Things you lend out and never see again....

My mother asked if a girl she worked with could borrow my wedding dress. Instead of having dry cleaned she washed it, and ruined it.

I lent my DiL a sewing machine saying she could use it but if she didn’t want it to please give it back. It was a lovely old electric machine that did embroidery but was great for sewing jeans too. A couple of years went past and she asked if I could do a repair for her. When I asked why she didn’t do it herself on the machine I’d lent her, she replied ‘oh, I let my sister have it and she broke it’, no apologies for the destruction of a rather expensive machine!

The same happened when I let her borrow a spare Apple mobile until she could afford a new one. When she did get a new one I asked for my ‘old’ phone back....’oh, I let my daughter borrow it and she dropped it down the toilet’. I was angry because I’d bought that phone and I wasn’t asked if she could give either the sewing machine or mobile away. Being married to my son doesn’t mean she can take advantage of my kindness and I will never lend her anything ever again!

I let her and my son have my Welsh dresser because they had hardly any furniture when they first got together, she doesn’t want it now and wants to give it to her brother, I’ve told her no, I’ll have it back. I’ll put it in my garage until somebody needs it, maybe a woman who’s been in woman’s refuge, her brother has plenty of money... he can buy his own!

I’ve also lost count of the amount of money various people and family members have borrowed and not paid back, including £800 for DD for a new boiler!
The sad thing is....now I’m crippled with arthritis and spine problems no one bothers to ask if I need any help and I have no money left for them to borrow. There is only my youngest son who does stuff for me, for which I’m very grateful.

If I sound a bit bitter it’s because everyone seems to have taken advantage of me in the past and I feel used!

Yes, I only lend books on the expectation they will not be returned. There are a few books I refuse to lend anyone as I couldn’t replace them. They are so precious I would worry if they were not on my bookshelf. They are not worth anything in monetary terms but I have loved them so much I couldn’t bear it.

I hate lending things out for this reason. I don't want to be put in the awkward position of having to ask for my belongings back. I very rarely borrow from anyone else. If I do lend anything I usually make a note of it so that I don't forget. My sister in law is the worst. She once borrowed a book from me and a few years later, when I was babysitting for her, I noticed it on her bookshelf so I took it back. More recently she has borrowed a DVD from me and not returned it after several months. It is something that I won't watch again and I probably won't ask her for it now.

I loathe lending anyone things, as invariably I need to "beg" to have them back, especially books,I have stopped letting people borrow things, my Daughter is an exception, she always returns things,well brought up!