When TikToker Francesca (@francescatcm) was 21 years old, she went on a date with a guy who claimed not to have any cash to pay for their meal. But when they later went to a cookie shop, he had no problem paying for a fresh batch of cookies.
So, they went to a diner for their date, which, to her, was the first red flag of many. She ordered a salad, and he opted for a meatball Parmesan sandwich.
The diner didn’t take credit cards, so when the check came, he said he didn’t have any cash. Francesca had to pay the check.
Afterward, they strolled through the streets of Manhattan and happened to pass a cookie place. He wanted to stop in, so she tagged along. He ordered two dozen cookies and pulled out $50 in cash to pay for the cookies.
Confused, Francesca pointed out that he didn’t have any cash for dinner just 30 minutes ago. He looked her straight in the eyes and told her that this was “cookie money.”
“I was so gaslit in that moment because he said it with so much confidence, so much conviction, as if there really is a physical difference in the cash money that you can use to buy cookies versus anything else that I was like, ‘Oh, okay,'” said Francesca.
The whole incident has now turned into an inside joke between Francesca and her friends. They refer to cash as “cookie money.” The two words are now synonyms in her vocabulary.
She even sent him a Venmo request for his part of the meal, but he never paid her back. He also didn’t share a single cookie with her.
She found out that his mom had given him the cash and made him promise to bring back cookies to New Jersey.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
Many TikTok users shared similar stories about guys not paying on dates in the comments section.
“Honestly, I probably would have been like, ‘Oh okay,’ at first too because that’s one of those things that’s so ridiculous that you don’t realize the absurdity right away,” commented one user.
“I had a guy pull the forgotten wallet trick, so I paid mine and told him good luck. He managed to find a credit card in his back pocket, a miracle of miracles. Then, he tried to kiss me in the parking lot. No, thanks. I do like the idea of all cash being cookie money. Very whimsical,” wrote another.
“In college, this guy asked me out, and all my friends said that he always pretends he didn’t bring his wallet. So, we’re at the movies, and he says, oh, I can’t pay for the ticket; do you have any money? I said no, I guess we’re going to have to go home, and then he pulls out his money,” shared a third.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
