Frich Reveals: Friendship Inflation
With the price of pretty much everything going up, can you still afford to have friends? Jk, but for real though... With all the birthday parties, bachelorettes and weddings - it really adds up. So what are you supposed to do? Go into debt in the name of friendship? Let's see what the people around you say.
Do you think your friends spend more than they can afford?
This one's pretty 50/50 - and that's alarming! Half of you think that your friends are spending beyond their means. And what are you supposed to do? Should you bring it up with them? To be honest, there's no right answer here... It really depends on your friendship and how close you are. But if you are seriously concerned about your friend's spending patterns, try leading by example. Next time you hang out, suggest a free activity and bring up that the reason you're choosing this is because you're trying to be more mindful with your spending. Who knows, you might just be the push they needed :)
Would you ever opt out of a friend’s destination wedding to save money?
Ooof... that's so difficult. On the one hand, you wouldn't want to miss this big occassion in your friend's life. On the other hand, should you ever go into debt because of a social obligation?
Here's what your peers said: 24% would never miss a wedding, they would just adjust their spending on other things. 23% would decline the invite, 22% have already been in a situation where they had to decline the invite, and 31% would make the final decision based on how close the friendship is.
What’s your go-to excuse when you can’t afford a hangout?
We've all done it. But that doesn't mean that it's okay. Our opinion? Why the heck can't we just be honest??? But alas that's not the world we live in so here's what your peers said.
21% tell a white lie that they're busy with something else and 16% say that they're not feeling well. 37% are honest and tell that they can't afford to hang out (bravo!) and 26% admit that they really struggle with this, so they end up going anyways and dealing with the bill afterwards.
Our opinion? That's the worst thing you could be doing.
