Having friends who earn more than you can make an ordinary weekend feel surprisingly expensive. A $75 dinner turns into cocktails, the weekend getaway becomes a resort trip, and suddenly your social spending budget is competing with rent, savings, and credit-card payments. The pressure is more common than you might think, especially when declining invitations feels like admitting you cannot keep up.
The good news is that maintaining close friendships does not require matching someone else’s paycheck, but it may require setting financial boundaries before social spending starts controlling your finances.
