"I don't know how to deal with her politely"
Why ON EARTH do you think you need to deal with her politely?!!
She's not being polite she's being at best a cheeky fucker and at worst an out and out con merchant!
She's got you all funding HER social life!
You ALL need to learn the power of the word NO! It's not rude, it's not offensive, it's one very little word that is very empowering.
Breaking it down:
1 We have a colleague who is always instigating work socialising and organising nights out - you don't have to go!
2 *She never ever buys a drink." Publicly set a rule before going that from now on everyone pays for their own! If she "forgets" her purse she can bloody well either go home and get it or just go home!!
3 She always asks me and my colleagues to get the bogof drinks and she will get the next ones but she never does. as above. But does this also mean you're getting drinks according to what she wants to drink?!
4* She has blagged lunches off colleagues by forgetting her purse app and never paying back." It won't actually kill her to go without lunch - done it many a time myself when I was skint! Nothing stopping her from bringing in lunch from home either.
5 We went out yest and my colleague said she would get the first drink but she needed to get the next ones. She never did. It was awkward as she just sat there with empty glasses back to point 2 really. But at the time a cheery "your round I believe" would also have been acceptable
6 A couple of times she has been on lunch and said she needed a sandwich but forgotten her purse "that's a shame, well you'll enjoy your dinner more eh"
7 We went in the sandwich shop once on her request and I'd already eaten a sandwich from home as trying to save money. She looked in her purse she only had some pound coins which she is collecting app. She then proceeded to ask me to pay for her sandwich as she can't spend her coins as collecting ffs really?!!!! "You've got money, buy your own lunch!"
8 She's asking me and a colleague to come on a few nights out with work in the next few months again that handy word "no"
9 and trying to convince us to come for a break away DO NOT agree to this! As things are currently you'll end up paying for the lot!
Seriously I do not understand why you're all putting up with this!
Are any of the people getting roped into this bullshit senior to her at work? If so they could be having a quiet word on the basis it's causing a negative atmosphere/low morale at work. That others aren't there to subsidise her social life, she needs to either manage her finances better or stay at home!
Mind you it shouldn't need someone senior to say this!
Next time she raises a night out or something "only if you start paying your way and stop sponging off everyone"
She's doing it BECAUSE you're all too polite to say anything.
If she "bites your head off" make her behaviour official - because that's COMPLETELY unacceptable!
"Who cares if she bites there head off, she can have that instead of her sandwich" 😂😂
"No-one else has said anything. I didn't want to look a bitch by saying anything." Sit down now and add up how much she's cost you so far... I'm willing to bet it's close to at least £100 if not more...now are you worried about looking a bitch?! The others would likely be grateful! (Though I don't think much of them for saying nowt either)
"This is why we need the MN Hit Squad - we could go round the country telling these cheeky fuckers a few home truths, so the resident MNer doesn’t have to." I'd love to do that!
"OP is she socially awkward?" I'd say quite the opposite! Very socially adept!
"Find an approach that she can join in on, rather than just ‘paying your own’ and leaving her in an awkward position." Sorry but it's also not OP's job to be other people's backbones! She needs to look out for herself, if they continue to subsidise the cf that's their lookout.
She can tell other colleagues her plan but it's not up to her to sort the cf for them.