My mother-in-law skives off us even though she has £600 a month for cigarettes

DEAR DEIDRE: MY mother-in-law is a financial disaster and yet she has more disposable income than I do.

She smokes like a chimney and spends £600 per month on cigarettes, food and treats for her four overweight dogs.

The house stinks and she doesn’t look after herself.

My sister-in-law pays for her mobile and yet when we add up all her benefits, she can easily afford this herself.

Every month she runs out of money quickly then rings my wife to ask for £20 here and £30 there. We never get it back.

I deliver post for Royal Mail and don’t earn a huge amount and my wife has had her hours cut at the garden centre where she works.

My mother-in-law is 72 and  in poor health. I don’t want to see her suffer but we can’t afford to keep giving her money at this rate. 

My wife thinks I’m mean. We are both 50.

DEIDRE SAYS: You’re not being mean. Most people have tightened  their belts to weather the cost-of- living crisis.

Explain to your wife that this situation is giving you stress and she needs to talk to her mother about cutting back, at the very least on her cigarettes.

She can find help  via the NHS and her GP. See quitnow.smokefree.nhs.uk.

Her dogs will also benefit from fewer treats if they are overweight, so talk to her vet about suitable recipes that she can put together at home.