Sometimes I think I'm not cut out to live in this ruthless world. I can't be mean to anyone, or even stand up for myself without feeling guilty about it. Boy oh boy, my mother sure knows how to make me feel like a bad person. What's happening is.. I started working in March... and I've been saving all the money so that I can get my visa.. She keeps making me spend unnecessary money on stuff we don't need and always gets really angry when I speak about it.
My sister gave me $600 to buy her an item, I didn't find it so I gave the money to my mom for safe-keeping. She spent it and guess who was the pushover who had to repay my sister? Yes, that's right me. I see stuff all the time that I want to buy for myself, a new phone... an Ipad.. but I don't. Why? Because I'm saving... yet for some reason I have to buy her $20.00 sundaes every evening after work, or take my family out to dinner. Since I've been working all I've bought myself was a mouse. Yes, that's right a mouse.
I checked my balance yesterday and from the $6000 that I worked for I have $4500 and I bought nothing for myself. I may seem selfish but I am really hurt because when I spoke about it she made me feel like a horrible daughter. Is it really so wrong to want to be able to go see someone who has been a part of my life for the past 2 1/2 years which is why I am trying so hard to get my documents which is why I need money in my account?
She even went to far as to say it's after work and I should shut up and buy her dinner because she's tired. Uhm.. I was at work all day as well. I'm tired too, mom. So yeah.. maybe I don't belong in a world like this.. where I feel guilty for even standing up for myself. I am literally in tears as I write this. I can't take it anymore.
Wow, your mom sounds perpetually entitled and like she has a second job as a travel agent for guilt trips. You are not her parent and unless there is some reason she is incapable of doing so for herself (which sounds like it is not the case) it should not be your job to financially support her.
It sounds like you need some distance and to give your mom some space to get her act together and realize that if she keeps treating you like this she will lose you. It sounds like she wouldn't be reasonable enough to work out some sort of you pay her "rent" now that you are working and have income to take care of your own expenses (this is what my parents asked of me once I was out of college but still living at home and it seems reasonable (but I have awesome parents and their "rent" is still the best deal in town)), but if you have another place to go and know what rent would cost on your own you might be able to open the conversation and if it blows up you'll have somewhere to go to get away. Besides if it's even 20, $20 sundaes every month that's $400 per month. Getting your own place may not be that much additional expense and certainly would pay in lower stress levels.
Moving out would be perfectly normal and acceptable in the US, but I don't know how it is where you are. I do know that where I'm living now in Asia, there is a lot of pressure on the oldest child to help support and provide for their younger siblings and family once they start working. There's also a cultural expectation for a child to use their first real paycheck to buy a thank you gift for their parents as a token of appreciation for all the work their parents put into raising them. But your mom demanding gifts and treat is completely unreasonable. The term emotional blackmail comes to mind.
One other thought I'm having is that your mother may be afraid of you leaving home and is making these demands in an effort (perhaps unconsciously) to make sure you can't leave her. You are not the one with the biggest issues here and you are not a horrible person for wanting something for yourself or for refusing to buy overpriced sundaes or expensive dinners for the family.
Only other thing I can say is that if you mom has money management issues, make sure she cannot access the money in your account. Do what you need to do to protect yourself emotionally as well. That's the best I've got other than
Big Hugs