'Poor' sister has premium tv but still wants handouts

[Atethehalloweenchocs]

I just found out my sister has been paying £50 a month for tv for the last few years, all the while claiming poverty so she cannot pay for her own coffee if we are out (when she is not claiming she has forgotten her purse) or offer any money for petrol when requesting lifts. Obviously its her money but I feel so taken advantage of when I have effectively been subbing her for a few years while I have been struggling. She smokes and buys convenience foods, and keeps equipment for an expensive hobby so she has lots of places she could cut back, but I have always been able to justify those things. I know this is just the payment for her tv, she let it slip accidentally when we were talking about something else and then kind of caught herself. I feel totally taken advantage of - AIBU?

I can understand that you would feel used. At least you know now so you won't be subbing her any more.

IMO anyone who can afford to buy cigarettes cannot claim to be poor so you had a good clue there

Is this inspired by the "working class stereotypes" thread? ;)

Well now you know so stop subbing her. If you go for coffee ask her BEFORE you order if she's got cash/card as its her turn to pay.

If she says No walk away.

No you're not BU but can you say no to coffee next time? And ask her outright for the petrol money if you need it.
If you're still substantially better off than her then you could just let it slide.

Next time she asks for a handout, just explain that you're having to cut back due to the cost of living, hopefully she'll take the hint.

YANBU. If she can afford to smoke, she isn’t poor, and any smoker who tried to plead poverty to me would be told that very bluntly.

In your place I'd be very pissed off - but the being able to afford to smoke would have been a niggling give away before the TV subscription revelation.
Invite yourself to hers for coffee if there's something particular you'd like to watch?

I wouldn’t necessarily have an issue with the TV because it might include phone, internet etc and £50 a month isn’t ridiculous for that.
You would struggle to have a night out on that now.
But smoking is literally burning a tenner every time, so how many times a week does she do that, and the hobby thing would annoy me, although only if she bought new stuff, not just because she had it, she might have been given it or got it cheap.
Smoking for me is definitely the biggest waste of money of the three.

The tv is probably because it’s on credit or rented so more a sign she’s broke tbh. Smoking though costs a fortune and I’m amazed anyone could afford it

No, @40f the cost of the tv was just the subscription cost for channels, not for the actual set - and I know it did not include phone, internet etc. As I said, she let it slip when we were talking about something and then kind of caught herself - she has form for being secretive about what she spends on things - she pretended she only had freeview for ages and would have continued if she had not mentioned something she had watched which she could not have seen on a freeview channel and I commented on it (I have freeview and hadnt seen it). Cant go there for coffee because the house stinks of smoke and makes me feel ill. She retired early and was supposed to get a part time job but never has - constantly comments about being a poor pensioner but it is all seeming like total BS.

I think she means like sky or Virgin etc rather than the TV itself.

Ahh ok. Hmm that is a lot then!