My Sister-in-Law Never Pays Her Share, So I Gave Her a Taste of Her Own Medicine

We’ve all got that one relative who always manages to dodge paying, but what do you do when it’s your sister-in-law? One frustrated woman reached out to us after pulling a bold move to finally stop her sister-in-law from taking advantage of her kindness. She’d had enough and decided to take matters into her own hands, and now she was wondering—did she go too far?

Hello Bright Side!

I really need your advice on how to deal with a tricky family member. I have a sister-in-law who's driving me up the wall, and I'm wondering if I handled the situation the right way or if I went too far.

So, here’s the story. My 28-year-old sister-in-law lives in another city and often visits us. She always stays at our place instead of booking a hotel, and whenever she’s here, she insists on going to fancy restaurants. But there’s a catch – she always “forgets” her wallet or makes up some excuse not to pay. She even hints that since I make more money than her, it should be my job to cover her expenses – not my husband’s, but mine. And yes, I do earn a decent income, but I can’t keep paying for her every single time.

In the past, I’ve just paid the bill and asked her to pay me back, but she never did. Last night, she booked a super expensive restaurant again, and I decided I’d had enough. Here’s where it gets interesting — I pulled a trick I once saw on an episode of my favorite TV show.

Before we left, I made it clear that I wouldn’t be covering her bill this time. As we headed out, I pretended I had forgotten something inside, went back to the room, and found her wallet lying right on top of her suitcase. I put it in my purse without saying anything. When we finished eating, she tried the usual, saying we needed one bill because she’d “forgotten” her wallet. That’s when I pulled it out of my purse and asked, “You mean this wallet?”

She was furious, saying I crossed a line by taking her wallet without asking. And to make matters worse, she saw that I wrote this story for you and is now even angrier, claiming I made her look bad.

All the best,
Jessica.

Thanks for reaching out for help, Jessica. We hope that our advice can give you a fresh perspective on how to handle this situation.

Here’s how you can handle things more easily next time:

• Make her pay first: Suggest activities where she has to pay upfront, like booking tickets for a show. When she’s already spent money, it’ll be harder for her to avoid paying later.
• Choose a cheaper way to do things together: Offer plans that don’t involve expensive dinners. Cook together, watch a movie, or find free events nearby. You’ll still have a good time without spending too much.
• Pick places together: If she likes fancy spots, suggest planning together and say, "I’m on a budget this time. Let’s pick a place that works for both of us." This helps keep things fair.
• Try her trick: Next time, just before leaving, say you forgot your wallet too, and see how she reacts. It might make her realize how it feels!

Even though family should be a source of support, this man shared how his sister-in-law’s attempt to expose a family secret ended up backfiring.