A 34-year-old woman has admitted feeling increasingly bitter toward her retired parents because she believes their spending could reduce the inheritance she expected to receive someday. Her parents have been enjoying expensive trips to destinations including Thailand, New York and Costa Rica, something she initially supported before her feelings began to change.

The woman explained that her parents had previously told her and her sibling that their remaining savings would eventually be left to them. Because of that, watching her parents spend heavily on vacations has become difficult. “Their dream holidays are draining my inheritance,” she wrote, admitting that her own financial struggles have made the situation even more frustrating.

At 34, she says she is still renting and living from paycheck to paycheck, while buying a home feels increasingly out of reach. She also worries about whether she could afford to raise children without financial help from her parents. This led her to question whether she and her sibling are selfish for hoping their parents save money, or whether the parents are being selfish by spending so freely.

Yet there is another side to the debate. Her parents worked and saved for decades, and they may want to enjoy their money while they are healthy enough to travel. An inheritance is also never guaranteed, regardless of what parents may have previously promised. Their story raises a difficult family question: Should parents preserve wealth for their children, or should they be free to enjoy the money they worked for?