When Money Becomes a Weapon
Money is more than dollars and cents. It’s freedom, security, and choice.
Controlling the money as a means to control you isn’t managing the money …
It’s Financial Abuse.
Financial abuse can take many forms, and it often hides in plain sight. Unlike physical abuse, there are no bruises — just growing fear, dependency, and loss of autonomy.
Here are some common (but often overlooked) signs:
Controlling all the money and giving you an “allowance”
Forbidding you to work, or sabotaging job opportunities
Requiring you to work, but taking or controlling your income
Blaming you for financial stress they caused
Hiding money or making large purchases without discussing it
Demanding financial decisions be made only by them
Running up debt in your name, or ruining your credit
Making you feel guilty for spending even small amounts on yourself
It’s NOT about money … it’s about CONTROL
Sometimes financial abuse looks like forced scarcity: lights getting shut off, groceries becoming unaffordable, gas tanks running on empty — while the abuser makes reckless or selfish purchases.
Other times, it looks like forced responsibility: you're working two jobs while they refuse to contribute, then shaming you for not doing more.
If you feel trapped because of finances, know this: you’re not crazy or irresponsible. You’re being manipulated. Your fear is valid. And you are not alone.
Financial abuse thrives in silence — but it begins to lose power the moment you name it. You deserve access, partnership, and autonomy. Your needs matter. Your independence matters.