It’s hard to say no but you have to learn to do it, for your own sanity. Just talked to a friend who is feeling overwhelmed with family responsibilities. She feels everyone is grabbing at her and not giving her a moment to breathe. She feels she is obligated to be the caretaker, the bank, the therapist. I’ve been there and learned that I do a disservice to loved ones when I agree to take on something I am not qualified to take on. I have no sense of guilt or shame about turning down someone’s request if I know it is not in the best interest of either of us. I asked her if the money did not matter, would she say yes? I asked her if the money did not matter, would her loved one be even talking to her? For one, she wanted to have her son and his wife evicted from her home since they would not leave.  (As an aside, eviction was not the remedy. What she needed to do was to file for unlawful detainer. If you find yourself in this situation, and many do, learn your rights, pay for legal counsel to know what your rights are. Here’s a good article http://farr.com/how-do-i-get-them-off-my-property-by-will-w-sunter/.)   I am not saying do not help those who ask, her situation has been long standing for years with several family members taking serious advantage of her. She is not the type to speak up mostly because she is made to feel guilty and ashamed for “not helping enough.” It has drained her physically so that she now has several chronic ailments. It has drained her emotionally and mentally so she can no longer hold a job. You must learn to say no, your life depends upon it.