How to Deal With Cheap Relatives

Written By
C
Contributor
Published: Jul 1, 2008
Updated: Jan 7, 2020
1 minute read

Within your family, you may have a cheap relative. She may count her pennies and refuse to shell out a cent more than she has to for anything. Although cheap relatives seem frustrating, you can figure out ways to successfully deal with them.

Accept that he may never change. It's unlikely that Uncle Harry will wake up one morning Scrooge-style and realize the error of his ways. One of the best ways to deal with cheap relatives is to accept that them for who they are.

Approach the relative in a non-aggressive way. If you want to talk to your relative about her stinginess, do so in a jokingly way. If you lose your temper and call her greedy, you're the one that looks bad. You may want to say something like, "Come on Aunt Sally. It's only ten dollars. You only get to live once."

Set an example. Donate to charity or help out a needy family during the holidays. If your cheap relative sees the good you're doing, he may feel inspired to do the same.

Read a book on dealing with difficult relatives. In "When Difficult Relatives Happen to Good People," by Leonard Felder, the author discusses ways to keep your sanity while dealing with difficult relatives who are cheap.

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