WHY DOES EIGHTEEN WANT MONEY? 💰🤔
Well... the answer is actually right in front of us & can be broken down into 3 parts.
Privacy
Property
Providing
1. The lack of privacy... 😑
K18 were tired of Roshi. 18 could rarely let her gaurd down around Krillin and just be a wife to him. She always had to be on guard. I say that because No. 18 is more openly affectionate with her family & friends after they move out of Kame House between the Buu saga & BoG saga. The way she speaks is full of emotion in comparison to how she was more reserved in DBZ.
18 could only temporarily relax with Krillin during moments when Roshi was gone; like when he was out shopping, or went to a hostess club, or whenever K18 leave Kame House for some alone time, ect.
We also can't forget this important information; Krillin taught 18 how to control her power output over the span of 7 years. But even after all that time, 18 still had difficulty suppressing her attacks. Her suppressed attack on the Punch Machine was seven times more than Mr. Satan's strongest attack was. If 18 ever attacked Roshi out of anger like how Bulma has done, Roshi would be dead.
Krillin definitely played bodyguard for 18 & kept Roshi in-check. It's not like 18 needed it, but Krillin is the kind of guy to always defends those he loves the most (even if they don't need him to defend them).
Besides, Krillin ain't afraid to hit Roshi if he needs to.
Krillin was the first fighter to attack Vegeta & Nappa as well as being the first to attack Perfect Cell. He'll wack a perverted old man with the quickness!
2. Buying your own house ain't cheap! 🏠
18 & Krillin want a house for themselves. No doubt Krillin was working to save money. He may not have certain education needed for higher paying jobs, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to work hard!
PART-TIME JOBS KRILLIN LIKELY HAD:
Farmhand
Construction helper
Milk delivery
With the level of power Krillin has as an adult, he can get all of that work done in a flash (or take his time if he's getting paid by the hour). And based off her personality, I'm certain that 18 was alongside Krillin to help him on his jobs, or she was there to give him water & food to replenish her husband's energy.
Tien & Chaozu were revealed to have been farmers (interview & DBS ending 7) and Goku is also a farmer in DBS. It's a good way for them to make money & get a workout.
But, the prize money for the Tenkaichi Budokai presented the perfect opportunity for K18 to easily win a lot of money in little time.
18 was super eager for her & Krillin to compete in the tournament because she was more than ready to move out of Kame House.
If 18 & Krillin were lucky enough, they could win 4th & 5th place at the very least. That's 3 million zeni in total!
Fortunately for them, Mr. Satan was desperate to keep his lie going, so 18 was able to blackmail Mr. Satan for extra money as well as winning the second place prize (old delinquent habits resurfacing).
3. She's supporting her family. 👨👩👧
After the Buu saga & at some point before DBS began, 18 used the prize money from the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai to buy her family their own home.
18 can finally be emotionally vulnerable with her family in the privacy of her own home & she expresses much more emotion throughout DBS thanks to having a house for themselves.
Then, we see in DBS EP 68, No. 18 states how Krillin always buys her & their daughter gifts, so she expresses how she wants to get him something special. Then, Bulma reminds her that the most valuable thing to Krillin is spending time with his wife & daughter.
This stays in 18's mind & heart.
In later episodes, No. 18 is shown to spend more time with her husband, puts hearts in his cappuccinos, and she even trains with Krillin more. (How else would K18 have came up with strategies & team attacks before Goku recruited them for the ToP?)
Then during the ToP arc, 18 agrees to join Team Universe 7 because she wants the prize money that Goku promised both Krillin & 18 would get if they win.
But, why does 18 want money this time? 🤔
Well, let's have 18 speak for herself...
There it is, folks! 🙌
We get the answer in episode 117 of DBS. 18 tells her brother that she originally entered the ToP to be able to make things easier for Krillin & their family. Her dedication to her family is her primary focus and responsibility.
CONCLUSION:
18 isn't obsessed with money for selfish reasons as many in the fandom inaccurately claim. Yes, she does like nice clothes (who doesn't?) and Krillin gets them for her, but above all else... 18 wants money so that Krillin can work less and they can all spend more time together as a family!
[K18 already fans knew this info. This is more of an explanation for those who may not understand the characters well. Also, this is to help refute the lies that many in the DB fandom regurgitate to make K18 look bad.]
SIDE NOTE: Chi-Chi is like this too. She wants to have money for her family (as any good parent does) as well as giving her children the opportunity for a better education than she had.
It's insane how many ppl ignore the important & obvious qualities of these characters and decide to make up lies instead. Then, there are others who are ill-informed & are deceived by dishonest ppl.

















