There is a certain kind of friend everyone loves: the one who is always ready for dinner, concert tickets, birthday weekends, group gifts, and one more round. Being dependable can feel good, but constantly saying yes can quietly become an expensive habit when almost every invitation carries a price tag. In fact, a 2025 Ally Bank survey found that Gen Z and millennial respondents spent an average of $250 per month on activities with friends, which works out to $3,000 a year. Nearly six in 10 said their social spending affected their financial goals. Learning to set financial boundaries doesn’t mean becoming a worse friend; it means making sure your social life fits inside the financial life you’re actually trying to build.
