Comedian and author Meredith Masony received a wakeup call after she openly admitted that she gave her teenager $200 to spend on a four-day, out-of-state trip and was surprised when her teen said it wasn't enough money.
The TikToker explained that she and her husband agreed to give their daughter $200 "in cash" so she could go away for the weekend and have a "fantastic time."
But after she left, they noticed a few small charges go to the Capitol One credit card that they had entrusted to her. They called her that night, inquiring about why she was using the card instead of the cash.
The teen explained:
"'Well that's for food."
Masony reflected:
"I was like, 'I don't understand what that means, that's for food. We gave you $200 for food, for fun. For a fantastic time.'"
"She goes, 'Oh no, food doesn't count in that $200.' I don't ... 'The $200 was mine.'"
"'The $200 was mine.' The Capital One is for food, 'cause you guys have to pay for my food.'"
Staring angrily into the camera, Masony said:
"Teenagers have lost their f**king minds."
You can watch the video here:
@thats_inappropriate “That’s my money…” #mom #momlife #motherhood #momsoftiktok #fyp #motherhood #teens #parenting #genz
While the TikToker might have expected others to come forward and commiserate with her, she was instead bombarded with critical comments, pointing out that $200 was not realistic in today's economy, among other issues in the video. Shortly after posting, she turned commenting off on the video.
But comments continued to roll in on X (Twitter), where the video had been shared.
Some were similarly critical of how unrealistic $200 was for a four-day weekend away.
I agree teenagers have lost their minds but the reality is that in 2025 $50 is most certainly not enough for food AND fun AND souvenirs. I hate to admit it but mommy needs to open the purse if she’s going to let her teenager go away for a 4 day (!!) birthday trip.
— catastrophic blues ⚓️ (@4everinblujean) February 19, 2025
Yeah, just stopping to say $200 for 4 days is totally unrealistic. There is no way $200 will cover food let alone food, fun and a “fantastic” time.
— Jillian N (@jillian_null) February 19, 2025
My kids don't get credit cards so that was her first mistake. But only $200 for 4 days of eating out with friends? No. Give that baby $500.
— AloeWhale (@AloeWhale) February 19, 2025
That McDonalds 3x a day @ $15 and $5 for fun and souvenirs. She should have a blast! God forbid if she wants to get a bottle of water....
— Boiling Water 247 (@BoilingWater247) February 19, 2025
pic.twitter.com/o0Y5fDEudS
— Sarah Good (@catpurrsarenice) February 20, 2025
Others made far more critical comments of the parents.
Wait……
You let your 16 yr old daughter go away with friends for the weekend?
A sophomore in high school?
— MommaKel (@TheKelmom) February 19, 2025
Tell us you failed as parents without saying it
— KoD Gibb (@KoD_Gibb) February 19, 2025
Mistake number one, not explaining exactly how to use the money. Mistake number two, giving a teenager a credit card that you have to pay for.
— ydfah (@ydfah) February 19, 2025
Imagine posting this about your kid...
— JC777 (@jc_x_777) February 19, 2025
YOU raised her!
Thankfully, I raised my kids to have an understanding of money, common sense, and respect for their parents!
— GINGERSKOL💜💛 (@GlowSurfing) February 19, 2025
$200 might be a lot for someone to save up to use on a trip, but it's not a lot of money in the sense of how much you'll be able to purchase with it.
Even the smartest of spenders would struggle to use only $200 during a four-day weekend trip out-of-state in an expensive, touristy city like Nashville—and that isn't guaranteeing they'd have the greatest time.
But when we're talking about teenagers who are still learning how to navigate using tools like money responsibly, that would only be even more of a challenge.
@EdwardLawrence/X