Lending and borrowing money between friends and family members hardly ever ends well. This is often because when a loved one gives a loan, the person borrowing the money doesn’t feel compelled to repay it fast. The lender may also feel guilty or embarrassed to ask for it back.
This is what happened when a man lent his friend a fairly large sum to buy a house. He didn’t want to pester her to repay it because he trusted her. Unfortunately, his wife wasn’t so convinced and felt that the friend wasn’t going to give a cent back.
More info: Mumsnet
Folks who lend money to their loved ones should do so only if there is a written agreement made
Image credits: Alena Darmel / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The poster shared that her husband’s friends had borrowed £40k a year ago and still hadn’t repaid the loan
Image credits: Nicole Michalou / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The couple had asked the friends for their money back thrice, but instead of repaying them, they were throwing a huge 50th birthday bash
Image credits: SpaceMoo
Image credits: SpaceMoo
Image credits: Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The husband didn’t want to confront his friends about the money issue, but his furious wife wanted to take action and felt that he had been taken advantage of
Image credits: SpaceMoo
The woman felt that they should set up a loan agreement with the friends or contact solicitors, but her husband felt it would ruin the friendship
The woman vented to folks online, stating that her husband’s friends had asked for money and had taken a pretty sizable loan. They had not repaid the money for a year and instead were throwing a huge 50th birthday party. The OP didn’t feel like attending the event because she was so frustrated about the friends’ behavior.
To understand how to deal with touchy situations like this, Bored Panda reached out to Dr. Jon Dabach. He is a marriage and intimacy expert with over a decade of experience helping couples. He holds a PhD in interpersonal counseling, is a certified master life coach, and co-authored the bestseller ‘Your Apology Sucks’ with his wife, psychologist Dr. Michelle Dabach.
Dr. Jon explained that “when money gets tangled up in close relationships, especially when it’s borrowed and not repaid, it doesn’t just cause financial stress—it chips away at the foundation of trust and emotional safety.”
“The lender often feels taken advantage of, while the borrower might feel shame, defensiveness, or entitlement, depending on the dynamic. That tension can quickly bleed into the romantic relationship if one partner feels betrayed by the other’s blind loyalty or lack of boundaries.”
The woman also shared that she had asked for the loan to be repaid thrice, but their friends didn’t seem to be interested in returning the money. Her husband also refused to take a stand against them. Although you want to be empathetic toward the financial struggles that your loved ones are going through, it’s also important to set boundaries.
Experts say that you should have an honest discussion with them about the money you’ve lent and find out what’s stopping them from repaying you. Approaching this situation with empathy and care is the best way to move ahead without causing conflict.
Image credits: shurkin_son / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The woman was getting frustrated with her husband’s complacency and asked folks whether she should get solicitors involved. She also felt like cutting the friends off and not attending their party as she was more concerned about getting her £40k back.
Dr. Jon Dabach also said that “in this specific case, the couple needs to get radically honest. The wife needs to voice how the unpaid debt makes her feel—not just about the money, but what it represents: disrespect, insecurity, or maybe even fear that her husband is prioritizing his friend over their family.”
“The husband needs space to reflect on whether his loyalty is based on trust, guilt, or fear of confrontation. They don’t need to agree on the friend’s character—but they do need to agree on what financial boundaries look like moving forward,” he added.
It seems clear that the husband was more worried about preserving his friendship than reducing his wife’s anxiety. Hopefully, they both have an open discussion about the matter and try to understand each other’s perspectives better. Or else they may never end up getting the money back or their peace of mind.
What would you do about this if you were in the wife’s position? Share your honest thoughts in the comments.
People felt that the real problem in this situation was the husband’s behavior and dismissiveness
