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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Paying friend for petrol?

82 replies

Pollyputthekettleon32 · 26/04/2018 15:35

So my friend invited me for lunch,she drove to pick me up (15 min each way ) and I gave her £5 petrol.
She then says her dad says “does (polly) realise petrol isn’t free”
Is £5 petrol not enough?
How much should I be giving?

OP posts:
TroubledLichen · 26/04/2018 15:39

Not sure of the exact maths but I’m sure £5 would have more than covered it! Also petrol money for a 15 minute journey?! Unless you’re 17 then that seems a bit odd, I wouldn’t dream of bringing up petrol money as a driver or passenger unless it was a long trip. If a friend has given me a lift I usually buy them coffee or pay for parking to say thanks.

adaline · 26/04/2018 15:40

She invited you! Why does that mean you have to pay for petrol?!

Bit cheeky if you ask me.

Pollyputthekettleon32 · 26/04/2018 15:41

We are both in our 30s ...
I bought her a coffee too.
I feel a bit awkward that she brought up what her dad said ...think it was her way of saying she wanted more money.

OP posts:
DGRossetti · 26/04/2018 15:41

£5 should get you 4 litres ... just a squeeze under a gallon, or about 30-40 miles in a regular car. Seems over generous to me ...

ShotsFired · 26/04/2018 15:41

More than enough!

For rough comparison, it costs me about £45 (on a bad day) to fill my tank with diesel and that gets me about 400 solid miles and I don't drive very conservatively.

Pollyputthekettleon32 · 26/04/2018 15:42

Can’t wait to get back on the road and not rely on lifts etc

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 26/04/2018 15:42

£5 is plenty. As she invited you I don't know why she wants paying for it in the first place. Did she laugh about what her dad said?

House4 · 26/04/2018 15:42

Seems fine to me and a good gesture from you! Very strange

dementedpixie · 26/04/2018 15:43

Some friend!

Pollyputthekettleon32 · 26/04/2018 15:43

No she didn’t laugh,she just said it ..then awkward silence with me thinking “crap I’m under paying”

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 26/04/2018 15:44

She's the cheapskate, not you

Sweetheart · 26/04/2018 15:44

Most average cars use approx 14p fuel per mile as a rough guide - unless you have a giant gas guzzling car

Redglitter · 26/04/2018 15:45

I can't believe she took petrol money for such a short journey. I wouldn't consider taking money from a friend unless we were perhaps going away for a weekend. I'd have said under the circumstances the fact you bought coffee should cancel it out.

Imsosceptical · 26/04/2018 15:45

The money is irrelevant, to me it’s the concept that a friend in their 30’s invites you for lunch, offers to pick you up and drop off (I’m assuming that’s what happened), and then actually expects petrol money??

bettytaghetti · 26/04/2018 15:49

Did your friend forget to mention to her dad that you had in fact paid her petrol money? Sounds like she was trying to make herself look good by saying she had driven out of her way to pick you up and then didn't want to put a dent in her self-awarded halo by admitting that you had given her money for petrol.

DontTouchTheMoustache · 26/04/2018 15:49

I used to work with a woman (before i could drive) who liked to havw McDonald's everyday for her lunch, I never had one because I was trying to lose weight so brought my own sandwiches but she liked me to come alomg with her so we could eat lunch together. One time she made a really arsey comment about me never offering petrol money despite the fact we only went in her car to get HER lunch and I would happily eat in the canteen. Some people are just born CFs.

KC225 · 26/04/2018 16:01

Goodness, I thought you were going to say you were both 17/18 and she had just passed and it was her first car. What is her Dad getting involved for? Very odd.

I think a fiver is more than generous.

Aprilmightbemynewname · 26/04/2018 16:06

Unless she survives on pocket money from her df he is a cf!!
I would beware of cf friend taking a lend also.
I paid for' skint ' friend every time we met up, sometimes 2/3 times a week as she was always down to her last. One day she met me driving a Mercedes convertible!!
I felt a mug to say the least.

BMW6 · 26/04/2018 16:06

I'd text her and say that having thought about what her dad said, on reflection the £5 you have given her more than covered the cost of the petrol used in picking you up.
Then ask her if she disagrees.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 26/04/2018 16:09

OMG give her another £5 and then tell the weird woman child to jog on...YANBU

extinctspecies · 26/04/2018 16:16

Unless she is driving a Bentley then £5 is plenty for a 15-minute journey round trip.

Redpony1 · 26/04/2018 16:17

Even if someone offered me fuel money for a short journey i wouldn't take it!

Nikephorus · 26/04/2018 16:17

Just tell her that YOUR dad says 'does Polly's friend's dad realise that his daughter is a grown adult and a CF to boot?'

Juells · 26/04/2018 16:19

I don't understand the time-scale.

She picked you up and brought you to cafe

You gave her £5 towards petrol

When did her Dad get a chance to say that?

Sparklesocks · 26/04/2018 16:19

She sounds ridiculously tight, £5 is more than enough.
I don't think I could put up with a penny counter tbh..

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