INoticed That Money Was Disappearing from Our Family Stash — I Was Shocked When I Found Out Who Was Taking It Judy’s family develops the practice of putting money aside in a “family stash jar” for unexpected expenses or fun family vacations.
She soon discovers, though, that one of the family members is helping themselves to the money with sticky fingers. Judy needs to identify the person and determine the cause of their extreme dishonesty.For most families, I’m sure it’s the same. But honesty is the cornerstone of everything in our family. I’ve always had complete faith in my spouse, Ethan, my 24-year-old son Josh, and my 17-year-old daughter Emma.Therefore, it was like a kick to the stomach when money began to evaporate from our family’s cache.
Before, we’d kept a communal jar of cash for unforeseen expenses or emergencies, but recently, significant amounts of money have begun disappearing.When I realized that the jar looked a little different from when I had recently placed some money in, I said to myself, “I must be losing my mind,” aloud.I initially believed it to be a straightforward calculation error. But I was unable to ignore it any longer as the missing amounts increased—from $50 here, $100 there, and then $300 all at once. “Who has sticky hands?” The kitchen was empty when I asked.The doubt and distrust that began to seep into my mind itched. I detested having these feelings toward my family. When my best friend Misha and I got together for cheesecake and wine, she questioned, “Are you sure that it’s someone from the house?”“It must be,” I murmured. “The gardener comes, but he only works outside. We don’t have an assistant. It is unlikely that he has ever seen the interior of the house. It must be family if someone is stealing from the jar.”Misha gave a nod. “Therefore, you ought to install a covert camera.
