Lol I have some more complaining to do. To preface this, you should know that I do not have a lot of money. To throw out some numbers I currently have 36 cents in my savings account, my other account has just enough to buy my groceries, lunch, and random drinks for the next fortnight. I got out with my friends a lot, like for lunch/coffee/dinner. And I pay for myself. I like to see my friends, and I know that often means going out and spending money on food/drinks/whatever. So I happily do it. Overall it does not affect my ability to pay for the things I need (rent, groceries, bills etc). I allocate enough of my money every pay cycle to spending time with my friends. Recently, a lot of people I have gone out with, who I know are in better financial situations than me, have complained and said they can't spend money, that they are trying to save. I understand this as I am trying to do the same, so I offer to pay for their food/drink. And you may be going "Ellie, why are you offering to pay for other people's stuff, you have so little money, no wonder you are poor all the time you crazy monkey!" Which I have recently realised is true. I shouldn't be paying for them. When I go out with people I do not bring up the fact that I have had to take money out of my savings every fortnight to afford to pay my rent and bills. I do not complain to them every time that my hours have been cut at my job to the point that if I continued working there I would be bankrupt next week. I do not tell them that because of this, coupled with the purchase of uni books and recent doctor visits, I have not been able to afford my electricity or gas bills for the last month (but you know what I can afford? A $4 coffee). But maybe I should tell them, because it seems that they have no problem telling me that they do not want to pay $4-10 when we go out because they are trying to save, despite just telling me they have thousands of dollars already saved. The fact is that you can afford it, you just don't want to. If you don't want to pay for things, please just don't come out with me because I am sick of hearing that you "can't afford" something when I have been living pay check to pay check for a good number of months, yet can still afford to go out with my friends. And you know what? I'm not even in that much of a terrible position. There are people who are far worse off than me, who cannot afford to live in a house, pay for meals for themselves or their children, pay for the medical expertise they need to live a comfortable life. And I know this. I know that I am in a privileged position. So when people who are better off than me tell me they can't afford something that I know I can afford, I feel like they are being rude, that they do not understand the privilege that they have, and that they care more about saving $4 than about spending time with their friend. So if you are currently trying to save money, and someone asks you to do something that costs money, maybe instead of complaining to them about how you can't afford it, just suggest something else that costs less or costs nothing, because you never really know the financial situation of whoever you are talking to, and you could be really insulting them.
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