If you want to keep your friends, don't lend them money --- at least, not money you need or are expecting to get back.

It's bad news, okay? Say you go out for drinks with friend who forgets wallet and you're like, no worries, I got this. But then if s/he doesn't pick up the tab next time ... it's not worth getting heated. Just don't do it again.

When it comes to big-ticket items like money for cars or trips together, however, forget it. It's definitely not worth the hassle, the heartache, the stress. You don't want to be in that position.

But what if there was a way to avoid all that bad feeling? The concept of peer-to-peer lending --- where regular folks like you and me fund loans to people who need it, and get paid back with interest --- sounds fascinating. Here's a way to earn money with your money and to help out a neighbor (one with Internet access and an entrepreneurial spirit), PLUS a system to manage the payments.

However, as Excellent Eileen will point out in her column this Sunday, peer-to-peer lending has hit an obstacle --- regulators. The biggest company, Prosper.com, has been sidelined while it gets regulatory approval. 

Prosper.com has already promised (in principle, anyway) to give $1 million to 20 states where it has been accused of selling unregistered securities.

Check out Eileen's piece to find out what impact regulation might have on the industry.

So what else are you doing this weekend if you're not bankrolling your friends --- perhaps putting up a Christmas tree, or a holiday bush?

Instead, in this week's Watchdog, a woman in Ridgely's Delight is arguing that a tree should come down ...