Yesterday, I had this big "OH @#$&" moment where I realized I owed Dylan $8 from two months ago. It truly was not intentional; I would never do such a thing on purpose! But it sadly makes me a flagrant violator of my own huge pet peeve: People who never pay you back!
There are varying degrees to this. If I lend someone an amount that is $1 or less, then I don't necessarily expect or need to get it back. If I lend money to a good friend who is likely to buy me a coffee or a beer at some point, or lend me money at another time, then I don't need to be paid back. HOWEVER...if I lend someone $5 or $10, or I lend someone $1 on a regular basis, I want and NEED my money back! That stuff adds up, and it's not like I'm made of money.
Quite the opposite, in fact. I have no current job, no job for after graduation, and am in six-figure debt. Thus, $5 is actually kind of a big deal to me, and as much as I am a generous soul who would love to finance the needs and desires of others, I'm just not in a position to do so.
The worst is when someone who has more money than you does this. Someone who has some type of income, far less debt than you, and yet they borrow $10 and never pay you back. And I'm not shy, I'll remind people politely, multiple times. And these people still ignore you and fail to make you whole! What are they thinking? Why is my financial well-being less important than theirs? It feels like you are getting punished for trying to do them a favor.
Another REALLY bad situation is the one that Dylan is currently in. She fronted the money for a group gift, and we all shared credit for it. So I got credit for a gift, and I haven't contributed my share. And poor Dylan has been out the money! I can't believe I've done this to her, since I've been in the exact same situation (recently, actually, and in fact still have not been reimbursed), and it feels really terrible. Dylan did all the work, and now she gets stuck footing the bill while the rest of us share credit?? No way! Unacceptable.
I will continue to lend people money when they are in need. And I will continue to front money for things I feel are important. And unfortunately, some people out there will continue to take advantage of that, and won't pay me back, and will get credit for my financial contribution or turn what was intended to be a loan into an undeserved monetary gift. And it will continue to suck...but I don't want to stop being a generous person.
So if you're reading this and you suddenly remember that you owe someone money, then pay them back immediately! And if you are purposely ignoring an outstanding debt that you ARE aware of, then shame on you, and stop being selfish and pay up. I know I'm paying Dylan back TODAY...plus interest!!
There are varying degrees to this. If I lend someone an amount that is $1 or less, then I don't necessarily expect or need to get it back. If I lend money to a good friend who is likely to buy me a coffee or a beer at some point, or lend me money at another time, then I don't need to be paid back. HOWEVER...if I lend someone $5 or $10, or I lend someone $1 on a regular basis, I want and NEED my money back! That stuff adds up, and it's not like I'm made of money.
Quite the opposite, in fact. I have no current job, no job for after graduation, and am in six-figure debt. Thus, $5 is actually kind of a big deal to me, and as much as I am a generous soul who would love to finance the needs and desires of others, I'm just not in a position to do so.
The worst is when someone who has more money than you does this. Someone who has some type of income, far less debt than you, and yet they borrow $10 and never pay you back. And I'm not shy, I'll remind people politely, multiple times. And these people still ignore you and fail to make you whole! What are they thinking? Why is my financial well-being less important than theirs? It feels like you are getting punished for trying to do them a favor.
Another REALLY bad situation is the one that Dylan is currently in. She fronted the money for a group gift, and we all shared credit for it. So I got credit for a gift, and I haven't contributed my share. And poor Dylan has been out the money! I can't believe I've done this to her, since I've been in the exact same situation (recently, actually, and in fact still have not been reimbursed), and it feels really terrible. Dylan did all the work, and now she gets stuck footing the bill while the rest of us share credit?? No way! Unacceptable.
I will continue to lend people money when they are in need. And I will continue to front money for things I feel are important. And unfortunately, some people out there will continue to take advantage of that, and won't pay me back, and will get credit for my financial contribution or turn what was intended to be a loan into an undeserved monetary gift. And it will continue to suck...but I don't want to stop being a generous person.
So if you're reading this and you suddenly remember that you owe someone money, then pay them back immediately! And if you are purposely ignoring an outstanding debt that you ARE aware of, then shame on you, and stop being selfish and pay up. I know I'm paying Dylan back TODAY...plus interest!!
No comments:
Post a Comment