card, and the late or missing payments from others pushed her deeper into debt. As she put it, “I have eaten late fees twice and my credit card utilization spikes because I float the bill for other people.”
Those recurring auto-pay charges didn’t just drain her bank account — they affected her credit, triggered a card decline at the grocery store, and exposed just how risky it can be when one person becomes the family’s financial backstop.
By the time she hit 31, the goodwill had run dry. “I gave sixty days, multiple reminders, and even tech support,” she wrote. “I’m not angry. I just can’t be the bank anymore.”
If her relatives don’t get new plans in time, their phones will go dark. Her dad predicts “the holidays will be awkward,” but Reddit seemed to agree she’s not the one creating the tension — she’s the one finally ending it.
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Image: Shutterstock
