I Knew My Family Member Was Unlikely to Pay Me Back When I Lent Them a Large Sum. But I Didn’t Expect This.

Pay Dirt July 22, 20269:30 AM Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by RightOne/Getty Images Plus. Pay Dirt is Slate’s money advice column. Have a question? Send it to Kristin and Ilyce here. (It’s anonymous!) Dear Pay Dirt, Several years ago, I ended up giving a family member a lot of money. I didn’t intend to; it just sort of happened. There was a crisis, and they needed help. Then the crisis, fueled by all sorts of struggles, turned into a continuous state, and I found myself supporting them financially longer term. Despite their promises, I knew it was completely unlikely they would ever pay me back. So I told myself I always needed to think of it as a gift, not a loan. While I don’t have much “extra” money, I didn’t feel comfortable putting whatever I had in savings, knowing that family