My childhood friend asked for $200 to help with his rent, then ghosted me after I sent it

We had been tight since 7th grade, but last month he hit me up desperate for cash after losing his job at that warehouse near the Target on 5th. I venmoed him the money that night and haven't heard a single word since, not even a thank you or a text back. How do you know when a friendship is worth saving versus when it's time to just walk away for good?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_bailey14d ago

Gotta say, you're jumping to conclusions way too fast here. A month without a reply isn't great, but it doesn't automatically mean he's using you. Maybe he's embarrassed about needing the help and doesn't know what to say. Losing a job can mess with a person's head pretty badly, and some people shut down instead of facing it. Look at it this way. You've been tight since 7th grade, that's a lot of history to throw away over one awkward situation. If he was really just a scammer, he probably would have hit you up for more money by now instead of going silent. The ghosting could be his way of dealing with shame, not a sign he's done with the friendship. Reach out one more time, but keep it super casual. Just a "hey, no pressure, hope you're doing okay" text. If he still doesn't respond after that, then maybe it's time to walk away. But giving it a second chance doesn't make you a sucker, it makes you a good friend who understands people mess up sometimes.

samwalker13d ago

Losing a job can mess with a person's head pretty badly" - yeah, tell me about it. I've been that guy who disappeared for a month after a bad breakup, just couldn't face anyone. Not exactly proud of it, but sometimes you just shut down and hope the world forgets you exist for a while... Honestly, I think you're right about him being embarrassed. Asking for money and then ghosting sounds more like shame than anything planned out. And hey, if he's really that bad at handling things, at least you'll know you tried before walking away. Giving a second chance doesn't make you a sucker - it makes you the friend who actually remembers how human people are. But yeah, if the next text falls flat, that's your sign.

henry60413d ago

Hit up a mutual friend first. See if they've heard from him or know what's going on. That way you're not walking into this blind and you might figure out if his head's just messed up or if there's something worse happening.