Dear Queenie,
My next-door neighbour is always asking to borrow something – food items, paper towels, even money, but she almost never returns anything she borrows and if she does it’s way later than she promised. And she asks me to look after her pets when she goes away even for just a day.
Queenie, I have a limited income and better things to do with my time. What is a polite way to say “no” to her?—Fed up
Dear Fed up,
I see no reason to be particularly polite to someone who is trying to take advantage of you, but if you cannot bring yourself to give her an emphatic refusal, why not try charging her – up front! – for whatever she wants.
If it is a cup of sugar or a roll of paper towels, the price tag from the grocery store should be on the package and you can insist on payment at that moment, just as the store would do. As for looking after her pets, she would have to pay a stranger to look after them, so figure out what you time is worth to you and insist on payment in advance for your services.
Either you will be properly compensated for your trouble or she will stop making demands on you – win-win.
