We all have that one relative who avoids paying, but what do you do when it’s your sister-in-law? One frustrated woman told us how she finally stopped her sister-in-law from taking advantage of her. She had enough and took action, but now she’s wondering—did she go too far?

The Story:

I need advice on dealing with a difficult family member. My sister-in-law is really frustrating me, and I’m not sure if I handled things right or went too far.

Here’s what happened. My 28-year-old sister-in-law lives in another city and visits us often. She stays at our house instead of getting a hotel, and she always wants to go to fancy restaurants. But the problem is, she always “forgets” her wallet or finds an excuse not to pay. She even says that since I earn more than her, I should cover her costs—not my husband. Yes, I make a good income, but I can’t keep paying for her every time.

Before, I would just pay and ask her to give the money back, but she never did. Last night, she chose another expensive restaurant, and I decided I’d had enough. I tried something I saw on my favorite TV show.

Before we left, I told her that I wouldn’t pay for her this time. I pretended to forget something and went back inside, where I found her wallet sitting on her suitcase. I put it in my purse without telling her. After dinner, she tried to say she’d “forgotten” her wallet again. That’s when I took it out and said, “You mean this wallet?”

She was really angry, saying I went too far by taking her wallet. To make things worse, she found out I shared this story and now she’s even more upset, saying I made her look bad.