You owe your mother a large sum of money. You get an unexpected windfall she doesn't know about. Do you pay her back with it?

I would feel obligated to at least tell her that I had the money, and if I were in truly dire straits, ask her if she minded that I paid part of it back and used the rest for bills. I'd feel guilty if I spent it on something for myself I didn't really need. Personally, I feel that one should never loan money to a friend or family member that one can't afford to give them.

You should call it a loan, but consider it a gift, then you will be pleasantly surprised if you get the money back! Owing money, or being owed money, can seriously strain a relationship if it's allowed to be a big issue between you. Money comes and goes, but it's not always easy to find good friends.

Biblically, we are instructed to give what we have to anyone who asks for it. (Just remember the Bible doesn't say we have to let people take advantage of us. ) I've been blessed in the past to be able to help friends out financially, and friends have returned the blessing to me since our financial situation has declined!

If she was willing to loan that much then it only makes sense you would be willing to pay that much back. Not every parent would be so generous. Paying her back would relive any stress in the relationship because of the money and there would be no feelings of guilt about hiding something from your mother.

Most parents who know their child is going through a rough time would say to keep the money and pay them back when it is a more appropriate time. Parents do not want to see their children struggle. If she knows you have financial burdens, and has already been kind enough to loan the money in the first place, I am sure she would rather you use the money to become more financially stable so she does not have to loan any more large amounts in the future.

I would pay it back and see what she has to say about it when you offer it to her.

I actually am in this situation, except it's a friend not my mom and it's not that much. What I chose to do was pay about half of what I owed to the friend and pay bills that were actively building due to interest. Why?

My friend, or in your scenario the mother, doesn't even really care if I pay them back. It was to help and it did help. By only paying half now I had enough left over to entirely pay off the debts that were building interest.As a result I'll have more extra money each month and can actually save the money to pay the rest back to the friend.

To me when a close friend or family member loans you money without saying, "I want it back at this time. " they don't expect it back immediately. That does not mean you don't have to pay it back ( I always pay my debts) but logically it makes more sense to cover bills that charge interest or if you fail to pay will negatively affect your credit.

As an added bonus by eliminating monthly obligations you free yourself to save and pay those that aren't "obligated" so to speak. It also makes those months that end up rough from unforeseen expenses (medical or maybe your car breaks down) easier to handle. If you can't pay your mom anything one month she's likely to understand, your credit card company?

Is going to mark your payment late and charge you a ridiculous fee which is going to affect your credit score. Depending on the circumstance it could knock you down at least 60 points.

I would definitely pay her back with interest. She deserves it and its the right thing to do.

If she didn't really need it ( because that would change the answer ) I would pay my bills, put a small amount away for emergencies and then pay her the rest. Me and my family come first, and she ( as a mother I can say this ) expects a daughter to ask for some help throughout life .....if possible. If my Mum needed it ( she was in debt, she saw canceling things because of my loan etc ) then I would give her half.

Yep, not all of it. My first point still stands. My family comes first, just like her family comes first and down the line..... oh, at no point does the thought of "I want" come into this....I would never spend money on a luxury before a necessity...I just can't.

My sister is currently in this situation with my father and she owes an absurd amount in debts too. It is sad but with a $10K windfall she would not be able to pay my father off entirely or her own debt. I am angry with my sister for putting this burden on my father and I'm trying to look at it from her angle although I know I would never allow myself into her pathetic situation.

If it were me receiving an unexpected windfall then paying back my parent would be the first regardless of whether they were asking for the money or not. WHY on earth would you buy something "nice" for yourself when you OWE a parent and OWE obligations to creditors etc? That to me in my opinion is down right selfish and foolish. Create a Debt Repayment Plan putting your parent first then the remaining obligations.

When you have paid all obligations in full THEN buy something "nice". Most likely it is all those "nice" things that have you in a position where you owe others and a parent. Sorry if I sound harsh.

My mother would expect me to pay my bills, put some away, buy a little something nice for myself and then want me to pay her back with the rest. I would however pay the bills, put some away for the next month of bills and then pay her back. That being said, my mom would tell me to "get a job" if I ever asked for that much money in the first place.

She has let me borrow up too $500 which I promptly paid back.

I would definitely pay back my mother, and with interest, if I received extra money from an unexpected source. I think it would show her not only my gratitude for letting me borrow the money in the first place, but it would ensure her that I took her loan seriously and did not intend to take advantage of her simply because she was my mother. I think returning the borrowed amount to your mother will greatly enhance your relationship with your mom, not because of the monetary value but because it shows her that you are reliable and have not forgotten about her helping you out during a tough situation.

And who knows, maybe she is experiencing a time where she could use a few extra dollars herself, but she is too proud to tell you or does not want to bother you with her troubles, since you are her child. She will definitely appreciate the gesture and be assured that you are willing to do for her as she has done for you. She may even gratefully decline your offer to pay her back (as many parents or grandparents often do), in which case you should try to at least pay her a partial amount or find another way to express your thanks.

Maybe you could treat her to a spa treatment or a weekend getaway with your dad.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.