Save Stopping Energy Vampires

Energy Vampires are people around you who have the unfortunate habit of leaving you emotionally drained. These types of people are bad enough, but what about Financial Energy Vampires – people who drain your financial energy?

Family members can, of course, be one of the biggest drains on your financial reserves. Not many of us are hard-hearted enough to say no to a family member in need. One-off requests are not so hard to deal with, but how do you say no if a family member asks for a short-term loan until they get paid and you don’t have the money?

You could tell them you don’t have the money yourself, but then you’re faced with hiding anything you buy over the next few days. You could always say no, but that makes you look uncaring. You could tell them to take out a payday loan, but if they get into debt and can’t make the repayments, you’ll get the blame – and that could drag on for years, if it’s ever forgotten at all.

The best answer we’ve found is to watch for the hints. Family members won’t usually come straight out and ask – they’ll spend hours dropping hints that they could do with some extra cash. If you hear a family member say anything like this, instantly jump in and ask if they know anyone who can lend you some money. In their minds, they now think you’re financially tapped out and will be less likely to ask you for funds.

The worst outcome is if you start funding family members and they take advantage of your generosity, never paying you back. Resentment builds up easily but is incredibly difficult to let go of – it takes conscious effort not to make a big deal out of it.

If you don’t have a family member who is a financial vampire, then you’re one of the lucky ones. But don’t relax – most people have at least one financial vampire in their circle. It doesn’t always mean friends asking for cash. These could be friends who never buy a round at the bar, won’t pay for taxis, or pull the classic trick of “forgetting” their wallet.

It’s estimated that the average Brit loses £140 a year to vampire-like friends. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you consider that figure is averaged across the population, those who lose money will probably lose a lot more. It doesn’t take many morning coffee purchases for a sizeable imbalance to occur.

Spotting these types of people isn’t hard – the chances are you’ve already noticed them but haven’t realised just how much they’re affecting your financial well-being. The problem isn’t how to spot them, it’s how to deal with them without ruining friendships – and that’s the tricky part.

You have to be tough with friends who ask for money. It’s understandable that people don’t want to lose friends over money, but if they were true friends, you wouldn’t lose them. Financial Vampires often leave anyway once they’ve drained as much as they possibly can from your wallet or purse.

Oh, don’t get us started on these. Dating Vampires are the most professional of all the Vampires out there. Forget Energy Vampires, forget Financial Vampires – Dating Vampires are the worst. Not even we can help you defeat these – they combine everything and will drain you of both your energy and your money. There is nothing you can do to stop them, distance is your only defence. Whatever you do, don't marry one!

Stay safe.