Ben Afflec is on a roll with making enemies this season. “I Have The Money, You’re Broke!”: People Are Praising Ben Affleck’s Harsh But Fair Approach To Spending Money On His And Jennifer Garner’s Kids

Ben Affleck is practicing tough love when it comes to keeping his kids grounded

As you probably know, Ben shares three children with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner and earlier this month, the Gone Girl actor had a very relatable dad moment caught on Camera during an outing with his 13-year-old son, Samuel.

While at a sneaker-shopping convention on March 1, a viral clip showed Samuel setting his sights on a pair of Dior Air Jordan 1s, which retail for upwards of $6,000. “You like those ‘cause they’re expensive,” Ben told his son, who replied: “No, they’re tough! I’ve always said they look good.” Despite Sam’s defense, Ben was reluctant to make the purchase and suggested that the teen should start saving up to buy them himself, saying: “That’s a lot of lawns you gotta’ mow there!”

To put it into perspective, Ben is estimated to be worth a reported $150 million, so there’s no doubt he’d have been able to afford them. And with that in mind, people online praised the star’s decision to teach his son a lesson about hard work rather than just buying him the shoes. Now, speaking on the red carpet at the South by Southwest premiere of his upcoming movie, The Accountant 2, Ben joked about the interaction and doubled down on his call.

When asked if Samuel has made any progress with his lawn-mowing venture, Ben told Access Hollywood that his son’s interest in the expensive sneakers quickly faded. “That’s what happens when you tell a motherfucker you have to mow a lawn — all of a sudden, they don’t want those shoes anymore,” he joked before asking the interviewer if she could relate to the parenting struggle.

A person at a SXSW event in a white suit jacket and tie, standing in front of a yellow backdrop with various logos

“There’s always some grift why I need to be buying [something for my kids],” Ben said as he shared the hilarious motto he uses to keep his children grounded. “I’m like, ‘You do not need thousand-dollar shoes!’ He’s like, ‘We have the money’ — I have the money, you’re broke!”