It's about framing, really. Alice and Bob go into a building. They walk out of the building, but Alice is $500 richer. What happened in the building? We have ze

It's about framing, really. Alice and Bob go into a building. They walk out of the building, but Alice is $500 richer. What happened in the building? We have zero idea. We can project all sorts of assumptions as to how Alice walked out of there $500 richer, but based on the information given, you'd be inventing details as to why. Thus, if you read this comment, you owe me $5, payable via nothing, because money is a construct anyway. So if you can afford to, give your friend a monetary gift. If they can't repay you, and you can't afford to not have that money, then you can't afford to lend them that money and you have to learn to say no.