Question about Carter…

So I’m on a rewatch and in the thick of the various episodes where everyone is talking about how Carter is lazy and never pays for anything. Anytime someone points this out to Kristen, or even Carter himself, they both just stand there or shrug it off. Now, one explanation is that he, indeed, is just a lazy mooch with zero shame when multiple people call him out on it. But I’m not satisfied with that theory. Most people would, at some point, have enough pride to defend themselves on national television, or even lie to make themselves look better in the face of overwhelming criticism.

To my point: WHY didn’t Carter pay for anything? Like, for years? And why didn’t he (or even Kristen!) ever counter anyone’s accusations of the sort on camera? What are your theories?