Mapgirl’s Fiscal Challenge

My Medical FSA check came and I am trying to turn the money around in my checking accounts. Once it goes through, I will have bumped my net worth back up by almost $5K,

I am also holding on to a lot of cash at the moment and probably through April too. For various and sundry reasons, I may have to loan a friend some money. I know many people don’t believe in making loans to their friends. I’m not one of them. I just pick and choose to whom I loan it, just like a bank does.

My friend, the possible recipient, recently landed a new job and it’s been going very well for her. But she needs to borrow the money since before the landing the job, she was unemployed and burned through her savings during that time. (Hey, isn’t that what it’s for?) Having worked with her and idly chit-chatted about many topics, I know she’s very careful with her money and quite good at saving. Borrowing money from me is a question of short-term need vs having the time to save. There are reasons and situations in our lives where the former is necessary, and I’ll be damned if I watch her get an auto title loan or some other crap like that. And please don’t speculate about her situation. I am the one who offered to loan her money. She didn’t ask me for it.

At this time, she hasn’t decided yet what her best course of action is, and neither have I. She’s living in my apartment till the end of the month and then she’ll figure it out from there. Time is all she really needs now. Day after day, week after week, another pay check means more savings she can build back up and then she won’t have to borrow anything from me. I can offer her a rent-free place to live and that’s the best for now. (Otherwise she’d be paying double rent, which is not tenable, possible yes, but crippling.)

Ultimately, this means that I’m holding off on replacing my laptop for about another month till I know what kind of cash I have to spare. Every month my company sends a list of refurbished laptops for sale. There is usually a decent model available for $350-$400. Since I’m holding on to at least twice that amount for my friend to borrow, hoarding the cash for a month or two will not hurt me too much. If she doesn’t need it, then I can go buy a replacement computer right away!

I’m no saint here. My apartment is a god-awful mess. She knows it too. I did a little clean up so she could have a drawer and some closet space to herself. Moved my stuff off the bathroom counter and let her use the internet connection. She’s sacrificing a TV since I don’t have one and the company of her cats, since I’m allergic.

Basically there are times in your life when you have to ask yourself what is the right thing? For me, being able to give her a place to go is the right thing to do. And if I want to reclaim my space, I can loan her the money so she can go find another apartment. I’m not in a hurry at the moment, but she’s aware that my sense of urgency may change over time. But I think it’s best for her to stay focused on herself so she can think clearly to make a good decision.

P.S. If you are wondering, patient boyfriend is letting me stay at his house for now. Since I’m going away for a few days this weekend, I won’t be there 24/7 to get on his nerves.