‘God will provide us lots of money’: These brothers are subsidizing their 52-year-old mother’s PhD in Christian Studies — but are they wrong to resent her decision not to work?

They took on the major living expenses, while she was supposed to cover smaller costs like groceries and gas. At first, she contributed — but then, without warning, she stopped entirely.

But that didn’t stop her from continuing to spend at the expense of her sons.

“Any extra expense came out of our credit cards, or student loans and my bro and are slowly coming into more debt. My mother however seems to think we have a surplus of money and often wants to plan trips to Florida with us,” one of the sons explained on Reddit.

When he finally confronted her about the spending, the conversation quickly spiraled. His mother pushed back, insisting that he should be managing the household finances better.

But as he pointed out, it wasn’t household money — it was his and his brother’s. Now, she’s locked herself in her room, and the Reddit user is left wondering: was he in the wrong?

When family crosses the line

Higher education isn't just a priority for the mother — her 28-year-old son is also working toward his master’s degree while managing a full-time job at a fast-food restaurant.

But instead of focusing on their own financial stability, he and his brother have found themselves drowning in debt. Both have maxed out their credit cards, and the student loans meant to fund their education are instead covering their mother’s expenses.

With the average federal student loan debt at $38,375 — and total balances, including private loans, reaching as high as $41,520 — their financial situation is teetering on the edge. Redirecting their student loans toward household costs instead of tuition could leave them in a dangerous spiral of debt.

And it’s not just student loans — they're also racking up credit card debt.

“I even pointed out that thanks to me we actually had Thanksgiving that year because I maxed out our credit card for the third time after paying it off to buy Thanksgiving for us and our extended family,” the frustrated Reddit user wrote.

If they're unable to make timely payments, their credit scores could take a serious hit. A low credit scoremakes it harder to secure loans or new credit cards, and even if they qualify, they’ll likely face sky-high interest rates.

Down the line, poor credit could become a major obstacle if they want to move out, lease an apartment, or finance something as simple as a car.

Blood is not always thicker

Now, the Reddit user finds himself in a tough spot, with his mom shutting herself away in her room. But he has every right to stand his ground and make it clear that the current spending habits simply aren’t sustainable.

“You cannot potentially sink your own ship to bail out someone else,” Aja Evans, a board-certified therapist who specializes in financial therapy, tells CNBC Make It. “Yes, you feel bad now, but you’re going to feel great when you’re able to pay for the things you need.”