Why I’m Cool With My Parents Taking All My Red Packet Money.
I give my parents all my red packet money
This happened when I was still in primary school. My friends and I had just returned from our Chinese New Year holiday and we were discussing how it went. They started comparing how much red packet money they got and what they were going to spend it on.
I sat there in shock. I didn’t know how much I got as I was never allowed to keep my own red packets.
When I got home, I asked my mum why we couldn’t keep our ang bao money in our own bank accounts.
That was the wrong thing to do.
She got angry and yelled, “Why must you keep the money when we are the ones giving out money to others?”
From then on, I no longer asked her about the money. However, I still felt it wasn’t fair that my friends got to spend on new clothes and toys, while I couldn’t.
So I was a little upset about it. However, as I grew older, I grew to accept it and here’s why.
It’s not my money, to begin with
My parents withdraw money for red packets from their banks on a yearly basis. They ought to be able to receive the same amount—or more—back. My parents should therefore be the ones to benefit from the money we received. Otherwise, they would have lost hundreds of dollars.
It’s their hard-earned money. As I got older, I started working part-time and interning at multiple companies. Then, I remembered my mum saying “earning money is tough, spending money is easy”. I agreed. So, I shouldn’t take their hard-earned money.
I want to ease my parents’ burdens
Since the day I was born, my parents have spent a lot of money raising me, and I already appreciate that. They also covered the cost of my university tuition. Even if they made money off the ang baos we receive, they’re only using it to pay for my siblings’ education, transportation, and food. Raising four kids is a hard job and can be quite financially draining. So I am okay with my parents keeping the ang baos.
Why I don’t need red packet money
Now that I’m making my own money, not being able to keep my red packet money doesn’t hurt me as much. After all, I get to ease my family’s financial burdens. It’s my way of being a filial daughter. Besides, there’s more to Chinese New Year than just red packets.
Do you keep your own red packet money, or do you let your parents keep them?
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