If you’ve helped out a loved one when they’ve been short on cash, you’re in the majority. A LendingTree survey found that 51% of respondents had loaned money to a friend or family member in the previous five years, and 27% of the time it was to a sibling (1).

Now, imagine you’re 36-year-old Mia: Her sister, 30-year-old Olivia, works freelance and in between gigs, she’s often short on rent. Mia has helped her out multiple times and fears that it’s becoming a crutch. She’s frustrated by the situation, and worries Olivia won’t learn to stand on her own two feet if she keeps bailing her out.

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Helping out family or a friend when they’re in a financial bind may seem like a no-brainer, but you need to consider all the risks that go along with it — including possible strain on your relationship.

Consequences reported by lenders and borrowers in the survey included hurt feelings (14%), resentment (10%), arguments (6%) and uncomfortable family gatherings (4%).

Let’s take a closer look at the risks and if you decide to still lend the money, how to do so responsibly.

Even if you have enough room in the budget to pay for your own expenses and lend extra money to family or friends, you still want to be careful. Think about where you’ll pull the money from: Will you dip into your emergency fund or into funds you set aside for taxes?

Lending money that you need yourself means potentially putting yourself in a precarious financial position.

More than 1 in 5 borrowers in the LendingTree survey reported not having fully paid back a loan. If you were the lender, you’d now need to figure out how you were going to meet your own financial obligations. It could mean taking out a loan yourself (and paying interest) to make up for the shortfall.

Even if you can afford to lend money, you also risk your relationship suffering if the borrower doesn’t make payments as promised — or is unable to pay the loan back at all. Other consequences reported by LendingTree include decreased contact between the lender and lendee 10% of the time, and even irreparable harm to the relationship another 4% of the time.