This woman is also incredibly privileged, as she does acknowledge while sharing her story. She comes from wealth, and she knows that most people don’t. That alone is refreshing to hear — so many people let the money change them and totally forget what it’s like to have 0 money for gas or treats or food.
Still, being the wealthy one in the friend group can certainly make the dynamic awkward. Even if you all try not to talk about it or make it a big deal, the unspoken awkwardness pervades. This manifests in big and small ways — like if the whole friend group goes out to eat, and one person orders the cheapest menu item and water, while the rich friend gets multiple drinks and a pricey dinner, it won’t go unnoticed.
People were actually pretty harsh with this 20-year-old, and I don’t totally agree with them. I think she’s a little bit sheltered, but I see where she’s coming from. She wants to learn financial literacy through real-world experience. She can’t really achieve real-world experiences due to her wealthy position in life, so she’s manufacturing them for herself. Even though what she’s doing is, well, a little distasteful, I think if she’d just kept this as a private exercise, it could be meaningful to her. So what if she acquires debt? If she wants to learn, and can easily pay it off, too, there’s really no reason she shouldn’t do that.
But uh… don’t let that slip to the friend group. You really do have to keep that to yourself. I mean, just read what she wrote, and see what you think about it.
