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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

MIL wanting to borrow money

68 replies

cindyloulou · 27/08/2018 10:58

This could be quite outing and long so I'll try to keep it brief. MILs car is old, broken down and pretty much unusable. She needs it for work (who have been completely unsympathetic but that's another story). I have a car which she has been borrowing "just for work" (fully insured for this) but its becoming more and more often and being used outside of work and leaving me stuck nearly everyday - I'm on maternity so dont need the car as much but Im tied down to when she's busy and she makes me feel guilty for saying no/offers to drop me off at said place I am going and pick me up Angry DH doesnt drive but is nearing his test and hoping to buy a secondhand car.

I go back to work in a month so she will have to stop using my car then. She cries to DH that she cannot afford a new car, can't afford this and that for her kids etc and is pushing him into getting a finance car solely in his name and they can share it and she will give him half the money each month (she says she has a bad credit rating so can't get the car in her name). DH doesnt want to as more than likely he will be left paying the finance off and I'm sure this is illegal (?) and not fair to keep pushing onto him at all. Instead, he has offered to lend her £600 of his savings for a new car, which she could get an ideal car for her and her 2 kids. My first car I bought off Facebook and it was great so I sent her a link to a few cars. She said she'd rather have a finance, newer car and that night badgered DH on the phone and also cried saying she had no money so he gave her £50. I thought this would've been for an emergency, food, bills etc?

The next day I went shopping with her and she spent over £60 on cushions, curtains, home accesories etc that she doesnt need just wants as she is updating her living room. It's made me so mad that she guilt tripped DH to offering her money but can spend and spend and spend. Not to mention she's gone on a last minute holiday to Portugal.

DH said he isnt going to get the car out on finance but with the way its going it looks like she will push him into it as soon she will have no use of my car and is still refusing the offer of getting one secondhand.

She is normally lovely but it's made me so angry that she is using DH like this (and to a certain extent me, she lied about giving her friend a lift in my car and said she was working).

OP posts:
Gemini69 · 27/08/2018 13:42

wow OP.. bad idea... and get your car back today Flowers

giveitfive · 27/08/2018 13:46

You can have really quite shit credit and still get car finance. Afterall, they can quite easily repossess the car.

Tell her to get her own finance and tour husband can use his savings to get himself a nice little run around that doesn't get you in debt.

Do not take finance out with her. It will be you that pays everything.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 27/08/2018 13:54

You absolutely cannot let him do this as it would connect his credit history to hers and as you are married impact on yours longer term if she has a bad credit rating.

This is the only thing you need think of - forget whether she would or would not pay, whether she is okay with money or not nowadays - YOUR CREDIT RATING COULD END UP SHIT, BECAUSE HERS IS!!!!!

And you really, really don't think that this will be the end of her scrounging, do you? When she has succeeded once (as she did with the £50), she will push and push to get more and more. Your DH has rewarded her persistence.

Nip this in the bud NOW, or you and your DH will end up on Queer St because of her.

And your marriage with it.

Theweasleytwins · 27/08/2018 14:19

My dh used to work in car sales-he could get most people finance so either hers is terrible or she is planning to not pay for most of it

cindyloulou · 27/08/2018 14:28

Thats why I think she wants DH to get it, so he can pay it when she "cant" it seems she hasnt even tried in her name. I will talk to DP and yes she pays petrol costs but as of when shes back im saying no to using my car. Hopefully she sorts herself out and DP realises she is using him

OP posts:
seventhgonickname · 27/08/2018 14:36

Also explain to your OH that he needs a cheap run around,no way should a new driver get a car on finance as if there is any damage he will have to pay the lump sum at the end.

Laureline · 27/08/2018 14:44

If you cannot afford to never see the 600 pounds again, do not lend them to her, as she will never reimburse you, and it will poison the relationship.
Either you say no, or you gift them - but she is clearly crap with money and manipulative to boot, so I think you should say no.

Also, no to your DH taking on debt so mummy dearest has a newer car! Shock

She should get a beater, and save up for a nicer one.

MortyVicar · 27/08/2018 14:45

And if her thinking is that she and your DH can 'share' it, I'm guessing that in her mind that means she gets 100% of the use of it and DH pays 100% of the cost.

RabbitsAreTasty · 27/08/2018 14:59

The word Hopefully worries me. You are going to temporarily need ovaries of steel on this one. Lay down the law, be the bad guy if you have to.

When she says "I can't afford it" she means "I don't want to spend my money on this"

When she says "I can't get credit" she means "I don't want credit against my name".

When she says "I can't borrow from a bank, I need to borrow from family" she means "I want to have the option to stop paying the loan"

Get him to match the evidence so far with these theories.

trojanpony · 27/08/2018 15:03

Finance involving your husband is a terrible idea.
A bank won’t lend her money because she’s a bad risk... you have a small child so you certainly shouldn’t.

£600 is a generous offer and given she’s spanking cash on cushions she’s clearly poor at money management.

Lending her your car while on maternity is already incredibly generous. Your husband needs to step up and look after his family (ie you are your child) Confused

BabySharkDooDooDooDoo · 27/08/2018 15:09

Tell her if she wants a car she can get her own one. You and dh are not her personal bank

Puzzledandpissedoff · 27/08/2018 15:21

Hopefully she sorts herself out and DP realises she is using him

I'd say you stand a better chance on the second than the first, since it's unlikely she'll "sort herself" while you're bailing her out

You might also bear in mind that, if she sees her money tree disappearing, the claims about "emergencies" could get even more extreme and manipulative

Which is why you need a proper, calm discussion with DH on how you're going to handle this

LakieLady · 27/08/2018 15:29

She's a CF. She needs to learn to prioritise essentials, like a car for work, rather than holidays or new cushions.

DontDribbleOnTheCarpet · 27/08/2018 19:09

So, you are pregnant and your husband is learning to drive. And at this sensitive and expensive time in your lives, your MIL is helping you out by scrounging from you?

If you can really afford it, the cheap car handed over to her would be a good idea, but would she tax and insure it? What about repairs, would she be pestering for you to cover those as well?

She seems to have got it into her head that you are responsible for her problems. So far you aren't proving her wrong I'm afraid. You need to take back your car- give her an end date and be firm about having helped enough now. Take her off the insurance (although my insurance didn't go up when I passed my test, I'm very, very old and it can be a substantial amount extra).

You don't have to give her anything and whatever you do she seems to want more. Has she at least been taking your husband out driving to get in some extra hours between lessons?

Sunflowersforever · 27/08/2018 21:40

Loads of people out there who turn on emotional pressure to get something for nothing.

Up to you to put down firm boundaries as a family or if will happen again and again ....

and again

uncomfortablydumb53 · 28/08/2018 10:48

She needs to learn to live within her means and your needs trump hers Is she so selfish she can't or won't see this
I suspect it's the later
However it's your DH's task to put her straight
YADNBU and I hope you're back behind the wheel very soon

uncomfortablydumb53 · 28/08/2018 10:52

Forgot to say please do not take a loan out to buy her a car
There's a reason for her bad credit history and will be left making payments
I'm sure you don't want to end up in the small claims court... Many do for exactly this reason

Nikephorus · 28/08/2018 10:58

She’s had a holiday?! That would have bought a car.
You need to be reminding DH & MIL of this ^^. And it's not just the cost of the car but the insurance, road tax & repairs too. I bet DH will be paying those as well.
I'd tell her to start saving HER money to buy something cheap for herself, which she can then be responsible for insuring & taxing & keeping on the road.

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