Who needs movies when real life serves up plot twists better than anything a screenwriter could dream up?
Take this story, for example. A Redditor’s boyfriend had his eye on a raffle for a luxury car worth $300K—but since he was broke, he couldn’t afford the $50 ticket.
His girlfriend kindly offered to split it with him, but he declined. So she quietly bought one on her own.
And wouldn’t you know it? She won. Now, he’s furious that she won’t share the prize he passed up the chance to get.
Check out the full story below.
The woman entered a raffle her boyfriend couldn’t afford and won a $300K luxury car
Image credits: Ana Maria Moroz / pexels (not the actual photo)
Now, he’s furious she’s keeping the prize for herself
Image credits: Aleks Marinkovic / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: gotlucky1245
How money ruins relationships
Image credits: RDNE Stock project / pexels (not the actual photo)
When your finances are in good shape, money rarely crosses your mind. But when you’re struggling, it quickly becomes all you can think about.
And those thoughts aren’t fleeting or mild. They’re stressful, consuming, and in many cases, deeply tied to survival. It’s no exaggeration to say that money can feel like a matter of life or death.
So, it’s no surprise that money-related issues can be incredibly sensitive. Whether it’s struggling to admit you’re in debt or deciding not to share a $300K prize. And yes, these are common reasons people break up.
In fact, research shows that nearly a quarter of couples split over money. That’s not a small number. But what is it about finances that pushes so many people over the edge? According to Andrea Bonior, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and faculty member at Georgetown University, there are five core patterns that often lead couples to their breaking point:
1. Not realizing your own baggage
Most of us assume our way of handling money is the “right” way—because it feels natural. But that belief usually comes from our personal histories and habits, not some universal truth.
Maybe you regularly order takeout and skip budgeting apps. Maybe you think buying extended warranties is pointless. Or, perhaps you expect to split every cost to the cent, while your partner believes in taking turns treating each other.
“We all have money quirks, but the odds of our quirks being aligned with our partners’ quirks are very slim,” says Bonior. Instead of ignoring these differences, acknowledge them and talk through where they come from.
2. Thinking secrets aren’t a big deal
Say you bought more clothes than you said you would and hid the bags. Or, quietly dipped into the joint savings to recover from a bad investment. Those might seem like small actions, but they ultimately add up.
“In these cases, the erosion of trust that comes from the secrecy is potentially more damaging than the original act,” explains Bonior.
Even minor financial secrecy can shake the foundation of trust and undermine the sense that you’re working as a team.
3. Believing compromise isn’t possible
Not every money disagreement can be solved easily, but assuming you’ll never be able to compromise is just as damaging. That mindset shuts down potential solutions before the conversation even begins.
Being open to discussion, even when it’s uncomfortable, can reveal options you didn’t know existed.
4. Confusing habits with character flaws
We tend to tie money behaviors to personality traits, like calling someone irresponsible because they overspend, or selfish because they save aggressively. But this can escalate issues and create resentment.
Bonior encourages keeping financial conversations focused on specific situations.
“When you have a financial issue to discuss, keep it as specific as possible. Try to resist the temptation to turn it into a bigger issue about character, which will only make you more upset and put your partner more on the defensive,” she says.
5. Envy
This one may have hit close to home for the Reddit couple.
“Even in the strongest partnerships where all money is shared, jealousy about money can begin to erode the relationship,” says Bonior.
Envy can creep in for all kinds of reasons. You might feel frustrated that your partner earns more, has less debt, or gets to enjoy a lifestyle that’s out of reach for you. Or, in this case, they win a dream car in a raffle you didn’t even have the means to enter.
Whatever the trigger, if you suppress those feelings instead of talking about them, they can easily fester into resentment.
“The more you try to pretend that everything is OK, the less likely you are to initiate a real and honest discussion, which is the only way you can work toward solving the problem that’s causing the jealousy in the first place,” Bonior explains.