Financial Exploitation

What’s Happening Here

Okay, first of all — that grocery cart? That’s not some “oops I went a little overboard” situation. That’s a fully loaded narcissist tactic with a side of you might be paying for it one day, right? Narcy knows exactly what she’s doing. She strolls up with a cart full of shrimp, fancy coffee, triple-brie cheese, and 2-for-1 lobster tails and then acts like it's no big deal when the total hits triple digits.

But here’s the kicker: she doesn’t actually intend to pay every time. She is priming you. Testing you. Meanwhile, you’re just standing there at the checkout watching, thinking, she pushed the cart, and she walked past everything you wanted to grab.

This might be the beginning of financial exploitation, and Narcy made it look casual. But it’s not. It’s manipulative. It’s a pattern. And it’s really, really expensive.

How This Usually Starts

• The Love-Bomb Setup: At first, Narcy’s generous. She gives you expensive gifts, fancy dinners, maybe even pays for stuff before you can. It feels amazing. It feels like love. Spoiler: it’s a setup.
• The Emotional IOU: Later on, it’s like you're “even” — except not really. Suddenly, you're expected to cover things for her. “After all I’ve done for you,” she’ll say. It’s a guilt trip disguised as gratitude.
• The Mooch Merge: Narcy starts blurring lines. “I thought we were a team.” Or, “You said you wanted to treat me!” Or, “I didn’t ask for all that.” But she did—she just asked with silence, suggestion, and a little plate of dry-begging on the side.

The Financial Fog

Over time, it becomes hard to track who paid for what — and that’s exactly the point. She’s not going to Venmo you for her half of dinner. She’s not going to “get the next one.” And if you ask about money, she’ll act offended. Defensive. Or worse — wounded. "I thought you cared about me." She doesn’t want to be equal. She wants to be owed.

This kind of manipulation isn’t just inconsiderate — it’s controlling. It keeps people off-balance and puts Narcy in a position of power. Financial exploitation is a quiet weapon in the narcissist toolbox.