Family cant afford Christmas

curty510

A friend of my wife has asked if we can lend her some money for Christmas, as she said she hasn't been 'paid' this month and cannot afford presents/food etc for her family(husband & 3 kids).

Now when I say paid, neither of them work, nothing wrong with them, just dont work and claim multiple benefits. I don't know the reason for them not being paid , I presume sanctions or a blatant lie, don't know, nor care.

My wife is more than happy to lend them £500, I am 100% against it as i doubt we will see it back and I cannot abide the lot of them. She feels for their children as it is not their fault that the parents are total losers. In the 5 years we have been in this village we have not known them to work, they drink a lot, both smoke(i refer to them as 'The Clampitts'.....so shy should i bail them out?

I have savings available, and if they were my kids/grandkids i would be in the bank now and not expect it back. But as i said i cannot stand them, but OH gets on with the wife through a club.

I probably come across as a bit scrooge like, im not, i can afford to lose the money, but don't see why i should.

Would you bail them out?

missbiggles1

If they were actually starving, possibly. So that they can have a bang up Christmas with all the trimmings, definitely not.

jackieblack

curty510 wrote: »

Would you bail them out?

No. .............

fairy_lights

Who leaves all of their Christmas shopping until a week before Christmas?
£500 is a crazy amount and there's not a snowballs chance in hell I would agree to that. If there genuinely has been a mix up with their benefits and they can't afford food then they would be able to get help from a food bank.

kazwookie

No, not £500...............


If you must do a shop for them on line and have it delivered.

Are they starving? are they still smoking?

Faith177

There are plenty of charities able to assist at this time of year.

I have a "friend" who acted similar to the way you describe your wife's friend. The woman went out drinking all weekend every weekend, smoked ,gambled ect come Christmas had the begging bowl out and her kids ended up with all their presents from a charity fund she then had the cheek to complain they weren't wrapped and she had to buy wrapping paper!

Tell your wife to suggest local food banks ect they are normally able to help

Person_one

Able bodied but not working, they smoke, they drink, more than the average number of kids... could they possibly fit the Daily Mail stereotype any better?!

I can't answer the question until I know how big their TV is I'm afraid.

Silvertabby

Difficult one - you won't get the money back, but your wife won't enjoy her own Christmas if she's worrying about her friend and her children.

£500 is a non-starter - but I like kazwookie's idea for your wife to do a shop on line and have it delivered. She must know if there is anything that they don't eat, so she could order a nice selection of food plus a toy or two for the children. No fags, of course!

annandale

You can't stand them. You don't want to give them the money.

Then don't. I don't spend my life bothering about what neighbours of mine do or don't do and I've known plenty exactly like this family.

You have the money but you don't like them and don't want to lend it, you don't need to.

hazyjo

Absolutely not.


Saw an ad from a local church asking for presents for specific children (gave their ages) saying they were struggling this Christmas. Perhaps they might want to try a local one.


Nothing to do with being Scrooge or selfish - nobody needs to spend £500 at Christmas. Invite them for Christmas dinner if you want to, but I definitely wouldn't give cold hard cash.


I would say this time of year is a nightmare for everyone and that you can't spare the cash. Some people think the world owes them a living.


Jx

PeacefulWaters

As they haven't been able to save up for Christmas, the timing of which isn't exactly a shock, they won't be able to repay this £500.

A roast meal can be done for less than a tenner.

Chocolate oranges were £1 each last time I saw. The perfect present for each child.

Bah humbug I say. It would be madness to lend anything as you won't get it back.