“I pretend to be broke so people stop asking me for money": A clever solution

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Every Thursday around this time, we detail some of the wildest confessions from the streets of Mzansi. We get YOU to weigh in on your unfiltered thoughts.

Here's what anonymous shared with us:

“I pretend to be broke, not because I am, but because the people closest to me won’t stop asking for money.

It started with small favours. ‘Can you help just this once?’ Then it became expectations. Family members are counting my salary before I even get paid. Friends making plans with my wallet in mind. I tried being honest. I said no. I explained boundaries and suddenly I was ‘selfish’, ‘forgetting where I come from’, ‘acting better than everyone else’.

So now I lie. I complain about being broke. I downplay promotions. I hide wins, because it’s easier than being guilt-tripped by the people who raised me and grew up with me.

They say money shouldn’t come between family and friends, but money already has. So tell me… am I wrong for protecting myself, or wrong for lying to the people who expect me to provide?"
19 Feb English South Africa Society & Culture · Personal Journals

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