To not want to pay £50 for a load of old tat that's been foisted on me?

[CarrieBradshawsCloset]

We get on well with our next door neighbours. We often get together for wine/a takeaway, and the DCs get on well too. We do them quite a lot of favours, such as looking after their pets when they go on holiday, and DH is an electrician so has done a few electrical jobs for them for free. I am a beauty therapist and sometimes wax the woman's eyebrows or paint her nails if she's having a night out, and I never charge her. It's never occurred to me to charge her in all honesty.

She has a DD who is two years older than my DD, and has been saying for a while that she has a big bag of clothes for my DD. My DD has enough clothes and she doesn't need anymore (not bragging, just giving background info), however I said, out of politeness more than anything "thank you, that would be nice".

So anyway, I got back from town today to find a big bag full of clothes on the doorstep. Nothing special, just Tesco, Primark, Asda stuff, that kind of thing, and not in brilliant condition, but useable as play wear. I sent my neighbour a text to say thank you and she sent me a text back saying "£50 will be fine for them all, there's at least £100 worth of stuff there so it's a bargain. Can I have it ASAP please Hon?"

I am genuinely gobsmacked! Firstly that she expects payment in the first place. Secondly because she's essentially foisted the items on me, I didn't ask for them, and thirdly because it's not like it's in good condition, it's old, faded supermarket clothes that are pretty cheap to buy new anyway.

WIBU to pop them next door in the morning and say that we're a bit skint at the moment and I didn't realise she wanted money for them, so she'd probably be better off selling them at a boot sale?

doctrine.

bargain.
You have to throw in some free babysitting, paint my lounge, feed my cats and cook me dinner too mind. ta hon

Well done there, OP.

Well done Carrie. Honest and to the point, but not rude.

Well done... Wow, how mean! how do people get by like this?

Well done OP!

Why doesn't she take them to cash for clothes, it won't be £50 but better than nothing.
Some people take the piss, I'd never ask or expect money for something I'd offered to someone! No wonder her mortgage is paid off early.

Never ceases to amaze me, the level of pisstakers people on MN post about.

There's a thread in active now, from a woman who received, from a work colleague who is on maternity leave 3 weeks before her ELCS with her second, a list the mum-to-be sent out to all at work, with what she wants people to cook for her, times and dates to drop it off and a list of local takeaways for those who don't have time to cook.

W.T.A.F?!

Well done OP. I would definitely not be giving any free services in future. The cheek!

I'd be concerned that saying you were skint would lead to a response of "oh you can pay later".

So if you're going down that route you need to be prepared with a follow up rebuttal.

I'd go down the "oh DD has plenty of clothes in those sizes thank you, I got mixed up but thanks for the offer, I've heard eBay/Facebook can be good for these things if making money from them is so important, though I understand it can be hard to resell clothes that aren't the more designer end of things"

Jeez, I fear for human race because these people actually exist.

Who honestly gives a shit about 5p, I give those to my daughter for her money box and I'm not rolling in money.

The chips thing, well that is beyond cruel, no way could I sit and eat infront of a child and not make sure they have some too, around here its a quid for a portion of chips.

Some people need a real hard slap back to reality.

Well done :) Wonder how long it will be before she's expecting more free services from you and your DH!

Off to look at that thread, expat. I'm interested to find out how having a c section stops you being able to dial for a takeaway..

So sorry for my comment I thought I'd read to the end of the thread but missed there was another page.

Well done on dealing with it so well.

You sound lovely; you can come and live next door to me. I promise to appreciate you.

Or go to Iceland and batch cook for yourself in the 3 weeks you have off work before that, Doctrine. It's all 'Is this the done thing now?'

Seriously? Someone is requesting meals?

Drop the friendship in time.

They're cheapskates who sponge off others, bollocks to that.!

Stick to your guns and don't do any freebies in future when she next asks, you know she will.

Yes, on this thread.

How strange!

Oh well done Carrie. Impressive.
People can be so peculiar. I don't think I could maintain a friendship with a real tightwad, I don't have the enrgy requis for all the cringing I'd be doing. I think they really don't see it. It's just a different way of thinking.

What will you say when she next asks for her eyebrows done or asks your husband to fix something electric OP?

I would really think about that, because she will ask. you will need to get it through to her that the freebies have come to an end. It would be nice if she were the type that you could fob off and she would get the hint.

You could just mirror back what she said, so "£20 will be fine for that, I'd normally charge at least £40 so it's a bargain. Can I have it ASAP please Hon?"

OP-does she ask for electrical work or beauty treatments or do you offer?