29-year-old man couldn’t afford a medical test, so he asked his girlfriend for a $100 loan — the question she asked broke him down

When two people choose to share a life, they also commit to supporting each other through difficult moments. At times, one partner is stronger physically, emotionally, and financially, and they should help the other in need. But the tension begins when, instead of supporting each other, they start questioning each other's self-worth. That's what a 29-year-old man from Germany experienced when he asked his girlfriend of 6 years for a $100 loan. Instead of helping him, she doubted his ability, undermining his self-worth. Heartbroken, the boyfriend (u/kruktk) turned to Reddit to ask if he should continue the relationship. Shared on May 24, 2026, his post has received over 1,500 upvotes on the platform. 

An unexpected expense

The couple had been dating for six years and had planned to get married soon. As a resident of Germany, where the job market was in a terrible state, he had been struggling to find a job for over a year. His girlfriend, however, had a stable job that paid her decent money. Of late, the boyfriend had enrolled in a training program for a company, for which he moved to a different city and paid accommodation costs out of his own pocket. Though the company would have reimbursed the amount later, the sudden expense forced the man to use his savings, straining his financial condition. "I also had to do a medical examination. I had brought the money I needed for both the exam and the accommodation; however, the accommodation turned out to be a little more expensive than I had thought," the man explained.

The question that changed everything

So, with only $30 in his account, the boyfriend called his girlfriend and asked for a loan of $100. The boyfriend even promised to pay it back after his costs got reimbursed, but his partner seemed hesitant. In fact, she humiliated him, asking, "What would you do if I weren’t here?" Bummed by her response, the boyfriend asked her to forget about it and instead approached a close friend to borrow the money. 

Girlfriend expected him to fund their life

The boyfriend had never been dependent on his girlfriend before. In fact, this was the first time he had asked her for a financial favor. "She also expects me to earn way more than her in the future and support both of us, which I would gladly do. Is it really so bad that I asked her for $100?" he asked his Reddit audience. Knowing that $100 wasn't a lot for his partner, the man was even more disappointed by her reaction. He said that her question felt like a "slap in the face." Moreover, the man asked people whether he should continue his relationship with his partner. Later, responding to her humiliating question, he also clarified that he would have skipped the medical exam or would have asked his employer for money if his girlfriend hadn't been there.

Does earning less than your partner ruin the relationship?

As demonstrated in his story, unbalanced earnings can often provoke relationship struggles. The partner who bears the most financial responsibility may fear losing their autonomy, and the partner who is struggling may feel like a financial burden. As research in the Financial Planning Research Journal suggests, all this distress can significantly strain relationship satisfaction, maybe even propelling it to the point of separation. Moreover, the study concluded that a one-point increase in a partner’s financial transparency score is linked to a 127% greater likelihood of a one-point increase in the individual’s marital satisfaction. Similarly, when a financial concern increases by 1 unit, there is a 94% chance that their relationship satisfaction will also drop by 1 unit. While it is research-proven that financial concerns often unconsciously shape our relationships, communication, and empathy can help a couple navigate through the thick and thin, which seemed to be lacking from the woman's side in the story. 

Netizens offer conflicting views 

In response to the boyfriend’s post, Reddit users laid out a wide spectrum of perspectives on the situation. Some argued that the girlfriend didn’t have enough faith in the relationship; others defended her, saying her financial insecurity was valid, given that he had been struggling for a long time. For instance, u/sofakingweak commented, "That response, 'What would you do if I weren't here?' It makes it sound like this is not the first time he has asked for help, and maybe he should be better prepared before he commits to doing something." Meanwhile, u/blaire-waldorf wrote, "I would have understood if it was a large amount, but $100? This amount is the price of a meal for two. After 6 years of a relationship, I would find it offensive."

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