I often didn't hear from my friend for weeks at a time because he could not afford to go to the Internet Cafe. He told me so I wouldn't think he'd lost interest in me, not because he was after money.
As to what to say to her, choose one (or more) of the following: "I'm sorry to hear about your outstanding bills. I have a few of them myself. I'm not looking forward to the gas bill which is always high in winter because of the cost of heating our houses. The temperature outside doesn't often reach double figures. A lot of us are worried about our jobs, too, because businesses are cutting right back and making people redundant. The mortgage is a worry because interest rates are at an all time low and when they rise my repayments will be four times as much." (True if you've got a tracker mortgage.)
If she stops writing, you'll know she was only after your money.
I hope this helps!
