Your first judgment call is to decide if your partner deserves the loan. The harsh truth is that sometimes, the money is simply being used to fuel an addiction. This does not necessarily mean over-spending but more often a frivolous obsession like keeping up with fads or maintaining a hobby that’s too expensive for her.

If you find your friend complaining about her financial woes while she’s drinking a Starbucks Frapuccino, then there’s definitely something wrong there.