Lending money to someone you love can help bail them out of tough situations, but it can also put a strain on the relationship. This is because some folks are financially irresponsible and might not repay the loan, no matter how much stress they cause the other person.
This is what one woman faced after being tasked with following up with her mother-in-law about repaying the $1,500 she had borrowed. Unfortunately, the older woman felt she was entitled to take her time returning the money, and she blew up at her daughter-in-law.
More info: Reddit
Having a disagreement with one’s in-laws can be a difficult situation to be in, and it can be hard to resolve
Image credits: Valeriia Miller / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The poster explained that she had always tried to appease her mother-in-law, but no matter what happened, the other woman always ignored her or spread rumors about her
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Even when the woman texted her in-law asking her to repay $500 from the loan she had taken, the other woman refused, stating that she was going on vacation
Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The mother-in-law also told the poster that she and her husband should have their finances in order instead of having to beg for money
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Eventually, the poster had to close the conversation since her mother-in-law was saying she should not contact her again unless it was an emergency
The woman explained that her husband had loaned his mother $3,000, which he had actually been saving up so that they could eventually move in together. The problem is that the older woman had been slacking off on her loan repayments, which is why her daughter-in-law had to text her about it.
According to financial experts, lending money to a loved one is a kind gesture, but it should be done only after careful thought and consideration. This is because sometimes folks might refuse to repay the loan or take their own sweet time to do so, which can be frustrating or stressful if people need the money back.
This is exactly the dire situation the poster found herself in, as both she and her husband hadn’t received their pay for a while, and when they did, the cash went only toward their rent. The issue is that when the OP reached out to her mother-in-law, the older woman said she was going on vacation and criticized them for not having their finances in order.
It can definitely be tough to deal with a financially irresponsible person like this because research has found that they often don’t recognize their own money problems. That’s why loved ones should set boundaries with them when it comes to loans, as they might just keep taking as many handouts as they can get.
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At first, the poster tried her best to be polite to her mother-in-law and explained why they needed at least $500 paid back. The problem is that no matter how kind or patient she was, the older woman ended up feeling insulted and criticized her for being “sarcastic” and for texting her when it wasn’t an “emergency.”
Eventually, the daughter-in-law confronted her husband’s mom and explained that if she didn’t have the money yet, she could have just said it instead of going on such a tirade. She also explained that her husband had worked hard to save up the $3,000 he had loaned and that she shouldn’t take it for granted.
Although the OP was only following up with her mother-in-law because her husband was at boot camp, professionals explain that it’s best for each spouse to take responsibility for their own parents. This way, they might be able to handle the situation better and avoid conflicts from getting too out of hand.
The poster shared that she wouldn’t normally have reached out to her mother-in-law like this, but she did so because her husband expected the loan repayment to continue even in his absence. Hopefully, this uncomfortable text exchange teaches the couple to avoid giving loans to irresponsible family members ever again.
Do you think there’s any other way for the woman to handle her entitled mother-in-law? We’d love to hear your opinions on this story.
Folks were shocked by the audacity of the older woman and felt that the poster should only let her husband handle such conversations with his mom in the future
