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Internet Gives Unemployed Woman A Reality Check After She Expects Friends To Buy Her A Trip
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Internet Gives Unemployed Woman A Reality Check After She Expects Friends To Buy Her A Trip

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Friends and money: a dilemma many people find themselves in at one point in their lives. Should I lend my friend money? Should I pay for their meal? Should I buy them this or that without expecting to get my money back? Some experts say never to mix money and relationships, but sometimes, people still do it out of guilt.

Like this woman who was asked to cover her friend’s travel expenses for a group vacation. The friend, who recently lost her job, did a poor job of managing her finances and had to rely on her friends to help pay for the trip. However, the author didn’t believe she was obligated to do so and was called selfish by the rest of the friend group. Wanting to find out whether her not covering her friend’s vacation expenses was a jerk move, she decided to consult with the Internet.

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    Traveling with friends is fun: you have company, you can feel safer, and you can even save on things like accommodation

    Image credits: ShintarTatsiana / Envato Elements (not the actual photo)

    That’s if the friend isn’t asking for you to pay for their plane ticket and hotel

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    Image credits: Nicole Geri / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

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    Image credits: Alexander Grey / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

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    Image credits: The-final-cookie

    Image credits: Priscilla Du Preez / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    People should tell friends beforehand if they can’t afford a trip or some element of it

    Money and friendships don’t always mix. That’s because every person has a different stance on what’s appropriate or not when it comes to friends and money. Recently, Bustle asked their readers about the rules of money and friendship. Interestingly, it revealed that friends don’t shy away from talking openly about money matters.

    Nearly 67% of the respondents said that their friend group is upfront about group trip costs. People believe it’s a must to discuss these things beforehand, before the Airbnb or a hotel is booked and before a dinner reservation is made. “If you can’t be a little bit vulnerable, are they even your friends?” one respondent posited.

    One problem in this story seems to be the friends not agreeing to travel expenses ahead of time. According to Nerd Wallet, being upfront about what you won’t or can’t spend money on is crucial for surviving a group trip. The reality of a group vacation is that each person will likely want different things. Whether it’s about where to stay, what to eat, or what sights to see, you should always let your friends know if you can’t pay for something.

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    Tracking expenses during the trip is also important. Nowadays, it’s easy to pay your friends back for a smoothie or a museum ticket by using apps like Venmo. Others choose to track their expenses with apps like Splitwise and settle all expenses later. The bottom line is not to use one friend as a cash cow and expect them to cover costs without being asked.

    Image credits: Anete Lūsiņa / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    Some tips on how to save up for a vacation on a budget

    A vacation is like any other big expense. You might need to set some money aside each month to afford it. But that’s easier said than done, so here are some tips on how to save up for that vacation.

    First of all, it’s important to start budgeting. Tracking your expenses on a spreadsheet or with the help of a budgeting app might help you see areas where you spend the most. Commit to spending only on basic expenses. You might need to sacrifice a night out or takeout every other evening, but remember all that money will go toward your trip.

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    Experts also advise avoiding making any flashy purchases. “I recommend postponing any other ‘big-ticket’ items. The vacation usually is its own big-ticket item, so you might want to push other big-ticket purchases (like a new car) into another calendar year,” Andy Smith, CFP, said. Going to concerts would probably fit this category as well.

    Don’t expect to save up a lot of money over a month or two. Ted Rossman, industry analyst at Bankrate, explains how saving in small chunks can be more effective. If you want to save $2,000 over a year, you only have to put away $38 a month. If you don’t have that much time, you can opt for putting aside $167 a week. That way, you’ll have the $2k in three months.

    If you want to save even more by setting aside a sum regularly, opening a high-yield account is an option. Kelly Johnson behind the travel blog “Snap Travel Magic” says it’s a great way to save. “Put 5% of each paycheck directly into the account,” she recommends. Ted Rossman says that naming the account something like “Hawaii 2024” will make you even more committed.

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    Then there are the small things, of course: cutting out all unnecessary expenses. Some people take on a side hustle to save up more, but not everyone can spare the extra time and mental energy. Other ways to get some extra cash might be to sell the stuff you don’t need (like clothes) in a garage sale or online. Also, consider if you really need all those subscriptions and pick one.

    The woman told people how she was reconsidering the group trip because of her friends’ reactions

    The consensus among people was that she shouldn’t feel guilty for saying ‘no’

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    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

    Read less »
    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

    Rugilė Žemaitytė

    Rugilė Žemaitytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, my favorite part of the job involves browsing the web for the cutest cat pics, the funniest memes and eye-catching illustrations to brighten up your day!

    Read less »

    Rugilė Žemaitytė

    Rugilė Žemaitytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, my favorite part of the job involves browsing the web for the cutest cat pics, the funniest memes and eye-catching illustrations to brighten up your day!

    What do you think ?
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    Libstak
    Community Member
    6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It wont stop at $675, she won't have money for any outlays on the trip itself, drinks, meals, tours, water sports etc...it will be a continuous drain and the rest of the group will have to miss out on things they saved for and planned because it would be rude to leave Mary out of all the activities. She will probably whine and sook over not having money every and beg for more to buy personal souvenirs too.

    Coco Loco
    Community Member
    6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I hope the others still go on the trip and take Mary with them. When all the additional expenses start to add up, it's going to make for a 'fun' time. They're still going to be mad at OP but who cares?

    Load More Replies...
    Little Wonder
    Community Member
    6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lordy me. I mean, I've covered friends on days out or nights out and even on some weekends away, but for like $20 or $30. I had a friend who wanted to come on a night out but couldn't afford tickets AND dinner so no worries, I'll get dinner. $600+ - I don't love any of my friends that much.

    Caro Caro
    Community Member
    6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I mean, if you have the money then help out friends. The "leach" spent her savings, her mums money and EXPECTED the others to fork out more than 600 each. No, No nonono that's not how the world works.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Libstak
    Community Member
    6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It wont stop at $675, she won't have money for any outlays on the trip itself, drinks, meals, tours, water sports etc...it will be a continuous drain and the rest of the group will have to miss out on things they saved for and planned because it would be rude to leave Mary out of all the activities. She will probably whine and sook over not having money every and beg for more to buy personal souvenirs too.

    Coco Loco
    Community Member
    6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I hope the others still go on the trip and take Mary with them. When all the additional expenses start to add up, it's going to make for a 'fun' time. They're still going to be mad at OP but who cares?

    Load More Replies...
    Little Wonder
    Community Member
    6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lordy me. I mean, I've covered friends on days out or nights out and even on some weekends away, but for like $20 or $30. I had a friend who wanted to come on a night out but couldn't afford tickets AND dinner so no worries, I'll get dinner. $600+ - I don't love any of my friends that much.

    Caro Caro
    Community Member
    6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I mean, if you have the money then help out friends. The "leach" spent her savings, her mums money and EXPECTED the others to fork out more than 600 each. No, No nonono that's not how the world works.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
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