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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Splitting petrol money?

114 replies

Spacebound · 14/07/2014 22:41

Hi my fiancée and I are travelling up to Edinburgh this week with our two friends and we're staying in my parents apartment.

We are going to drive as they don't (we always drive up there) problem is I got a txt of my friend today sort of hinting that they might not be going halves on petrol money and I'm a bit pee'd off.

It's a 4 hour drive so we will be looking at about £80 round trip. It's just so awkward to bring up the subject, we just wouldn't dream of not going halves if it was the other way round, any ideas? Thanks !!

OP posts:

limon · 15/07/2014 07:35

You've made a big assumption.

if you're worried text "great! Thanks. Petrol will be approx £40 per couple can you bring cash with you as need to fill up on way".

IDontDoIroning · 15/07/2014 07:52

Given that they don't drive it may be that they have no idea how much it costs to run a car before you include petrol.
Perhaps they think you would be driving anyway so it's no extra costs so if they buy a few egg s/wiches and a bottle if pop it's sorted.
Or they could just be totally unaware and think they are contributing fairly.
The only way to get to the bottom of this is to make it abundantly clear you expect them to pay 50% of the petrol.
Either text great we will spilt the cost - and can you give me £40 (or whatever) as we will need to fill the car up before we go.

BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 15/07/2014 07:58

I agree with limon.

Groovee · 15/07/2014 07:58

I think you need to tell them upfront. We were in Stoke on Trent last week and it cost us around £80 return to fill up our car. You need to be upfront about money issues than skirting round the issues.

As for the trams, they were halted again yesterday due to balloons getting caught in the over head wires. The day before a coach crashed into one. Waiting to see what the 3rd thing is today!

LadyCordeliaFlyte · 15/07/2014 08:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

puntasticusername · 15/07/2014 08:15

I'm loving reading about what everyone eats on long car journeys. Egg sandwiches, cappuccinos, sausage rolls, yum yums...man, I want another breakfast now.

We always have Starburst in the car - I have the bag and divvy them out, but everyone else watches the distribution like a hawk to make sure no one gets more than their fair share of the blackcurrant ones.

kinkymouse · 15/07/2014 08:17

I'm quite the rebel and like the green ones.

londonrach · 15/07/2014 08:19

Punter you can have my black current ones (yuk) as long as I can have the lime and lemon (completely ignores the whole car petrol and parking issue)

puntasticusername · 15/07/2014 08:22

The lemon and lime ones are lush. Quite like the regular green ones too. Anything except icky strawberry, basically.

Numero3 · 15/07/2014 08:25

I'd say something like, 'food for the journey is a great idea - thanks. Shall we pay for the fuel to get us there and you pay for the way back or do you just want to go halves when we fill up?'

EverythingCounts · 15/07/2014 08:34

How about 'Thanks, that's a nice treat for us driving! Petrol will be 80 so if we put in 40 each, we can adjust it later if we need to'

Pidgy · 15/07/2014 08:36

So, what did you text OP?!

ilovesooty · 15/07/2014 08:49

If you're unsure of what was meant why don't you phone and discuss it?

Idrinktoomuchireallydo · 15/07/2014 09:00

Orange starbursts are the best. Blackcurrant ones are the worst. Fact!

OP Just text back and say snacks for the journey sound great, we don't mind the driving. Petrol costs are £80 so that will be £40 from you guys.

Hellokittycat · 15/07/2014 09:01

I wouldn't have thought they were trying to get out of oaying for petrol. They are bringing sweets and snacks for the actual journey because you have the chore of doing the actual driving while they just relax. Petrol is entirely separate.
If you always drive and they don't, do they normally pay their way?

londonrach · 15/07/2014 09:03

Starburst fight... (Am I only one who remembers them as Opel fruits)

whois · 15/07/2014 09:08

Can't believe it's causing so much angst unless they have form for freeloading?

When I used to do a lot of driving for other people I always filled up straight after collecting them. Then from then on any fill ups were split including one final fill up just before dropping them home. So you start and finish full and no one can really argue and it's totally obvious how much the journey cost.

QueenHaakonVII · 15/07/2014 09:10

There are lots of good suggestions on this thread. I really hope you have already replied.

ViviPru · 15/07/2014 09:11

I disagree that the text is ambiguous. To me, it is definitely suggesting that since the OP is taking care of all efforts/costs relating to the drive, the friend is offering a contribution to the getting-to-Edinburgh effort by way of some snacks for the journey.

Concur with PP that as non-drivers they might not have a clue at the reality of fuel costs. You definitely need to be explicit at this stage regarding your expectations they pay for their share or just accept that you are going to be meeting the entire cost yourselves.

StanleyLambchop · 15/07/2014 09:15

As someone who lives in Edinburgh city centre I would like you not to all drive your cars into the city. The pollution from traffic is terrible. Obviously you are all welcome to come and visit, but the train is a good alternative.....

I have been looking at options for a weekend in Edinburgh, on the train it would cost £279 for four of us, that is with a railcard. There is no way it would cost that in petrol. The train is not a good alternative in our case! It seems like you are saying 'you are welcome to come and visit' which translates to 'we want your tourist money' . However, if we went on the train we would have no money left for any sightseeing/shopping/restaurant spends. You can't have it both ways.

Sorry to de-rail your thread OP (no pun intended) I hope you got things sorted with your friends.

gobbynorthernbird · 15/07/2014 09:16

I think the costs should have been discussed when the trip was first arranged. Personally, if I invited friends along on a journey I was doing anyway, I wouldn't expect them to pay half the costs.

Catsize · 15/07/2014 09:19

Can you still get Refreshers? As in the hard little round fizzy sweets that come in packets like polos, not the chewy refresher oblong sweet things? They were our family holiday car journey staple. Along with a bag of Mother's Pride. (Mothers' Pride?)
And the pink were the best and squabbled over.

Catsize · 15/07/2014 09:21

Stanley, the advance tickets from a main station are bargainous. Try splitting the tickets on the journey - it may be cheaper. We got Crewe to Edin return for £40 or so with a railcard and it's a four hour journey.

londonrach · 15/07/2014 09:22

99 p shop and poundland sell them and sometimes the post office if has shop in fruit. It's in the baskets catsize. Putting your tongue in the middle...yum.

Catsize · 15/07/2014 09:23

Should say that was total for two adults and two under fives.

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