How to Refuse Money from Your Parents
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 by Kelly Sutton 
Dolla dolla bills. Photo by flickr user borman818.
There comes that dark day every so often where a parent may casually ask during the weekly phone check-up, "Do you need money?" Usually it will be from a father. It's his way of saying, "You're doing well, son. Let me offer part of my paycheck to you rather than choking up on the phone." But like the good college student that you are, you need to always be on the defense. See, the best students (us) work 40 hours per week while attending class and volunteering while maintaining a relationship with a member of the opposite gender, but nothing too serious yet.
So how do you refuse money from your parents? We've got it down to a few-step process.
Avoid the topic if at all possible
Usually the topic of money will inevitably get brought up toward the end of a phone conversation. Your parents are smart people and realize that you probably need money. But you don't.
The best way to avoid the topic is to always have an "out" at the end of the conversation. Schedule something to begin immediately at the end of the weekly phone call of something you'll need to run off to. Once the question gets brought up, you can just say, "Gotta go. Love you! Bye!"
Speak slowly and firmly
If the first method doesn't work, you will need to be frank with them. I recommend practicing in front of a mirror. Try the phrase
I'm sorry Mother and Father, but I do not require your monetary assistance at this time. If the event occurs in the future where I may require some funds, I will let you know in a neatly hand-written letter.
I've used that phrase several times before. It's bullet-proof.
Make the money yourself
The best way to never have to refuse money from your parents is to make the money yourself. We've got several posts that can help you do this, like Creating Passive Income Online as a Student. Give that a read and you'll never have an empty wallet.
Looking for a Christmas present to spend all of your money on? May we recommend the HackCollege Sweatshirts? Or forward the link to one of our helper pages onto your parents!
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