11 Things Frugal Parents Judge Their Adult Children For Wasting Money On
Even if you're paying your own bills, your parents still have something to say about what you spend your money on.
matsiukpavel | Shutterstock Some of our earliest memories of money involve our parents — whether it was them buying our first piggy bank, handing out cash-filled birthday cards, or giving us a few dollars after chores. Our parents were often the first people to teach us the basics of financial literacy and how to manage our money. While some of those habits may have been the reason many adults have a strong foundation for managing their money, it also means they may still be susceptible to their parents' critiques.
Even as adults, some individuals may find themselves on the receiving end of criticism and opinions of how they spend their money, especially if their parents are quite frugal and intentional about their own finances. Even things that may appear simple to an adult, like buying coffee from a local cafe or splurging on concert tickets, can seem extremely irresponsible to parents who may not understand that saving money shouldn't equate to passing up on opportunities to live life and have fun. Even if they've spent years living on their own, some adults still end up having to defend the purchases made with their own money.
Here are 11 things frugal parents judge their adult children for wasting money on:
1. Paying for too many subscription services
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Frugal parents are all about making sure that money is spent intentionally, which is why they seem to have a problem with their adult children spending their finances on minor subscription services. Whether it's for entertainment, such as Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Max, or using other services like UberOne or HelloFresh, parents may not fully understand why their children feel the need to spend their money on such things.
What's even more frustrating for them is that a lot of these subscriptions aren't inherently expensive at first glance, but the more that you sign up for them, the more those charges can add up until you find yourself paying $75 to $90 a month on these various subscriptions. However, in the world that we're living in, a lot of these things are just a part of young adults' lives.
According to Savanta, a larger number of consumers under 35 have increased their subscription spending in the last year compared to those aged 35 and above (42% vs 35% respectively). This trend of higher spending is most popular among younger generations.
2. Buying luxury clothes and accessories
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Nothing triggers frugal parents more than when they notice their children spending their money on luxury and designer clothes when they could be spending their money on clothes from more affordable places. When they see their children dropping $300 on a pair of sneakers or $500 on a bag, they question why they felt the need to do something like that in the first place.
Parents who are smart about their money believe that you can find stylish clothes and accessories without spending hundreds. While adult children may justify these payments by pointing out how long they will last, it still doesn't register with their parents. Research has shown that 30% of young adults, particularly Gen Zers, have no qualms about spending their money on luxury goods and designer clothing.
3. Daily coffee runs
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It's no secret that young adults love their coffee. Research from the National Coffee Data Trend reported that 46% of Gen Z respondents reported drinking coffee daily. What makes frugal parents isn't the fact that their adult children are drinking cups of coffee a day, but that instead of saving money and making it at home, they're venturing out to coffee shops and spending $8 to $10 on an iced latte.
To many older generations, young people are often criticized for not holding onto their money, even though in this economy, saving $8 is unlikely to make a significant difference in their ability to afford a house or car down the line.
Still, it doesn't stop parents from turning up their noses when they notice the empty coffee cups in their trash or on their kitchen countertops because it's just unnecessary if they have all of the equipment to make that same cup of coffee at home for free. However, they just don't understand that it'll never taste the same!
4. Dining out more than cooking at home
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Eating out at restaurants is most people's favorite thing to do. Research has shown that an estimated 29% of adults claim to eat out at least once a week. While many adults enjoy dining out, frugal parents often struggle to understand the hype and frequency behind their adult children's habit of doing so. If it's not for a special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary, they argue that it's just wasting money when you can simply cook from the comfort of your kitchen without having to break the bank.
In their mind, eating out is one of the ways that your money can disappear from your bank account without even realizing it, because those charges add up. To them, they think it's a much better investment to buy groceries and eat out maybe one to two times a month instead of every week. The convenience of it, though, is what's most appealing, along with the fact that it allows young adults to socialize with their friends and catch up over drinks and dinner.
5. Taking multiple vacations a year
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For parents who spend their money intentionally and expect their adult children to do the same, they often view travel as a luxury. While they have no problem with the occasional family vacation, they just don't understand why their children feel the need to book spontaneous trips with their friends without thinking about their income at all. For them, they think it's simply unnecessary to take multiple trips in one year.
To them, travel and vacationing should be something that's budgeted and accounted for instead of being treated as something to do when you're bored on a random Wednesday night. Despite the fact that travel allows for people to decompress from the stresses of everyday life, from their perspective, frugal parents refuse to hold their judgments back when letting their kids know that maybe traveling should be something done once in a while.
According to the 2024 State of Student Travel Report from StudentUniverse, Gen Z is particularly dedicated to traveling. Seventy-eight percent of Gen Z respondents admitted that they were planning to take a trip within the next year, and 18.3% of Gen Z travelers will allocate 40% or more of their disposable income toward their vacations.
6. Upgrading to the latest tech all the time
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Adult children immediately buying the latest phones, laptops, or other pieces of technology the second they drop is to their frugal parents, the definition of unnecessary spending. Data has shown that 95% of Gen Z adults own a smartphone, and considering how much of a presence they tend to have on social media and the internet in general, being able to own the latest gadgets and tech is a given. However, there's nothing cheap about iPhones and MacBooks.
Frugal parents are the type to question why their adult children can't just use the devices they have until the wheels fall off before actually going out to buy something new. The idea of spending upwards of $1,000 just doesn't make sense to them, especially when that money could be used for something a bit more valuable and important.
7. Paying for a gym you barely use
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There's nothing wrong with spending money on your health, including a gym membership. But there's nothing cheap about them, and if their adult children are choosing to have $60 leave their account every month to never even frequent the gym, that's a no from them. To them, a gym membership is only worth it if you're spending a good amount of time in there per week, but to have a membership for the fun of it just doesn't fly with them.
To a degree, they have a point. If you're investing in the gym, it's expensive but you should make it count. At that point, it's simply a waste of money, and there's nothing more triggering for frugal parents than the thought of their adult children having zero problem with throwing their money down the drain.
8. Frequent salon visits
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To frugal parents, the idea of going to the salon every few weeks for a trim, hair coloring, or getting your hair styled feels both high maintenance and unnecessary. While they have no problem with the occasional visit to get their hair done, they tend to be quite judgmental when their adult children seem to have no issue spending hundreds of dollars for something that they can get done every couple of months instead of every few weeks.
In their world, it's better to save that money for something else or even try and do your own hair at home for a cheaper price. They see beauty routines like regular hair salong visits as a luxury instead of a necessity.
9. Getting your nails done every two weeks
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In the same vein of how frugal parents feel about constant hair salon visits, they seem to feel the same way about their adult children getting their nails done as well. They find it ridiculous that their children are spending anywhere between $50 to $100 just to get their nails done, especially when nail polishes sold at drugstores are cheaper and can give you the same results.
On top of that, nail kits and tools aren't that expensive online, and the expense can be avoided altogether by doing it yourself. To them, that money could be useful elsewhere. Manicures and pedicures just aren't something they're thinking about in the same way their children are, and they won't hesitate to give them a bit of side-eye as they're showing off their new nail designs.
10. Stocking up on skincare products
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Frugal parents are often stunned when they see how much money their adult children have chosen to spend on skincare. When their shelves are stocked with different toners, serums, masks, and moisturizers, they just can't seem to wrap their minds around why a person needs that many things to put on their face.
To them, a lot of those skincare products just feel like a scam for companies to make a lot of money, and in reality, they don't do much for a person's skin. It's not that they don't want their kids to take care of their skin, but that it shouldn't have to cost so much in the first place. They'll constantly remind them that drugstore products do the same thing for less.
11. Buying brand new furniture
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One thing frugal parents will always do is find a deal on anything and everything. For things that are just always more expensive like furniture, they'll turn to second-hand sites including Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. The second they see that their adult children have decided to spend upwards of $1,000 on a brand new couch or dining table set when they could've found something more affordable elsewhere, they tend to cast judgment.
They come from a time when furniture was not only built to last but passed down. Things were mismatched, sure, but it was functional. Buying new furniture is just something they think is unnecessary spending. Even if that piece is beautifully-made, they'll argue that you could've found something similar for a lot less.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
