Lending money to pay a bill

[Dickensives]

Help me settle an argument

If you lend someone the money to pay one of their bills, for example phone bill of £50, are you paying that bill or is the person paying that bill with lent money.

As in if you agree to lend £50 it’s just £50 or are you paying their phone bill

They're paying the bill with lent money. The lender would only be paying the bill if they didn't expect repayment.

Good view point, thank you

What's the context of the argument? To get this bogged down into semantics, there's going to be a story leading to this disagreement

A friend asked to borrow some money; for the same situation I have lent before to pay the same bill.

My argument is that it seems I am paying for said bill and friend is taking no responsibility for it.

When I said no this time because it seems I am paying for your phone bill every month (for example) they insisted that that was ridiculous as I am only lending them money, not paying their phone bill. As I suppose the latter makes adult friend look a bit incompetent!

Ah I see.

You're definitely not paying the bill (because she's paying you back) - but she's definitely a CF of the highest order and regardless of semantics, should not be planning to rely on a friend for money 😬

Do they pay you back?

The person could take the money received and spend it on anything.

the real issue is that the recipient is not learning to live within their means and is instead relying on the lender.

They do but it is never clear when, so it will be random I get a message to say that they have put the money back in. But it’s been most months for the past while and it’s always for the ‘phone bill’ and it’s a direct debit so very predictable.

Are you paying this person directly or are you paying the phone company?

Putting money in their account

So you are not settling their bill. Why keep doing it if it annoys you?

The wording is far less important than the repeated lending.

Stop lending them money. You are enabling their overspending and lack of budgeting.

If they've had to come and beg for money they don't get to bitch about how you phrase the lend.

I have said no this time and for the future but it’s a sensitive bill let’s say, so the heartstrings are always pulled about it which is why it happened so much. But I won’t be lending moving forward. Person is aware but think I’m being out of order so wanted to see what others thought.

They can fuck off, then.

Well rest assured you are not being out of order. You are not a walking overdraft facility and I'd be very surprised if it went on bills.

They need to budget their money better. Borrowing money for a one off emergency bill like car breaking down and needing an expensive repair is different to borrowing money routinely every month for the same bill.

Person is aware but think I’m being out of order so wanted to see what others thought.

How can you be out of order by not using your money to cover their shortfall for a bill that they presumably committed to?