Woman Says She Refuses To Be Friends With People Who Make Both More And Less Money Than She Does
Her ideas did not go over well.
antoniodiaz / Shutterstock It can be challenging to be friends with people who make different amounts of money than you do. Activities and outings have to be accessible to everyone regardless of income.
After several unfortunate experiences with one of her friends, a woman decided that she couldn’t be friends with people who made more or less money than she did.
A woman described her inability to be friends with anyone who has more or less money than she does.
A woman named Kim, known as @rosesdooley on TikTok, shared a “storytime” that she claimed was in the same vein as recent viral TikTok star Reesa Teesa. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat with viewers.
Kim described a situation in which she went on a trip with her friend and her friend’s partner. For her, the red flags started popping up when they picked out their Airbnb. Kim said she sent her friend several Airbnb options she liked before she found the one.
“I book it right away,” she said. “I don’t really care what she had to say.” Her friend responded by saying, “You’re stressing me out.”
Kim couldn’t understand why her friend was so worried. “I’m so overly generous with my money,” she said, implying she would be happy to cover this and any other expenses.
That wasn’t quite how things worked out, though.
Kim and her friends had a good trip... up until the end when the trio went out for dinner. Because Kim ordered considerably more than her friends, she offered to pay for the dinner. Afterward, they went out for drinks. When the server asked how they would be paying, Kim’s friend said they would split it.
“I personally can’t imagine, like, having somebody pay for the Airbnb the entire trip, then having them pay for a dinner, and then going out for drinks and being like, ‘Oh, let’s split it,’” she said.
The events of the trip made Kim hyper-aware of everything else going on with this friend. She explained that when it was her friend’s birthday, she chose to take a trip to Disneyland. To treat the birthday girl, Kim paid for her ticket. When Kim’s birthday came up a few weeks after their trip, all she got from her friend was a voice message.
“That makes me realize, like, I really have to, like, make sure I’m friends with people who have it the same way that I have it,” Kim said.
It's possible to work through financial differences with friends.
Katie Couric Media said it’s important to set boundaries around money so that you and your friends have clear expectations. It seems like even Kim’s situation could have been remedied.
Daryl Appleton, EdD, MeD, and Fortune 500 Executive Coach, explained to the outlet, “Suppose you’re planning a vacation with your friends. Instead of secretly fretting over how much a lavish getaway might set you back, make your budget clear beforehand."
“Or, if you’re going out to eat, ask the group ahead of time if they mind splitting the bill based on who ordered what instead of evenly,” Appleton continued.
Many felt that Kim didn't handle the situation very well.
Fellow users who commented on Kim’s video did not understand where she was coming from.
“This didn’t hit the way I think you wanted it to,” said one person. “Money comes and goes,” another person pointed out. “To base any relationship off finances (especially friendships) is wild.”
What these users said about Kim’s video rings true. Basing friendship on something as superficial as money just doesn’t feel right. If you insist on only befriending those in the same income bracket as you, imagine all you could miss out on.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.