Michelle Singletary and her husband used to lend money to her friends on a regular basis, until one incident "taught us a lesson," she says.
They lent money to a couple in their circle who didn't pay them back on time. "Then we attended a party at their house and noticed this new big-screen TV. And we're thinking, 'So you can buy a $1,500 TV, but you can't give our money back?'"
