My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

AIBU?

For not paying even though I 'invited '?

986 replies

Unreasonableunreasonableness · 04/04/2018 09:10

Background:
For my dds birthday last year we invited some friends to soft play at a pub. I played entry for all the kids (and some siblings that came unexpectedly too). We brought a cake and everyone had a piece as well as juice to drink, if they wanted anything else they had to buy it (tea/coffee etc). As it came to dinner time I told them we were staying for dinner and people were welcome to join us. A couple did and we then paid for their meals (they didn't seem to expect this).
I have met up with one of the mum/ child that came and stayed for the meal at the same soft play since. She'd messaged asking to meet, I said me and another friend were planning to go to soft play and have lunch there if she wanted to join. We all arrived at different times so paid our own entry (she was last, text me when outside that she was here so when she got in I looked up and waved but didn't go over) and at food time we all ordered separately. She seemed a little quiet but had said she was tired cos her lo was waking up alot. We have met up since, but not at soft play, and all seemed fine.

So, yesterday the same happened again. She called asking if I wanted to meet up over the holiday. I said we were meeting a friend at soft play today if she wanted to join but we could meet some other time if she didn't fancy it. She said she'd join but then made a joke 'I suppose you're going to treat me like last time though'. When i queried what she meant she said that she was cross last time that I didn't pay for her entry or food. I was surprised and said that we don't normally pay for each other when we go out. She said that normally if invited you'd expect the host to pay and reminded me that I had done it before for dds birthday. I said I felt that was different and that this is not an invite in the same way, if she didn't want to come then I was happy to meet some other time elsewhere but I couldn't afford to pay for her every time we meet. She put the phone down on me.
Since then she has blocked me on fb, WhatsApp etc and been in touch with the other friend, trying to change the plans so they go to a different soft play together today but without me. She's said she will pay for that woman and child as 'that's how it's done between friends '. The friend has said to her that she's not leaving me out and that she would never expect to be paid for but that she is still welcome to join us at the originally planned place, or we can meet elsewhere another time if she doesn't fancy it. She's said she will think about whether she can face it and let her know.

Was I wrong? It's not the way I've ever done it with meet ups unless it's been a special occasion. I'm a sahm and meet up with people in similar ways all the time. If I had to pay for other people every time I'd not be able to do it at all!

OP posts:
Report
AllNamesTakenhell · 04/04/2018 09:13

She is an idiot and a chancer.

Report
pinkhorse · 04/04/2018 09:13

I've never paid for anybody else or had anyone pay for me except if it was a proper birthday party. How strange.

Report
dementedpixie · 04/04/2018 09:13

If it's a birthday then the host would pay (for the kids, I wouldn't pay for adults). If it's an informal meet up then each person pays for themself/their kids. Sounds like a strange woman

Report
Lokisglowstickofdestiny · 04/04/2018 09:14

YANBU. She is a cheeky fucker.

Report
Monny1 · 04/04/2018 09:14

Take no notice that woman is a Cf!!!

Report
Shednik · 04/04/2018 09:14

She's bonkers

Report
Nocabbageinmyeye · 04/04/2018 09:14

She is batshit and a cf to boot

Report
AllNamesTakenhell · 04/04/2018 09:15

No you weren't wrong at all. She sounds spiteful. I suspect she is one of these drama queens that likes to be queen bee and fawned on. When she isnt she tries to exclude and turn people against her 'enemy'.

In short she is an idiot, chancer and given her behaviour- attempting to bully. I would keep a very wide berth. I expect you aren't the first and won't be the last.

Report
TheGruffalosArse · 04/04/2018 09:15

That is completely bizarre!

Report
InDubiousBattle · 04/04/2018 09:16

She's searching for drama whee there is none. When I go out with friends we all pay for ourselves.

Report
OnlyTheWelshCanCwtch · 04/04/2018 09:16

Batshit crazy
Jeez you would be bankrupt if you ended up paying for everyone every time you went out
Silly woman, shes done you a favour by blocking you!

Report
Justanotherzombie · 04/04/2018 09:16

Confused who are these people and how are they so lacking in understanding about the world.

Report
g1itterati · 04/04/2018 09:17

The woman is mad as the brush and that's all you need to know. If she doesn't grasp that a birthday party is different to a general meet up, there is no hope, frankly.

The thought of her standing outside waving to you is making me giggle - sorry!
What a loon.

Report
Backinthetallgrass · 04/04/2018 09:17

That's mental. Birthdays are different. You went above and beyond even paying for adult meals at the birthday if you ask me. You absolutely should not have to pay for people every time you meet up. Maybe some friends take turns paying and thats ok but no one should ever expect to be paid for.

Report
Eggzandbacon · 04/04/2018 09:19

CF!!!
We always pay for ourselves- if someone gets a lift then they buy the driver a drink. Pay your own way in FFS

Report
Jessikita · 04/04/2018 09:19

She’s crazy, greedy, a scrounger and rude!!!

You paid before because it was effectively a birthday party!!
As if anyone wants to or can afford to keep paying for their friends every time they go out!!

What a scrounger and CF!!!

Report
GrumpyInsomniac · 04/04/2018 09:20

It does sound bizarre, but I suppose before judging I'd ask whether she's British? There are some cultures where to say you're inviting someone literally translates as you're paying for them. French, for example, where "je t'invite" means "I'm paying".

But if she's British born and bred she's a CF :)

Report
Groovee · 04/04/2018 09:21

She's a CF. She sounds like my SIL who would expect this!

Report
aaaaargghhhhelpme · 04/04/2018 09:21

Bat. Shit.

Avoid. Seriously. How can anyone not see that a birthday party invite is different. You went above and beyond paying for the meal for adults.

I'd say she's a cf but I think it's actually gone past that and into twilight zone territory

Report
linadee25 · 04/04/2018 09:23

YANBU at all. She is insane and looking for a free ride. You don’t “host” if you arrange to meet up at a soft play, you get together and pay your own way.

Has she ever paid for you and your DC any time you’ve met up?

Report
Nocabbageinmyeye · 04/04/2018 09:23

She is totally batshit but the ringing the other friend to change arrangements actually makes her a devious bitch too so watch her and avoid if possible

Report
WeAreEternal · 04/04/2018 09:24

She is a CF, clearly after the birthday she thought her luck was in and she’d found someone who pays for days out.

I had a ‘friend’ like her when DS was small.
She would often say things like “It was my turn last time, it’s your turn to get lunch/coffee/pay for entry”
Except when it was her turn she either forgot her purse of would say ‘let’s go 50/50’ or ‘I’m not really hungry so let’s just pay for our own’

In the two years we were friends I don’t think she ever paid for me and when I started ‘forgetting’ my purse she stopped making plans to go out with me.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Doublechocolatetiffin · 04/04/2018 09:24

She is totally bonkers, never would I expect my friends to pay for my entry and food at soft play - how bizarre!! Sounds like you’re well rid of her to be honest.

Report
Notproudofthisone · 04/04/2018 09:24

Hahahahahah sorry OP she’s bonkers Grin

Report
MiddleClassProblem · 04/04/2018 09:24

WTF? So if she meets a friend for dinner the friend is meant to pay if they suggested where to go?

It’s a meet up, not a treat

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.