Longtime friend always spends our money, never hers
A 35-year friendship is strained after one friend consistently avoids paying her fair share at group lunches, applying gift cards only to her portion and expecting others to cover costs.
Dear Eric: I have had a friend “Tillie,” for 35 years, and I love her dearly. We have been through a lot together and helped each other through many tough times. But Tillie has changed over the past few years. Essentially, she has become what I would call a “taker.”
For example, she looks to others to treat her to lunches but never offers to purchase even an appetizer for the rest of the lunch group. If a member of the group has a gift card for an establishment, when the bill comes, we will all apply the gift card to the total tab, then divide the remainder of the bill among the group. When she has a gift card, she waits for her share of the bill to be tallied, then applies the gift card to her share only.