Story 1
Once I lent my friend $20 for a couple of days. After one week had passed, I realized he wasn’t going to return the debt. Moreover, the things on his end were going badly. One day, he asked if I wanted to take his place on his night and day shift at work as a guard — one shift costs $20. It means that I would earn this money myself and return my friend’s debt to myself too. © Neuzheli / Pikabu

Story 2
My cousin asked me to lend him $200. He urgently needed to pay several debts before the New Year. I lent it. He promised to return the debt in a couple of months. It was only $200, not $20,000. He could call me and ask to move the date, he could simply not return it (he himself insisted on returning the debt), just call me — we’re not strangers. That was December of 2014. It’s 2020 now and I have never seen him since then. He simply got lost. Communication with my cousin costs $200. I think that’s cheap. © KycokMakca / Pikabu

Story 3
My nephew called me a couple of years ago asking to lend him $3,000 for sustaining his business. He already sold his car and borrowed money from his parents, but still, the money wasn’t enough. So I thought, “I have this money. Why not help him?” I lent it but with the condition that he had to return the debt in 6 months and write me a note about it. After 6 months had passed, I called him and asked, “Where’s my money?” The response was unexpected: “What money?” Eventually, the young man started to say that a note was just a piece of paper. My calls to his parents also didn’t get any results — they were protecting their offspring. It all resulted in me suing my nephew and sending bailiffs to him. He doesn’t have any money and can’t return the debt. I also became the main foe of the family because I dared to ask for my money back. That’s how $3,000 helped me to get rid of “good” relatives. © IpockerfaceI / Pikabu
Story 4