‘You Can Do Better’: Woman’s Post About Her Boyfriend’s Job Troubles Draws Criticism

A woman's post to r/GirlDinnerDiaries describes her frustration with a boyfriend's financial situation after he moved in following an eviction and struggled to hold steady employment. The post had gathered over 3,400 upvotes and 2,200 comments at the time of writing.

The poster wrote that her boyfriend, who is 21, has lived with her for four months after losing his apartment when his roommate stopped paying rent, leading to their eviction. She said his job at the time had also ended because of the company shutting down, worsening the situation.

He was later fired from a new job after only a week, receiving a text that read, "We've decided to let you go," without further explanation. She described his current job as commission-based sales work, and he only got paid if he reached "15 customers per week or something like that," capping his earnings around $400 in a good week and sometimes nothing at all.

The Redditor said she repeatedly urged him to look for other work, writing, "I've even had him apply to other jobs but he insists this one is the best he'll ever get." She said the couple can only afford outings "maybe once a month if he's paying," and that she has grown "sick of paying for everything."

She wrote that he carries unpaid debt from his old apartment and, after covering his own bills, is typically left with about $20 and no savings. Whenever she raised concerns, he would tell her to 'be patient and trust this job' and that she didn't 'need to be stressed over his problems.'

In a follow-up, the poster clarified that she and her boyfriend were together for five months before he moved in, and that she does not charge him rent so he can save money, though he still covers his own personal bills. Before his job losses, he "would genuinely try to spoil me," suggesting his behavior changed as a result of the financial strain.

She later added an update saying she had a serious conversation with him about finding better work, informing him that commenters had described his current job as "scammy," which she also agreed with. He acknowledged her concerns, submitted new job applications, and said he was "realizing this job isn't all he thought it was." She closed the post by calling him 'not a bad person, just a bit naive.'

Commenters raised concerns about the boyfriend's behavior described in the post. One argued the boyfriend had shifted responsibility for his circumstances onto the poster. They wrote, "I mean it'd be fine if they were his problems but he made them yours. You can do better."

Another described a similar situation involving a friend. They wrote, "Yuuup. Happened to my friend. Two years later, he owed her 20 grand. These guys know how to give women just enough hope to not get dumped and squeeze everything out of them."

A different commenter wondered why he was fired so quickly from his previous job. They wrote, "This. It's actually hard to get fired in the first week of work unless something bad happens."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in this post, including the identities of those involved and the nature of the boyfriend's employment. The details above reflect the original poster's account as shared on Reddit.