April 5, 2025 at 4:21 am

Friend Takes Advantage Of “Taking Turns” Rule at Dinner, But Gets Stuck With Her Own Pricey Meal

by Diana Whelan

fancy meal at restaurant

Pexels/Reddit

A woman and her friend have a system—one pays for both when they go out, and they alternate turns.

But when it was her turn to cover the bill, her friend suddenly had an appetite for luxury, ordering a steak, appetizers, cocktails, and dessert while she stuck to a simple pasta.

When the bill came, she refused to foot the entire cost, and now their friendship is on thin ice.

aita for refusing to pay for my friend’s meal after she ordered something way more expensive than me?

i (19f) have a friend (20f) and we usually take turns treating each other when we go out. last time, she paid for both of us, so this time, it was my turn.

we went to a restaurant, and i ordered a simple pasta dish for about $15. my friend, however, went all out—she got a steak, appetizers, a fancy cocktail, and dessert, racking up a bill of over $60 just for herself. when the check came, she just smiled and said, “your turn!”

Can we say “selfish”?

i was caught off guard because while we do take turns, we usually order similar-priced meals, not something 4x more expensive.

i told her i’d cover what i normally would, but she needed to pay for the extra.

she got upset, saying i was going back on our deal and that i should just pay for everything since she covered me last time.

she ended up paying, but now she’s been acting cold and telling mutual friends that i “cheated our system” and that i was being petty over a meal. some think i should have just covered it to avoid drama, but i don’t think it was fair for her to take advantage of the agreement like that.

She quite literally put a dent in your wallet.

aita for refusing to pay for her whole meal?

Instead of admitting she went overboard, the friend is playing the victim and telling others she was “cheated.”

But expecting someone to pay four times what they planned isn’t exactly fair, is it?

This person says NTA…that was not right of the friend.

Screenshot 2025 03 20 at 1.32.46 PM Friend Takes Advantage Of Taking Turns Rule at Dinner, But Gets Stuck With Her Own Pricey Meal

This person says NTA, however, she should’ve mentioned it earlier.

Screenshot 2025 03 20 at 1.32.55 PM Friend Takes Advantage Of Taking Turns Rule at Dinner, But Gets Stuck With Her Own Pricey Meal

And this person agrees NTA, but maybe she should’ve just paid it and played the same game for next round…

Screenshot 2025 03 20 at 1.33.08 PM Friend Takes Advantage Of Taking Turns Rule at Dinner, But Gets Stuck With Her Own Pricey Meal

If you’re treating yourself, maybe don’t expect someone else to foot the bill.

That’s great advice.

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