My parent is giving way too much to charities. How can I stop this?

Agingmyself, I like your idea which I've also been considering. I don't know what I'm going to need for my own care and health when I get older and I have no heirs, so I've thought of leaving money to a few causes that interest me. Although I have a healthy portfolio, I can't be certain I won't end up with some health condition that ends up costing 7 figures beyond what insurance and Medicare will pay (which is a possibility in the US).

So they leave some badly-needed money to a church or an organization in their WILL? OK. What are you going to do when they keep on giving money to a church or an organization, and you try to say 'you already left money to them in your will' and they do. not. understand. you. They do. not. hear. you. Their brains have turned into delightful, sweetly scented cotton candy (there, is that better?) and they just keep on giving money away! Money they need. Well, I suppose all those millions of charities don't get by on spare change from under the couch, all the sooner your loved one will be flat broke, living with you, and draining YOUR account dry.

Catlady1001: The site nomorobo is a joke! I tried it and it failed. I do agree with call blocking, though and use it. My phone company lets me block 25 phone numbers at a time. A scam incoming call is recycled by me by removing one phone number and adding the new scammer phone number. Most of the calls are NOT a real person and NOT someone from India as you claim.

PCH is the largest scam on the planet! One time I sent in an entry just for the heck of it. I received a huge windfall--yea, right--all of $2.00.

Not having a landline helps to eliminate these solicitation and marketing calls. I seldom have my cell phone on unless I either am making a call or expecting a specific call.

My house receives about 6-8 calls a day, and we simply ignore the ringing phone unless we hear a friend speaking to the machine or recognize the caller on the cell phones.

When the teenagers are here, I give them free reign to answer the phone for us. Our number is similar to a pawn shop's, and daily we receive calls about their hours. The teens have a fun routine for answering our phone, spoken in a variety of horrible, fake, not-local accents, depending on what movies they've watched recently:

"Ell-o, This is not Quick Cash. How may I help you?"
"No, no. This is not Quick Cash. You is wanting money today? You is selling something to me? What do you want?"
"No, no, I not authorized spender on credit card. I can give you a deep discount though."
"Do you want my manager? Here, let me give him/her the phone."

Next kid starts the routine from the top!

My husband and I watch this from the kitchen table trying not to spew our coffee, and they get really into their accents and hand motions. One of the girls is into drama, so she's super fun to watch. And I have no idea if it's cut down on the number of callers, but we have learned to enjoy it when the opportunity presents itself.

Absolutely love it, surprise! When I moved into a new town to take a job, the phone number I was given was either similar to or perhaps was previously that of a pizzeria, so people called to order pizza. I told someone else who had had a similar problem, and he said he just started taking orders from the callers!

Surprise - That is absolutely hilarious, wish I could see that! I have a landline and answering machine, the only calls I get in the morning are from fundraisers who talk in a loud voice, blah blah blah blah 'so how much can I put you down for??' I have learned at long long last to say 'you can put me down for nothing, sir, I am not in a position to help you out. Good day, sir - I say, GOOD DAY!'

Lassie, it's a whole different question if you're dealing with cotton-candy brain. That person shouldn't be even writing checks. The original question did not specify that the parent was crazy or demented, just that he seemed to be acting carelessly with his money. Some guidance and advice is the first step. We don't need to be overly dramatic here, do we? My own mom used this solution when she got requests or sales pitches: "I never do anything like this until I talk to my daughters about it first." End of problem. We didn't tell her to do that. She did it on her own, and it was very effective. I think sometimes a parent just needs a bit of reasonable advice to help deal with this stuff.

I have even employed a whistle when these calls come in. In case it's a real person, I can blow the whistle in their ear! I am not a mean-spirited person, but when the FOP or the Red Cross kept calling asking for my husband, I had to tell them that he had deceased to get them to stop calling!

Agingmyself,
Good answer! I simply told my Mom that since she was no longer working she had a budget to live on ( which I took over when she was no longer mentally capable ) but she was able to understand when I made light hearted jokes about her not being a "Baroness" and that she needed to invest in herself and had done plenty for charities over the years. Then I just took over the mail so "out of site, out of mind" I throw out anything that relates to a charity or cause before she can even think about it. Last but not least, I took possession of her check book and CC's so she can't give her money away even if she gets the urge from TV ad's or telesolicitors. She has dementia and her judgement is very compromised. She made me POA and executor and trusts me knowing I will do anything to protect her best interest. I could care a less if she dies with only 100.00 dollars left, better than her being broke from poor financial decisions. It's not about me, it's about her since it is her money and I want to make sure she won't have to go without what she needs or wants. She is grateful I am watching over her in everyway I can for her physical as well as financial safety.