The passion to help others is a blessing and a curse.

My mother always taught me that it’s important to help others in need. When I can I participate in community service projects or donate to charity, I do so without hesitation. And sometimes I help those closest to me by loaning out money, when they are in need. Now that I have an apartment and bills *rolls eyes* I am not as generous with my funds.

However, the past few years have taught me a lot about loaning money to friends. It’s important that you know what type of borrower you are dealing with. Not sure how to categorize them? Here are the 4 major types of borrowers in order from my favorite to least favorite.

The Responsible One

This person owns up to their responsibility. They ask for a reasonable amount and give you a set date for paying it back. You don’t have to worry about tracking them down, because they’re reliable.

The Foodie

This person knows that the way to your heart is the stomach. Instead of paying back with money, they take you out for drinks or make dinner. Who can turn down a free (well practically free) meal? Not this girl, because I don’t enjoy cooking.

Casper the Ghost

Does this even need an explanation? Don’t expect to see this person or your money again. This person dodges you completely or avoids any subject that references money. Honestly, I wish I could write this person off on my taxes as a charity case. They eventually pay you back, but it takes a while. Pro Tip: When dealing with this person don’t allow the amount borrowed to exceed $10-15.

The Con Artist

You maybe wondering why this is below "Casper". Generally speaking, when this person has the money to pay you back, they just don’t. There is a pattern with this type of person. When asked about it, they hit you with the “I got you next week”. Next week basically becomes a phrase meaning, "never". What makes them a con artist is that they never have the money to pay you, but constantly flaunt their latest (expensive) purchases on social media. Yeah, I peeped that post and looked up the retail value.

The real battle lies in deciding if you are going to loan money to the person. Just because it’s a close friend asking doesn’t mean that you have to say yes. In fact, you have to be completely selfish when making this decision. Never loan out an amount of money you aren’t comfortable with regardless of your relationship with the person. More importantly if you are not financially able just say, "no".

A true friend won’t take it personally if you say “no” and if they do get upset, it might be time to re-evaluate that friendship.