i know exactly where you are all coming from. I think lending money to mates is one of the worst things you can do..

A few years back all the boys decided to arrange a fortnight in Ayia Napa (when it was the 'in' thing to do!). One of my mates couldn't really afford it so we said we'll all chip in about £80 each to help him out, on the agreement with him that he would pay one of us off each month. It worked out by Xmas that year we would all be paid off. Money was handed over, no problem.

Anyway, the first person got paid no problem, then the second, but as time wore on, he kept on 'accidentaly' forgetting to pay each person. Back then not a lot of my mates earnt a lot of money, so £80 to them was quite a substantial amount. Me and one other pushed and pushed him to pay the other chaps off. Eventually, after endless hassles/pisstakes that he's a tight arse etc, we all eventually got paid - I was the last to be paid. I got my money in Decemeber, BUT THE FOLLOWING FOOKIN YEAR!!! - not the year in which we agreed!! Since then, although he's a mate, no one EVER lends him money....

Chris