Mooch – What Are They and What Are the Signs?

This article hits home a little bit, and felt the urge to write about it! Like most people, it’s inevitable that we’re all going to find ourselves in the midst of a mooch or freeloader in our lifetimes.

This encounter might be in high school, in college, in a relationship, and believe it or not, sometimes at work. So, if you want to better identify a mooch when you see one and avoid being taken advantage of, it’s important to know the signs. You’ve definitely come to the right place.

Here are the Top 5 Signs of a Mooch.

What is a Mooch?

A mooch (moocher) is someone that tries to get things from others or lives off of the generosity of others without any return. A moocher is also referred to as a freeloader.

More often than not, these individuals are usually people you’re fairly close to and that know you pretty well. Because of this, they can somewhat easily manipulate you into doing them favors and them not playing fair.

Now that we’ve got a good idea what a moocher is, here are some signs to look out for

1. They always make you pay

One immediate sign of a moocher is if they always ask you to pay for things or cover their part of a bill. Excuses are endless! One day it’s they forgot their wallet and the other is that they are waiting for their next paycheck.

Thing is though, they might also promise to pay you back but they never do. This is especially true if the moocher believes there is some kind of wealth gap between the two of you. They will even expect you to pay even if they are capable of doing so.

2. They constantly borrow money

Do you have a friend or relatives that is constantly and perpetually in need of some money? Thing is though, no matter how much they borrow, they almost never give it back. And even if they do, they always have another reason for needing your help.

They are very good at sweet-talking you into lending some cash here and there. They also make promises like “soon as I get paid I’ll pay you back.” But, we all know, they almost never do.

3. They never pay you back

To add to the point above, a moocher and freeloader almost never pay you back for the money that they borrow. They are seemingly very good at dodging you, and when they fail, they always have an excuse for not being able to pay you back as agreed.

Here’s the thing. There’s nothing wrong with lending people money, but if you don’t want to ruin a friendship, give away money you can afford and don’t expect to get it back. Makes things much easier on both parties.

4. They never reciprocate

These individuals ask and expect a lot form you but never seem to reciprocate. A moocher never gives back the same amount of effort, time, and energy you put in for them.

This is not just with money. It can be giving them a ride, helping them with tasks, or even giving up your time for them. When you need something from them, they always seem to be unable to spare any time for you.

When you start feeling like the relationship is a bit one sided, then it becomes apparent you’re dealing with a moocher.

5. They are ungrateful

Regardless of whatever you gift them or assist them with, they always seem to be ungrateful for it. For example, you might gift them your old Microwave because they needed one, only to have them complain that it doesn’t heat their food fast enough.

You might even graciously get them groceries, only to rant about how you bought the wrong flavor of things or you bought them at the wrong grocery store.

Instead of being genuinely gracious of the efforts and time you spent for them, there always seems to be a flaw in your efforts.

How do you deal with a mooch?

After reading all the signs above, you can probably think of a mooch or two in your life and wondering how to handle them.

First and most important thing is to realize and be aware that you are being taken advantage of. I personally had a friend that ticked all the boxes above. It only took someone else pointing them out to me to even realize it.

Once you recognize the signs, you need to start standing up for yourself and learn to use the word NO. I have to admit, that has always been my biggest flaw. Saying no always felt mean and I hated saying it. But nobody wants to be taken advantage of, so better start learning!

It’s going to take time and courage, but like most things in life, it takes just one time to speak up!

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