A video of a boyfriend with “a million” in his bank account opting to bring a packed lunch on a beach trip has gone viral on TikTok.
The clip was posted on August 15 by @stasyabryk and has received more than 1.8 million views. The footage shows a man sitting in a beach-hut setting, tucking into what appears to be pasta from a plastic food container with a fork in hand.
A message overlaid on the clip reads: “It’s my boyfriend, he has a million on his bank account, 5 apartments in Rome, and 2 houses on Sardinia [the Italian island], but he prepare 1€ pasta for the beach to not pay for the lunch.”
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Many Americans can probably relate to the beachgoer’s alleged attempt to save money where he can.
Forty percent of consumers in the U.S. feel “highly affected” by the ongoing cost of living crisis, according to an April 2023 survey by We Are Social and Statista Q, a platform providing market and consumer data.
A statement shared by the White House in February 2022 said: “Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, too many working families felt the squeeze of an ever-increasing cost of living.”
Last summer, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the average change over time in the prices of consumer goods and services, saw its largest increase in 40 years. The CPI rose by 9.1 percent over a 12-month period ending in June 2022, driven largely by fuel and gas price hikes.
In a statement back in February, the Biden administration announced a “comprehensive strategy to boost the capacity of the economy and lower costs for working families.” This plan included an effort to lower “kitchen table costs,” including the cost of health care, child care and prescription drugs.
Several TikTok users praised the boyfriend’s actions in the latest post.
Teresa Uhlfelder Álvares Ribeiro wrote, “That’s how you become rich,” and Ismail Dollie added: “that’s how he keeps his money.”
User @kasnao0 posted: “This is how the rich stay richer.”
User cheryl commented that it was a “Smart financial decision,” while ativa.relo agreed, writing, “Smart, that is why he is a millionaire.”
User debbie_jones84 posted: “It’s called [being] financially responsible.”
Other TikTok users commented that the situation was sad and that the boyfriend was being stingy.
Sarah wrote: “Lol [laugh out loud] when I’m on holiday idc [I don’t care] about costs of food or drinks, i’m there to enjoy not to save money.”
User stemstar14 posted, “that’s so sad,” while user promi g wrote that this was a “red flag.”
User @loliloloia commented that “being stingy isn’t cool…”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster via TikTok for comment. This video has not been independently verified.
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