Man shares how a Rs 2 lakh loan to a close relative nearly broke his marriage

A man lent Rs 2 lakh from shared savings to a relative facing a medical emergency. The unpaid amount strained his marriage and reshaped his approach to family finances.Man shares how a Rs 2 lakh loan to a close relative nearly broke his marriage (Photo: Representational Image from Pexels)New Delhi,Oct 22, 2026 20:30 ISTA man shared how lending 2 lakh to a relative over a medical emergency strained his marriage and left him rethinking how he handled money within the family.The man shared his experience in a Reddit post on r/IndiaFinance titled, “We earn 3.5L/month combined, but Loaning 2L to a relative almost Broke my Relationship and Opened my Eyes.”In his post, he explained that he and his wife, who were both in their 20s and living in a Tier-1 city, earned a combined 3.5 lakh a month after taxes. A month earlier, a close relative had called him in tears, asking for 2 lakh urgently for a medical emergency and promising to return the money within 30 days.Believing that family members should help one another, he transferred the money from their savings without discussing it with his wife first. The decision led to an argument between the couple, with his wife questioning the boundaries he had set around family finances. A month later, the relative had offered no updates about the repayment. When the man followed up, he said he was made to feel guilty for asking his own family to return the money.“The relationship is ruined,” he wrote, describing the fallout. He added that the experience had changed how he viewed lending money to relatives. The man said he had decided to treat any money given to family as a gift or politely decline requests he could not afford to lose. He also stressed the importance of ensuring that his wife was on the same page before making financial decisions involving their shared savings.Take a look at the post here:The post prompted Reddit users to share their own experiences with lending money to relatives, with several warning that financial help could come at the cost of family relationships.One user said that such situations happened in many families and advised lending only an amount one could afford to lose without resentment. They added that even refusing a request could lead relatives to accuse someone of being arrogant, recalling how they had seen their own father face a similar situation.Another user suggested taking precautions before lending money, including asking for a post-dated cheque or collateral such as gold. They also recommended keeping written records, screenshots and WhatsApp messages as proof of the transaction.However, one user offered a different perspective, saying they understood both sides of the situation. Recalling their own family's experience, they said their mother had suffered a haemorrhage and they had needed Rs 20-30 lakh over two to three months. Several people had helped them during that period, and their father eventually repaid everyone who had lent them money.- Ends