Ask Aunty Nelly

Q An old friend came to me in tears – her partner had left and she couldn’t pay her bills. She has two small children. So I withdrew £2,000 from my savings to tide her over.

Now I’ve just seen on Facebook that she’s on holiday with her sister! I’m raging with anger.

How do I get my money back without us falling out? Jo, 46 A What you’ve done there, Jo – without the help of a trampoline – is jump to conclusions. For all you know, her sister paid for that holiday. And it was daft of you to lend money without an agreement.

You need to meet for coffee and ask how her holiday was. Be a friend. She’s done nothing wrong. Put a date in the diary for the money to be paid back and you’ll feel happier.