Mom Criticized For Only Giving Her Daughter $200 In Cash For A 4-Day Trip With Another Family — ‘She Used Our Credit Card For Food’
She assumed it would be enough for food and other necessities.
BearFotos | Shutterstock Before their teenage daughter embarked on a four-day road trip with her friends, the parents handed her $200 in cash, assuming that it would be enough to cover food and gas throughout the trip. However, they were confused when they began receiving notifications from their credit card company that their daughter was using it to buy meals.
When they confronted her about it, they were surprised by her attitude regarding the money. However, others argued that the parents should have been more mindful.
The mom was criticized for giving her teen daughter only $200 to pay for food and other necessities on a four-day trip.
In a TikTok video that has been viewed 6 million times, Meredith Masony explained that her 16-year-old daughter recently went on a birthday trip with a few of her friends. Before she hit the road, the woman and her husband gave the teen $200 in cash for food, gas, and even to treat herself to some shopping.
Two hours into the trip, the parents were notified by their credit card company that their card had been used by their daughter to purchase food. “So that night, we got on the phone with her, and we're like, ‘Hey, what's going on? Why are you using our credit card?’” Masony said. "She goes, 'Well, that's for food.'"
The teen further explained that she assumed the cash was just a little extra something from her parents to do some additional spending, and that she should be able to use their credit card for necessities like food. “The $200 was mine. The capital One is for food because you guys have to pay for my food,” the daughter replied. Masony was baffled by her teenager’s thought process. “I think every teenager on this planet has lost their minds,” she said.
Entitlement aside, many people were shocked that her parents assumed that $200 would be enough for a four-day trip.
“$200 for 4 days, where did she go, 1994?” one TikTok user commented. “Thinking $200 would cover 12 to 16 meals and ‘fun’ is preposterous,” another user noted. “You take a trip for 4 days with only $200 then,” another wrote.
Even if $200 may seem like a fortune for an unemployed 16-year-old, having only $200 to take on a four-day trip is likely not doable.
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According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics interpreted by Value Penguin, the average American spends around $581 on a four-day domestic trip. This translates to roughly $144 per day. Of course, this all depends on where exactly you’re traveling to and where you plan on eating and sleeping.
The mom should have talked to the host parents about expenses before assuming $200 was enough.
The most important piece of the puzzle missing from Masony's story was: What did the host parents say about expenses? Perhaps instead of giving their teen daughter $200 for all her food and fun, they should have spoken to the host parents and paid them directly. That way, $200 for personal shopping for their daughter would have been completely acceptable.
While the daughter might seem entitled by her response to the $200, we, as observers, have no idea how wealthy her friends' families are. What if her friend's parents decide to take the kids out to a fancy dinner, and she only has funds for fast food and snacks?
Instead of rushing to social media, Masony would have been better off having a talk with the other parents to determine a fair budget for everyone. While her daughter sounds selfish on the surface, taking a step back to think about what one dinner at even a fast-casual restaurant costs might have you looking at it from a different perspective.
Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.