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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel i didn't do anything wrong??

249 replies

Ihateknowingthis · 04/09/2026 23:09

I have a very good friend or so i thought, for over 30 years.
Recently we arranged a little break together, i booked and paid for an experience for us to do and she booked and paid for accommodation, (slightly unwillingly).
Then I suggested something else I'd like to do, but she was vehement that wasn't going to happen, I was upset and annoyed at her attitude but thought ok, I'll do that another time.
She paid me her half of the experience.
I asked to meet up to discuss our disagreement and moving forward.
She ignored me, and stopped texting me, so I left it a week and tried again thinking I'll be the bigger person.
Another refusal to meet up and it was now getting really close to our break.
So i texted, I assume you've cancelled the accommodation and she didn't answer me.
At that point I decided I wasn't going anyway, so I canceled the experience.

Her next text told me that she hadn't cancelled the accommodation and was going to use it for herself and husband!!
She also wanted me to uncancel the experience so she could do that too.

I am stunned at her actions and a little bamboozled as to what's actually caused her to act this way.

Can anyone see what I might have done to upset her?? She also suggested we meet up in a couple of weeks time!!

OP posts:
wombat1a · 05/09/2026 05:06

I can see your friends point of view, I mean you can't even explain here it. For example some said what was the 2nd experience and you said 'there was none' and then later said the extra event was something to do with a celebrity.

I think you need to brush up on your communication skills OP.

OvernightBloats · 05/09/2026 05:13

The painting experience was your idea - your friend went along with it.

You then suggested she arranged the accommodation - your friend reluctantly took on this task (which usually takes a lot more effort than booking the painting experience).

You then said that you wanted to have a celebrity experience - she probably thought, 'Hell, no' and brushed it off. You didn't respond with good grace.

You then wanted to meet her to discuss this - whatever for?!

You haven't paid for your half of the accommodation.

Your friend has every right to be pissed off with you. You have acted selfishly.

Frumpitydoo · 05/09/2026 05:21

You are a cheeky fucker OP. I'd be mortified by your behaviour.

Iocanepowder · 05/09/2026 05:22

Ihateknowingthis · 05/09/2026 01:09

The other thing involved a celebrity she doesn't like, so I thought ok fair enough, but I was really annoyed at the way she voiced her opinion, it was just a no.... at that point I thought we should meet up and have a chat but she ignore that request, so I decided not to send my half of the accommodation until we'd discussed it as at that point I wasn't sure i wanted to go away with her, she'd been a little awkward recently.
I also wanted to discuss it so she could cancel the accommodation if we decided not to go. And I could cancel the painting, by the time I did i lost half the money!

This is totally on you.

You should have sent her your half of the money for the accommodation STRAIGHT AWAY regardless of what other conversation was happening.

She is allowed to say no to stuff she doesn’t want to do. If there was an issue with her attitude, you can call her to chat through things. You asking to meet up about it was dramatic.

Iocanepowder · 05/09/2026 05:24

wombat1a · 05/09/2026 05:06

I can see your friends point of view, I mean you can't even explain here it. For example some said what was the 2nd experience and you said 'there was none' and then later said the extra event was something to do with a celebrity.

I think you need to brush up on your communication skills OP.

Agree with this, sorry op. Your communication skills with your friend don’t sound to be great, and no one has understood what went on for most of your posts.

concertinacornflake · 05/09/2026 05:28

Have you considered saying to your friend 'I think I've upset you over the holiday arrangements. I really value you as a friend and would like to understand. Please could we have a chat about this?'

DarkForces · 05/09/2026 05:49

Ihateknowingthis · 05/09/2026 01:09

The other thing involved a celebrity she doesn't like, so I thought ok fair enough, but I was really annoyed at the way she voiced her opinion, it was just a no.... at that point I thought we should meet up and have a chat but she ignore that request, so I decided not to send my half of the accommodation until we'd discussed it as at that point I wasn't sure i wanted to go away with her, she'd been a little awkward recently.
I also wanted to discuss it so she could cancel the accommodation if we decided not to go. And I could cancel the painting, by the time I did i lost half the money!

I think yabu based on this. You didn't like hearing no and decided to punish her by withholding the money you owed her despite her paying you promptly. You then cancelled the activity you both actually wanted to do despite the amount of money you'd both lose. If you make plans commit to them, pay your share and stop making them contingent on unrelated things. Lots of things cost money despite cancelling so you're asking others to pay the cost of your flakiness. She said no. Why on earth did it need an in person discussion?

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 05/09/2026 05:51

So basically because she didn’t want to do your second activity, which makes sense if she doesn’t like the celebrity, you started saying well I don’t know if I want to go at all.

If that’s the case then you were 100% in the wrong and acted like a twat

DewDropsAndCobWebs · 05/09/2026 05:58

You are the one who brought up the fact that she was booking reluctantly, so that reason is probably a big clue.

marbIehalls · 05/09/2026 06:08

Ihateknowingthis · 05/09/2026 02:39

Completely up the wrong tree, all of it!

Then why dont you tell us exactly what you paid for? You arent being transparent on this post at all.

You are being really cagey and weird about this - people have asked multiple times why it is that she paid for all the accommodation AND her half of the painting experience and you apparently only paid for half of the painting experience and you havent answered.

You havent or wont address that part which makes me think its YOU that is being completely unreasonable here and I dont blame your friend for dumping you.

You refuse to be honest about who paid what and yet you expect us to slag off your friend and tell you she's out of line. I dont think she is. I think you are.

ThatCyanCat · 05/09/2026 06:12

So she paid for the accommodation and instead of giving her your half you started demanding a summit meeting because she didn't fancy doing a second experience?

AmnesiacsDream · 05/09/2026 06:20

It does sound a bit as though you've been annoying her for a while and the celebrity suggestion was just a last straw for her. Did you know she didn't like the celebrity before you suggested it? Because that could come across as pretty self absorbed. Or have you tried to persuade her in the past into doing things she wasn't really that keen on? Because that's the sort of thing that can really build over time. Just trying to think of clear reasons that she might have been annoyed enough to not text back.

But it's all a bit chicken and egg, the way you describe your reaction to her turning down the celebrity activity certainly sounds like the sort of thing that might tip someone who'd been teetering over the edge into regretting the whole trip. But it might not have felt so big a deal if the two of you hadn't already been feeling some strain. You were also wondering about not going on the trip and have been feeling things haven't been right for a while, so it might just be that she's been feeling the relationship is off too and you pushing for a face to face meet up because she'd said no made her realise the trip wasn't going to make things better.

PollyBell · 05/09/2026 06:22

ThatCyanCat · 05/09/2026 06:12

So she paid for the accommodation and instead of giving her your half you started demanding a summit meeting because she didn't fancy doing a second experience?

Sums it up perfectly

QuirkyHorse · 05/09/2026 06:32

As soon as she paid for her half of the experience, you should have paid your part of the accommodation.

You are at fault here, not her.

Why didn't you pay her?

RVectensian · 05/09/2026 06:39

Why was she unwilling to pay the accommodation, and why didn't you pay your half straight away?

WilliamWilliamItWasReally · 05/09/2026 06:40

It all sounds a bit tantrum-like and childish on both sides. Some friendships come to an end naturally, others with a bang.

Loveofeclairs · 05/09/2026 06:46

Do you have form for not covering your half or being very late to do so? This could explain why she was reluctant to pay for accommodation knowing it would take ages to get her money back. Maybe when you didn’t just pay your half straight away (which is what you should have done regardless of other side issues), it was the straw that broke the camel’s back from her point of view.

TheBlueKoala · 05/09/2026 06:47

@Ihateknowingthis So if I get this straight: both of you were OK with going away for a painting experience. You pay the painting- she pays for accomodation. She transfers money to you for the painting experience. Instead of transferring money to her for accomodation you tell her you want to see a celebrity together as well. She says no to this. Instead of accepting her no and send her money for half of the accomodation you tell her you want to meet up in order to bully her into changing her mind.. She doesn't answer because her no still stands. Instead of accepting this and sending her money for the accomodation you persist in wanting to meet up. Now she has decided that you're batshit and she better just go with her husband. She should have told you that but you are still being very very unreasonable not having paid your due and trying to bully your friend into meeting a celebrity she didn't care for (ot: how old are you??).

LivingDeadGirlUK · 05/09/2026 06:54

I put yanbu but the fact you didn't pay your share of the accommodation is key information left out the OP. yabu

WilliamWilliamItWasReally · 05/09/2026 06:54

LivingDeadGirlUK · 05/09/2026 06:54

I put yanbu but the fact you didn't pay your share of the accommodation is key information left out the OP. yabu

Agreed. Controlling and manipulative.

IDontHateRainbows · 05/09/2026 07:06

Sounds like she goaded you into a reaction then blamed you for it. Unfortunately sone people do this a lot when they want to be a bitch.

Moonnstarz · 05/09/2026 07:07

I can't see where you have explained why you didn't pay her for the accomodation. This could be a significant amount of money, more than half of the activity for which she transferred the money for.
I too would be annoyed with you and give you the cold shoulder if you hadn't paid up and were then trying to pressurise me into a celebrity activity when you know I don't like them and had already said no to.

Did you give her her money back for the activity you decided to cancel without telling her? I really hope so.

MarthaLovesLaughing · 05/09/2026 07:10

TreesTreesSky · 04/09/2026 23:18

Why was she booking and paying for accommodation? Did you pay her back for this? why was she unwilling?

She paid you for half of the painting experience

You refused to pay her for half of the accommodation until she'd met up with you to chat about the break

Why couldn't you tell her that you were withholding your money for the accommodation because you felt she was being off with you?

You sound controlling and slightly batshit

Raptors · 05/09/2026 07:14

I'm genuinely shocked that so many people have voted YANBU. I can only assume they've completely missed that you've not paid her anything.Confused

The fact is you have left her massively out of pocket and there was absolutely no need for the in person meeting you were demanding.

Dontevenlookatme · 05/09/2026 07:15

It’s very hard to tell from your posts what the issue is. I think at this point you agree to meet up in a couple of week’s time, ostensibly with no agenda other than a catch up, then once face to face see if you can get to the bottom of this.

I would not unfreeze the experience, just say you haven’t been able to and provide the contact details so they can rearrange it themselves. Maybe contact the venue and cancel it properly so they can’t reactivate the booking at your expense.

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