It’s always uncomfortable when you have to settle financial issues with friends. While you want to go out and have a good time with them, you want to ensure you get your money back anytime you pay for something for them and vice versa!
One man recently hosted his friend and a few of her guests for dinner and cooked them a meal with steak upon their request, even though he’s a vegetarian. However, issues arose when his friend still expected him to help pay for the expensive steak.
He’s 28 and likes to meet up with his 32-year-old friend once a week for dinner. They typically meet at his house, where he’ll cook a meal for both of them. His friend has a small kitchen, and he loves to cook, so this arrangement usually works great for them.
At first, his friend would contribute something to their meal, like a dessert, although she hasn’t done as much over their last few dinners. Still, he didn’t mind cooking and getting extra groceries for their dinners since he enjoyed them.
However, things went downhill after one of their more recent dinners, which included extra guests.
“The issue arose when my friend contacted me and told me they would have other friends visiting from abroad on the day we were set to have dinner,” he explained.
“She wanted to hang out with them but also wanted to make our dinner. I suggested if they were open to the idea, they could come with her, and I would cook for all four of us. She spoke to them, and they agreed.”
On the day of their dinner, he asked his friend if she and her group had any requests for their meal. She asked him to make a dish that included steak. Although he’s a vegetarian, he didn’t mind cooking meat for other people; he just wouldn’t eat anything.
He told his friend he’d pick up the other groceries as long as she and her guests took care of getting the steak. His friend agreed, and everything seemed fine.
When his friend and her guests arrived, he noticed she had given him a very expensive cut of meat to cook and said the butcher had recommended it. His friend laughed it off, so he went through with cooking it.
“We end up having a great dinner; everyone was very complimentary about the food, and I opened some wine I’d bought for the dinner too,” he recalled.
“We ended up chatting until quite late before everyone left. Things got a little awkward after they left. I received a text from my friend saying they’d all enjoyed the dinner and asking me to transfer her around $64 for the steaks. I refused, pointing out that I hadn’t eaten any and that I’d paid for everything else.”
His friend then became upset and said he should’ve told her he wouldn’t be willing to help pay for the meat, as she would’ve chosen something else for everyone to eat instead because she’s not in the best place financially.
He thought this was very strange, as his friend had known for a long time that he was a vegetarian, and it was very presumptive of her to think he’d be willing to pay for the expensive meat.
He’s sought advice on this issue from some of their mutual friends, and their responses were mixed. While some agree he shouldn’t have to pay, others believe that since he invited everyone to dinner, he should be willing to pay for the ingredients.
Was his friend wrong to ask him to pay for the steak, or should he contribute to the cost?
You can read the original post on Reddit here.
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