Comments about ‘Friend lends helping hand but ends up empty-handed’

9 years ago, my husbands brother asked to borrow $10,000 to buy a house for his family. He promised to pay us back in 3 months. 9 years later, we still have not seen a dime. Meanwhile, he has several cars, brags about his thriving trucking business, and has received tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses from his sales jobs. Who am I really mad at?
Myself.

Loaning to family members is a bad idea. It almost always ruins the relationship.

That's why they invented the 'gopher hole' theory.

When someone askes to borrow money, take the amount of money you can afford to throw down a gopher hole...and then lend them that...as you will never see it again.

This philosphy has worked well for me. I don't get mad anymore when I don't get paid back.

K has it well. Lend what you can afford to lose and mentally remind your self it is a gift. If they do pay you back, you can be pleasantly surprised. Either way, the education is about the other person's character. The dishonest ones rarely get a second chance with me.