Friend making $20/hr as a barista: “No worries bro, I"ll cover this one and you'll get the next one!” Friend making $450k as a software engineer: “Can you Venmo me $3.62 for your share of the Uber ride?”
@roshanpateI Poor people are significantly more generous than rich people. The thinking is that they better understand what it means to need to rely on others, and thus give more of their income than rich people, who are used to being self-sufficient.
@roshanpateI @meantomyself Could you be more out of touch? Yes 450k a yr is yuge, but 20/hr isnt a poor person
@roshanpateI The second friend could be investing every dollar he makes. That's what I do. I make a lot and I don't buy anything for myself the family is an exception lol
It’s like a peek into the wildly different ways people view and handle money, influenced by so much more than just their income. On one hand, you have the barista friend, who’s maybe not swimming in cash but is quick to share what they have, embodying generosity that doesn’t tally up the cents. Their offer to cover the bill feels like it’s less about the money and more about the moment, the connection, the unspoken pact of friendship that says, “I’ve got you.” Then there’s the software engineer friend, whose meticulous tracking of expenses down to the last penny could seem comically stingy by comparison, especially given their hefty paycheck. It’s a scenario that could easily be mistaken for a lesson in irony, highlighting how financial abundance doesn’t always translate to a generosity of spirit—or maybe, it’s just a deeply ingrained habit of precise accounting, regardless of the amounts involved. I think both scenarios shed light on the complexities of financial interactions among friends, where the value placed on money can dramatically differ from one person to the next. It makes you ponder on the underlying values, experiences, and perhaps insecurities that shape how we deal with money in relation to others. It challenges me to think about the kind of friend I am and want to be, especially in terms of generosity. Is it about the dollar amount, or is it the willingness to say, “Don’t worry about it, friendship is worth more”? How do we navigate these differences without letting them wedge gaps in our relationships? It’s a delicate dance, balancing personal finance principles with the genuine desire to foster and maintain meaningful connections!!
@roshanpateI The presumption that friends with money should pay your way is precisely why they don't want to.
@roshanpateI Nah bruh. If I was rich, all my friends are eating for free
@roshanpateI Happy v. unhappy money @danariely suggests that one person should cover the bill, rotating who pays each time. The "pain of paying" doesn't scale linearly with cost--the shift from paying nothing to something causes the most discomfort, rather than the amount paid.
@roshanpateI Some of the cheapest people I know have the most money.
@roshanpateI And will send you a reminder in 3-5 business days