How we spend our money is none of other people’s business. But when Reddit user Salty_lake_222 went to McDonald’s with their friend, the two of them got into an argument over a couple of cheese slices.
You see, our Redditor had brought some of their own to save on the order, and this didn’t sit well with their friend. She didn’t just call the move “embarrassing” but went so far as to threaten to walk ahead of them in public if they ever did anything so “cheap” again.
Image credits: Eduardo Ramos / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: bigosik_ / Reddit (not the actual photo)
Image credits: salty_lake_222
Sadly, money and friends don’t always mix
This case is no doubt a striking example, but similar conflicts are pretty common. For example, the 2025 Friends and Money Report discovered that more than 4 in 10 Americans (41%) say they’ve had tension or a disagreement with friends over money, while 36% — just like our Redditor — have had a friendship end because of it.
Of course, there could be many reasons for those disagreements, but the report’s data suggests that differing views and approaches toward spending are a prominent source of strife. Nearly 1 in 3 respondents (31%) say they’ve felt pressured to keep up with their friends’ spending habits. Among Millennials, the figure soars to 41%.
A third of Americans (33%) have admitted to thinking differently about a friend because of that person’s spending habits, and men are more likely than women (37% versus 30%) to say this.
Image credits: Towfiqu barbhuiya / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Also, people earning $100,000 a year or more say they judged someone for being too frivolous (29% had done so) or too frugal (22%) more than any other income bracket.
The key to a great relationship — be it romantic, professional, or something else — is honest communication. The survey revealed that most Americans (66%) believe people should openly share their financial struggles with their friends and (59%) are comfortable doing so.
I don’t know if the passive-aggressive exchange our Redditor had with their friend counts, but at least they got a clear picture of where they stand. And maybe ending things now is better than keeping up a friendship held together by fake smiles.
Most people who read the story sided with its author and said friends shouldn’t behave that way
Some, however, thought they were being unreasonable
