Dear Carolyn: My wife and I have a beach house. When we bought it 12 years ago, we established one firm rule — no one could use it when we’re not there. And we’re very cautious about inviting relatives or friends to stay with us; no one gets invited for more than two days. My wife suggested these rules because she saw how people took advantage of her parents’ vacation home when she was growing up, and the rules have served us well.
My younger sister is getting married soon and she and her fiance have a very limited budget. They’ve asked to honeymoon at our beach house for a week and I’d like to make an exception for them. My wife is dead-set against it, saying that if we make this one exception, the dam will break and we’ll be pestered by everyone.
I have a very large family who have asked over the years why we’re so “stingy” with our second home, but I think we can make this one exception and still hold firm with everyone else. My wife disagrees. We’re sick of arguing about it so we’ve both agreed to ask you and stand by your advice.
