@matrix if you do feel compelled to lend money to relatives or friends, only contribute as much money as you can afford to lose and consider it a gift. That way you'll be pleasantly surprised if they do pay you back, but you won't damage yourself financially if they don't pay you back.

Also don't sell vehicles or rent properties to friends and relatives, for the same reasons.

@matrix
Its been a point of contention between me and my family because while I can understand helping out family; when I lend you a car because you need it, when you promise me you will pay me what its worth and buy it from me, when you're done with it and have driven it into scrap, when I haven't seen that money promised, when a car I was going to sell off to help myself with ends up going to a scrap yard for a fraction of that value: its a real sign that respect isn't reciprocated. Only give people what youre willing to not get back. Their ego may say they'll pay you back, but when the time comes and they have the choice between coming even and buying that thing they want they'll do what got them there in the first place.