friend wants to borrow £1k

It says until February payday. My Feb payday is Friday 29th February don't know when hers is but it's not going to be the end of January is it?

Usually would say a hard no. But you could offer to loan (not give) the £200 you thought she would ask for and say you can't afford more. I don't think you need to lie about this as it is the truth. Make sure you have it in writing that it is a loan and agree repayment terms e.g. £100 in Feb and £100 in March.

Have a look at the MoneySavingExpert advice on lending money to friends.

Not RTFT but in my experience you'll be giving the money away.

I think whatever you give to her you need to give it without the expectation of getting it back. In your position I would give her what you were expecting to give her - a couple of hundred quid. Tell her it is a gift, you don’t need it paying back, but you are not in a financial position to give/lend her anymore.

No do not do it. Say all your savings are tied up in ISAs that you can’t withdraw from. You could have maybe pulled £100 together but £1000 is too much

Haven’t read through the full thread but I would say no and suggest she speaks to her bank about a temporary overdraft. If she’s already done that and can’t get a facility then even more reason for you to say no. Your friend cannot expect you to bail her out for her poor choices. You will ruin a friendship by lending it and her not paying it back. Just say sorry I can’t and don’t enter into further discussion.

You only ever lend any amount that you can afford to lose.
Ive helped out friends in the past, most paid it back super quickly but one made payments and then stopped paying back anything with still £480 to go, it was the end of the friendship as she just avoided me after she stopped paying.
Your friend didn’t have to book a holiday, if I had a friend that was literally on the bones of their arse and couldn’t afford food I would help them out but only to the extent I could afford to gift it with out the expectation of it back.

Maybe just say you don't have the £1k to give but you can lend her £200

Only lend it if you can afford not to see it back, and if that happens it wouldn’t sour your relationship. You could also offer her less, saying it’s all you can afford [to lose].

When I do a quick check on my banking app (usually to see if payment has gone through), I get an unprompted message alongside the statement telling me that I am eligible for a loan; nice to know, but no thanks at the moment.
The bank, whose business is wholly concerned with managing financial pros and cons, has decided that I would be a safe bet to get their money back.
Similarly, I am offered chances to take on another credit card; my track record shows that I manage the ones I already have competently.
If your friend cannot get an advance on her assured salary, I suspect that professionals whose career is financial management have decided that she is not a safe bet.
Do you know if she has even considered these options, or simply made you her first port of call because it seems easier?
If the first, you are taking on a risk which a professional would not take; if the second, is she really a good friend if she sees you as an easy touch?

I think lending money to friends is a bad idea tbh. Especially that amount. If she struggles to pay in back in good time it will just cause resentment. I think when you lend money to a friend or family member you almost have to accept you might not get it back because it isn’t something that can be enforced really. I would say no. You have nothing to feel bad about you have your reasons for saving and have done an excellent job, it’s not sitting there as a potential loan for others. I know that sounds harsh but it’s the truth.

As soon as she asked you for money the friendship came under pressure. It’s pretty much a lose lose now

Oh it's awful being put in this position by people who know you have savings. Can it be all tied up in non instant access accounts?

My best friend found herself in a tight spot which would have led to real hardship and I offered her money. It was a gift though, I don't lend. I can afford it and importantly afford to not get it back. Thankfully it has not changed our relationship and actually she never asked me for money which is maybe why we're ok now.

How has she proposed paying it back?

Never lend what you can’t afford to lose. Offer to do her a grocery shop

Never lend money to a friend, it will corrode your relationship (not to mention that you may never get it back).

Secondly, never lend money you can't afford to lose.

I would say something along the lines of 'I'm sorry you're in a tight spot but I value our friendship and wouldn't want money to get mixed up in that, so no, I would rather not lend you money.' or 'Sorry but I never lend to family or friends to avoid any conflict.'

Just say ' I can't as i don't have any spare money'.

Nope. It's too much and only ever lend what you can afford to never get back - because people rarely pay back in my experience.

She has her priorities wrong, car and holiday. Sounds like she wants you to lend her spending money for her holiday.

Do not do this under any circumstances.

Saying no isn't as awkward as asking for the money back. And if you do it once, you might be asked again.

I’d feel insanely cheeky asking to borrow that much money when I’ve got a holiday booked. Yes, maybe it’s a cheap holiday that didn’t cost much, but it could still have gone towards the £1,000 she needs.

@Kahoots I assumed from "DC4" that you have one child aged four, you don't actually have four kids do you?! That would be an even harder No if you have four dependants...

I'd say that you'd been okay when you assumed the amount would be able to come out of your current account, but that you can't access your savings as they're in a fixed 'no withdrawal without notice' account. £200 is your max.

Never ever under no circumstances loan any money to a friend. You will end up losing the friendship...and the money.
You don't have to justify yourself, just say, "no, I can't". Is she takes exception that means she is no good friend so time to get rid.
Good luck!