We've all been there—caught in that awkward situation when a friend borrows money and never returns it.

While a one-off incident can be forgiven, it becomes a real issue when someone repeatedly asks for financial help and never pays it back, often armed with an endless list of excuses.

Photo via Malay Mail

This frustrating experience was recently shared by a man on social media, who opened up about a so-called friend with a bad habit of borrowing money and conveniently forgetting to return it.

In a post shared by user @Mohdhafidz711 on X (formerly Twitter), he expressed deep disappointment and emotional fatigue over being taken advantage of—especially by people he once considered close.

He shared that his friend would constantly dodge repayment with various excuses. And to add insult to injury, the friend even accused him of not being "sincere" in offering help, “Is my life destined to revolve around people who only come to me when they need money? Honestly, I’m exhausted. Years of friendship, and not once did he pay me back,” he wrote.

“Every time I ask for the money, I get more lies and get told I wasn’t sincere in the first place. I’ve truly had enough—meeting new people feels like a trap these days because the same thing keeps happening.”

Memang hidup aku akan kawan dgn orang nak duit je ke; seriously penat. Kawan bertahun, tak pernah bayar balik.

Bila mintak balik, banyak alasan menipu dan kata tolong tak ikhlas.

Serik nak kenal orang buat kawan sekarang; benda sama asyik berulang. pic.twitter.com/5FR24x5Fdj

— Hafidz (@Mohdhafidz711) April 15, 2025

His story struck a chord online, with many in the comments sharing similar experiences of friends who borrowed money without any intention of returning it. It seems this behaviour is more common than we’d like to admit—taking advantage of trust under the guise of friendship.

At the heart of it, borrowing money comes with responsibility. It’s not just about the amount—it’s about trust, respect, and integrity. When someone offers help in tough times, the least we can do is honour that gesture with honesty and repayment.

Kalau dgn kwn yg suka pinjam duit tapi jenis susah nk byr balik, awk kelentong je jwb "sorry bro duit baki dlm bank aku cukup² je nk survive bulan ni." Takpun, "sorry aku tgh kumpul duit nk beli something."
Takkan dorg nk paksa awk keluarkan duit utk dorg ye tak?

— Foodiegal ❤️🇲🇾🇵🇸 (@bozudes) April 16, 2025

my opinion, dgn kawan ni kalau nilai setakat y kita rasa bulan depan boleh dpt balik, niatkan sedekah je lah. kadang kawan ni pinjam sebab kecemasan y dia sendiri tak duga.

tp klu cite nye pinjam nk bermewah nk melagha, nilai banyak pulak tu, tu okey nk chiao n block sesiap.

— Mommy J (@janahashim_) April 16, 2025

Let this be a reminder to all of us: Be responsible when it comes to money. Don’t borrow unless it’s truly necessary, and certainly not for frivolous spending. Let’s learn to plan our finances better and live within our means—because real friendships shouldn’t be built on debt.