More money, more problems. But a lack of it isn’t exactly peaceful, either. Reddit userBockbockchickenheadwas reminded of this when her older sister found herself struggling.

Unsure of the way she handled the situation, the Redditor asked others on the platform if she was being a jerk to her family.

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When the cost of living gets too high, people are left scrambling to make ends meet

Woman selecting fresh greens in a vibrant grocery store produce section.

Image credits:unsplash (not the actual photo)

However, this woman’s sister rejected the groceries she offered to buy because they would have come from a store she didn’t like

Person holding a wallet near a shopping cart with groceries, including bananas and cucumbers, at a store.

Image credits:freepik (not the actual photo)

“Learned The Hard Way To Never Give Her Cash”: Woman Gives Sister An Ultimatum For $40

Image credits:

Grocery prices have been on the rise in many places across the United States

“Learned The Hard Way To Never Give Her Cash”: Woman Gives Sister An Ultimatum For $40

Grocery price inflation in theUnited Stateshas come a long way since hitting 13.5% in the summer of 2022, but more and more families find themselves compromising on their diet, as January saw a notable jump of 1.9% compared to the same month last year.

Prices were up 0.5% from December, the largest month-over-month increase since October 2022.

Some of the largest price increases are on staples of the traditional American breakfast: bacon prices are up 4.1% from the prior month, instant coffee is up 4.4%, and fresh biscuits, rolls, and muffins are up 1.8%.

According to David Ortega, a food economics professor at Michigan State University, it’s “worrying” that the rate of increaseshas startedto tick up, but it’s too early to predict what food prices will look like for the remainder of 2025.

Few adult siblings fight over money

“Learned The Hard Way To Never Give Her Cash”: Woman Gives Sister An Ultimatum For $40

This particular case is a bit of an outlier sinceresearchfrom Ameriprise Financial suggests that only about 15% of adult siblings have financial arguments, and when they do, the reason usually (68 percent of the time) has something to do with their parents, like providing them care or splitting the inheritance.

Considering that 63 percent of respondents described their asset levels as very different from their siblings, and 57 percent think they approach financial decisions differently as well, that’s pretty impressive.

Although they have a lot of contrasting viewpoints, brothers and sisters do not let their differences get between them. Hopefully, our Redditor will also find a way to patch things up with hers.

As her story went viral, the woman provided more context on the situation

Reddit comments discussing offering to get groceries, mentioning a budget and shopping at Dollar Tree.

Reddit discussion on offering groceries from the Dollar Tree, focusing on dietary habits and health concerns for OP’s sister.

Reddit discussion about offering to buy groceries for a sister from Dollar Tree.

Most of those who read what happened said the woman did nothing wrong

Reddit discussion on offering to buy groceries from Dollar Tree, with users sharing personal stories and opinions.

Reddit comment discussing groceries from Dollar Tree, mentioning entitled behavior and budget-friendly shopping.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing groceries from Dollar Tree.

Comment questioning sister’s intentions behind needing money for groceries.

Reddit post discussing groceries from Dollar Tree and the cost of meatloaf ingredients.

Reddit comment discussing the issue of buying groceries for a sister without giving her money.

Reddit comment saying, “NTA at all. She is obviously not hungry enough,” discussing groceries from Dollar Tree.

Text discussion about offering groceries from Dollar Tree, mentioning skepticism about using cash wisely.

Comment praising Dollar Tree groceries for recipes, mentioning a delicious Thanksgiving casserole and supporting the decision made.

“Learned The Hard Way To Never Give Her Cash”: Woman Gives Sister An Ultimatum For $40

Text screenshot discussing a response to offering to get groceries from Dollar Tree.

Comment discussing Dollar Tree groceries and financial motives.

Reddit comment discussing offering groceries from Dollar Tree and addressing family dynamics.

Comment supporting offering groceries from Dollar Tree to sister.

Comment discussing offering groceries and financial advice related to Dollar Tree.

Reddit comment discussing groceries from Dollar Tree, questioning spending $40 on non-food items, and saying “NTA”.

Comment discussing groceries and perception of a soft touch, related to Dollar Tree.

Reddit comment discussing groceries from Dollar Tree and budgeting tips.

But some thought she could have handled the situation better

“Learned The Hard Way To Never Give Her Cash”: Woman Gives Sister An Ultimatum For $40

Text discussing the cost and serving size comparison of groceries between the dollar store and regular grocery stores.

“Learned The Hard Way To Never Give Her Cash”: Woman Gives Sister An Ultimatum For $40

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