The rising cost of living remains a big concern across the US. As prices continue to soar virtually everywhere you turn, people are forced to reevaluate their budgets and be more aware of their spending habits.

So when a woman whose Reddit nickname is Moonstone_Magic felt like her friends were treating her unfairly, she spoke up.

It happened during their evening at a pub. Throughout the time the gang had spent there, she wasn’t particularly hungry or thirsty and had just a few snacks, while others enjoyed their meals. But when the bill arrived, one member of the group said they should all split it evenly.

Moonstone_Magic found it unfair so she refused to chip in the same as everyone else.

This woman went to a pub with her friends and one of them suggested they all split the bill evenly

Image credits:fauxels (not the actual photo)

However, she didn’t have much and this meant that she was asked to pay $45 just for some snacks

Her husband thought she was being cheap

Image credits: iMin Technology (not the actual photo)

Image credits: moonstone_magic

Young Americans often overspend because of their friends

Image credits: ELEVATE (not the actual photo)

A Credit Karma/Qualtrics study found that many young Americans find themselves in a similar position as the author of the Reddit post.

In fact, more than one-third of Gen Z and Millennials (36%) have a friend who drives them to overspend. This is leading many to take on debt or end those friendships in an attempt to protect their finances.

Among Millennials with a costly friend, 43% say they typically splash too much money on dining out, while 37% claim this happens when they go for drinks and nights out (37%). Others note more elaborate events, like trips and vacations (22%) or birthday celebrations (21%).

Similarly, Gen Z blame dining out (37%) as the main reason for their overspending, but some of them say they overspend with their friends on clothing (36%), drinks and nights out (32%), trips and vacations (24%), and even self care (20%), including things like massages and manicures.

The top reasons the respondents of the study spend money they don’t want to include not wanting to feel left out (this is true for 31% of Gen Z and 32% of Millennials who say they have a friend who drives them to overspend), wanting to keep up with their friend’s lifestyle (29% of Gen Z and 28% of Millennials) and wanting to please their friend (29% of Gen Z and 28% of Millennials). Another 28% of Millennials also confess they simply don’t know how to say “no” to this friend.

But there is nothing wrong with taking your personal budget responsibly

Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)

Regardless of how much you make, therapist and friendship expert Melanie Ross Mills thinks you should commit to advocating not only for others but yourself as well.

Those who make more should ask friends what they’re willing to spend before buying front-row concert tickets for their group, or consider how much it would cost a friend to take an Uber across town, and instead suggest meeting up closer to where they live. On the flip side, the lower-earning friends should clearly express their priorities and limits.

“They might not mind spending more for a better seat at a concert,” Ross Mills says, “but they don’t care for a 2015 French Bordeaux.”

However, higher earners shouldn’t assume what their friends can and cannot afford, either. While it may seem like you’re doing them a favor by not inviting them to an expensive spa procedure, don’t keep the event a secret. The person could view the exclusion as rejection. Instead, try to discuss it together.

If you have difficulty sticking to your own budget once you’re out, Ross Mills suggests taking out cash beforehand and spending only that amount.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is transparency. And it sounds like the Redditor handled the situation well.

People unanimously applauded the author of the now-viral story

Some shared their own similar experiences

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