Your parents could also restrict the financial gifts in some way. They could, for example, give grocery store gift cards that can only be spent on food. Or they could provide a Pea Pod or similar account to BiL where Mom and Dad pay the bills. Any form of financial support, even to family, should be connected to a contract of sorts. Write down the amount to be given, when it can be expected, restrictions on spending it, and when support will end and/or start getting reduced, even if just in email form. Retirement or long-term care planning could be any easy pretense for putting limits on this arrangement. Then advise your parents that, no matter what financial counseling you provide, that these two will probably moan when the cut-off date looms. They may just have to experience some boundaries and discomfort before they are willing to put in the work to change their circumstances.