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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

WIBU to say no to bailing BIL out?

578 replies

YeahWhatevver · 03/07/2020 13:31

Really struggling to work out what to do.

DH and BIL are relatively close. BIL has never been great with money, definitely lives for the moment. Has in the past had quite a bit of credit card debt and has previously struggled with managing his money. He has (had) a decent job BIL and SIL both work, though SIL is 2 days a week. They have 2 kids.

DH and BIL inherited just under 90k each about 2.5 years ago from their Mother's estate. Nothing was ever discussed about what they were planning to do with it, we put a lot of it into the mortgage or set it aside to put into the mortgage when our fixed term ends (want to a out early repayment fees) and have put some aside for our kids (first cars/bit ot money for college)

Looks like BIL spent most of his - none of our business it's his to use as he wants.

BIL is looking like he'll imminently lose his job. And called up DH asking of he has any of mum's inheritance left as he's in a bit of a spot a figure of £25k seems to have been banded about. Annoyingly DH said yes, we've got quite a bit in savings, so BIL knows we could if we wanted to

DH has previously "loaned" BIL money for it to never be returned fully.

Our family and BIL's family have similar incomes. So it's not like DH has got lucky while BIL has been dealt a bad hand in life.
BIL has a lot bigger house, 2 nice cars lots of personal finance

I can tell DH is protective of his brother and wants to help but I really want to just say no. We've made plans around this money, made sacrifices to be in the financial position we are now and I don't see why we should squander those plans to bail out someone who has failed to take responsibility for themselves.

Problem is, I can see this creating a huge rift.

WIBU to speak to BIL and say no?

OP posts:
Russellbrandshair · 09/07/2020 15:28

Well looks like the DH already said no so he can’t feel THAT awful (and rightly so!) 🤷‍♀️

Poppinjay · 10/07/2020 11:32

*I think I'd take this as a good opportunity to split the family finances between you and DH.

What a weird suggestion! Why would a married couple start drawing arbitrary boundaries around pots of money?

DH and I have our own bank accounts because we can keep track more easily that way but it's all our money. Isn't that quite normal?

DoubleTweenQueen · 10/07/2020 13:00

I find that suggestion odd too. Me and DH are now a family unit in our own right, beyond the families we grew up in. We have money under separate accounts and joint, but it is all our family money, and we take joint decisions on how it’s used, because we have children, we are adult, and built our family and financial position over 25 years.

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