Show of Hands

My wife’s parents are in a situation like this. They basically took out a huge loan for a relative, and she’s only made payments to cover the interest or something like that over several years. She can buy $600 handbags though.

I don’t lend money to friends or family. I donate it.

I lent a friend $1,000 once. I was very surprised when she paid me back. Honestly, I lent it knowing that I probably wouldn’t get it back. Never lend money that you can’t afford to lose.

I invested several thousand dollars with a friend to help start a company. He folded the company, told me my money was gone, then flew to the Bahamas.

Hey, a thousand bucks is a thousand bucks. Get your money from them.

You don’t know how they got the money for the tickets, do you? Maybe family gave it to them?

You might just casually bring it up in conversation.

First rule of lending money (from my dad): if you decide you are willing to loan someone money, automatically assume you won’t be getting it back. It makes things much less tricky.