The Case of The Unreturned Money - By Detective Thanh
We all have those friends, you know the ones I'm talking about. They're the friends who borrow or find themselves oweing you money but never quite get round to returning it.
I try to make it a point to note down money that I owe people so that I can continue to borrow money from them when I really find myself without cash temporarily. I tell people to remind me just in case I forget. However, some other people seem to make a habit to forget to return money that they owe me.
I'm not tight with money at all and will happily shout people meals and drinks. But thats of my choosing. I don't like it to be conveniently forced out of me when people say "I'll just borrow a few dollars from you and I'll pay you back later", but never find the time to pay it back. I know its only a few dollars, but it does add up, and also show what type of character they are. I mean we all truly forget things sometimes, but when it happens often, well I can come to two conclusions. The first is that they have an extremely bad memory, in which case they should leave themselves a reminder. The second is that they genuinely do not intend on returning it. These people also tend to be the ones that never shout anyone to anything. Coincidence, I bet not.
Sometimes I don't lend people money as in they ask to borrow some. Its more a situational thing where we might split the bill for a meal and due to not having change, someone else will say "I'll pay you the rest later." But it never eventuates. I don't want to ask for a few dollars back and look like the petty one, but I'll make a mental note that everytime someone doesn't return money, its a little more respect that I lose for them and that I can't trust them entirely with financial matters.
posted by thanh7580 @ 6:08 PM
Site Feed
7 Comments:
I must admit that I had to read that twice as I misread the title, I thought it was the case of the unreturned Monkey and was waiting for when the monkey came into it :)
I always reckon that you shouldnt lend or borrow off anyone. It makes things too awkward. Unless the person is a relative or is a really close mate.
My brother in law is always lending money to people down his local pub and then gets really depressed when people cross the road to avoid him...So to speak.
I say, don't put yourself in that position. It's not fair. Give my love to the monkey.
James, you're so funny. After you mentioned monkey, I actually looked at the title to see that I didn't mistype it.
I don't mind lending money to people, but mostly to people I know will pay it back nowadays. Its just that sometimes you don't really "lend" them money in the classic sense. Like the example I gave where you split the restaurant bill and someone temporarily doesn't have the correct change and you pay a bit extra first. Then they tend to forget to pay you back.
Papa always taught us that even if we borrow ten cents, we must pay back. A gift is a gift, as you say. Borrowing implies returning. If we tend to forget to return, then don't borrow in the first place.
A gift is a gift. But when people say "I'll pay you back", then that's what they should do, unless they genuinely forget.
I have some friends like that too, that always goes, "Uhh I haven't got any cash. Thanks I-Ling" automatically when the bill comes. My little debt collecting trick is the next time we go out for dinner and it's time to pay, I just turn around and say to them "You're paying right? I paid for you last time at xxx cafe" ;)
Of course the same trick won't work if you actually lent them the money. When it comes to that, I suck at getting my penny back too!
I-ling, I think it just comes down to us being too nice. Even when you don't intentionally lend people money, we still should be able to ask for it back and not feel bad about it.
Then when we do officially lend people money, then we have all the more right to ask for it back. The person lending the money should feel bad about not repaying it, but I guess they're usually the personalities that don't care since they are willing to borrow money and not return it.
Thanh you bastard!!!
Why do you have to write about this??!?!
Post a Comment
<< Home