I live with my bf now and although it would impact our privacy, he would be open to the arrangement, especially since he has been the one needing a free place to stay.

When he first moved to the city, he was apartment hunting and stayed with me and my roommate for a week. Recently after being unemployed for months (after we moved in together), he couldn’t pay me rent. I had no problems skipping one month’s rent, because the alternative was for him to move to his parents house 2 states away! It’s an interesting dynamic because I own the place and he helps with the bills (I’m not his landlord, right?)

Anyways, He has been on the receiving end of my generosity and would most likely be amenable to having a friend in need stay with us.

But it really depends. Loaning a friend $1k? No. Not even family. It’d have to be a gift.

Neither of us would lend anyone $1000 without discussing it first. We made a “loan” like that to one of his brothers a few years ago, knowing we would probably never see it again but knowing we could also afford to help him in what was a true emergency. Most of our friends are financially comfortable, so I’m sure such a loan would only be requested in a real emergency. We both would be willing to help–we both grew up in poor, single-parent households and know that sometimes life just kicks you in the teeth. My guess is that we’d both prefer to make a gift of the money rather than a loan.

As for the two-week stay, yep, we’d talk about that and it’d probably not be a problem other than our serious lack of space - but if I friend needed it, we’d find a way to make it happen regardless.

My husband is more generous than I am, so I don’t think he’d have a problem with lending money or a room.

We have a spare bedroom right now, so, depending on the person, neither of us would have a problem with someone staying in it. I would require a “leave by” date.

I’m very uncomfortable with loaning people money. My husband just two days ago offered to loan a mutual friend a couple of thousands dollars without checking with me first. I wasn’t very happy and let him know that I think it’s a bad idea. The guy is very trustworthy, but I still hope he doesn’t take my husband up on the offer.

I do get grumpy when he tells me with a day’s notice that his mother is coming to visit, but that’s just because I feel compelled to clean for her.

HS

This is generally my policy. I only loan money that I’m perfectly prepared and willing to lose. I never loan money that I’m counting on being paid back (or even hoping it will be paid back). This way I remain on good terms with my brother-in-law (though I do refuse to loan him any more money, especially since he has developed a gambling problem). Neither of us ever bring up the loan so things aren’t awkward when the family gets together.

Contrary to what most people think, though, it’s actually far superior to have a second person involved with your finances, provided it’s the right person and you’re generally on the same page. I am too inclined to frugality and she moderates me in that regard. I once spent two years sleeping on a mattress on the floor without even a boxspring, for example, simply because I didn’t want to buy a bed. When I am making a major purchase decision, she can shake me out of my tendency to “paralysis by analysis” and force me to settle for good enough rather than mulling it over for a few years first.

There’d have to be some sort of time-related agreement so that it didn’t turn into something that never ended.

However, I don’t think I’d lend a friend money.

And I would be much more hesitant to loan a friend money, especially as high as $1000. I probably wouldn’t even loan family that money unless the circumstances were really extreme.