[apple_py]

assuming you have a steady job, do you ever feel the need to pay for your unemployed friends? most of my friends refuse to work or have not had any luck with their careers. i know they don't have much spending cash so i end up paying a lot of the times we eat out. it's not something i like doing, but i'd feel like an ass if i didn't.
anyway, have you guys ever experienced this? has it negatively affected your friendship?

[addicted2kdrama]

It depends on how much of a friend he is to me and how much money I'm willing to spend.

I have a friend now that doesn't pay for anything and if he does pay it's 1 out of 100 times it's a very small portion of the pie. It has an adverse affect on our friendship. He's labeled cheap, we call him less, and pretty much ignore him when he says let's do this and let's do that. Do I feel like an ass? Nope... I worked for my money and he didn't.

He owed me 250 dollars from borrowing money from me everytime our group went out and needed money. I figured it'd take a while for him to pay me back or he just wouldn't so I told him if he rubbed Bengay on his balls in the Supermarket he doesn't owe me anything. He did it and it was hilarious. He owes my other friend 450 but he wants cash only.

[Pogichinoy]

To me its quite simple, if you don't have money, don't go out and don't expect me to pay for you, unless you're my gf.

Most of our friends that join us do have money and on the rare occasion when they don't, they pay me back the same or next day. Only on the rare occasion do I pay for someone and not ask for anything in return, usually due to their very difficult financial situation.

[watcher]

i dont mind paying for a couple meals out of the month for any one friend. i usually take a bunch of friends out once a month and treat them all. i don't see friends all that often though, probably once or twice a week on average. so the few times we do meet, i figure we all have a good time and have them enjoy food on my account.

[addicted2kdrama]

To me its quite simple, if you don't have money, don't go out and don't expect me to pay for you, unless you're my gf.

Exactly...

i dont mind paying for a couple meals out of the month for any one friend. i usually take a bunch of friends out once a month and treat them all. i don't see friends all that often though, probably once or twice a week on average. so the few times we do meet, i figure we all have a good time and have them enjoy food on my account.

Watcher!!! I'll be your best friend...

[watcher]

^ write me a resume and cover letter and i'll consider your application for the position of best friend! LOL

[addicted2kdrama]

^ write me a resume and cover letter and i'll consider your application for the position of best friend! LOL

*edit and erased cause watcher called me lame...

[Yubumsuk]

If they're down on their luck, sure; but I'd rather not hang out much with people who are too lazy to get a job in the first place.

[apple_py]

hmm... what if it's someone you've been best friends with for 20+ years?

[Aeon_Clock]

people change...you can't keep going on paying for what he eats. Stop paying and maybe he'll start to find some other ways of getting money besides working?

[mofo]

rule #1. don't hang out with bums..

if i was a bum..i wouldn't want people to pay for me..i would have my bum pride.

[krnbaby]

this has happened to me and it was a back and forth situation with me a some of my friends. sometimes i'll be the unemployed one, and sometimes they will. yeah, i agree that if you don't have money you shouldn't go out... but sometimes it sucks being at home, nothing to eat while all your friends are out. i have friends who don't care about paying for food, and some are cheapsakes. haha

[hun_wun_gal]

i wouldn't mind paying for the odd meal cos i know they'll pay me back when they have money. But i won't spend that much where we end up having ill feelings towards one another. If they don't have money don't go doing things that you know they can't afford, and if they get all up tight about it and still refuse to work, then just don't invite them. If we're poor we just hang out at each others place.

[watcher]

hmm... what if it's someone you've been best friends with for 20+ years?

if he/she is your best friend, why can't you just have an open talk?
or if you wanna go for tact... tell them you plan on saving up for something, so you gotta cut corners.

[ANJEE<3]

well i don't mind cause we're friends..
as long as i'm not like EXPECTED to pay
and it's not all the time

i personally don't like owing my friends.. i want to pay them back asap

[erure]

If your friends are expecting you to pay for them, they're not good friends imo. I'm unemployed but I don't expect my friends to pay off my meals - unless they are kind unnies and oppas who don't like their dongsaengs to go hungry

[angelZ]

i don't mind paying once in awhile but not all the time...
& they'll always pay me back (one way or another) when they get a job so it's not really a big deal for me~

[SeX1eStAsaBa]

I'm the broke one and everyone calls me to eat. I know what money is to everyone so I decline. My cousins like to SPURGE on money while I like to pay off bills =__=. I DO remember the generosity and do pay for meals when I do have enough moeny =P

[cindel25]

Obligated? No. If they're down on their luck or don't have a job, Yes. My friends did the same for me when I wasn't working at one point.

[deevyne_]

I'm almost always stuck with the bill, and I really don't mind to a certain extent.
But when I don't have the money, I won't do it.
I think treating my friends has sorta made me not want to out with them as much?
Because now days, I'm struggling as it is but when I do have cash on the side to go and do something - they don't and.... I refuse to pay. =X

The only way it's affected me would be spending less time with my friends. And probably being taken advantage of at some points.