Being asked for money is one thing, but being asked for money by people who barely include you is another.

So, what would you do if a friend invited you to a party you could not attend and then asked you to help pay for the drinks anyway?

Would you send something to be polite?

Or would you finally question why they only come to you when they need help?

In this story, one man finds himself in this very predicament and begins to question everything.

Here’s what happened.

AITA for not wanting to pay for a birthday party I’m not going to?

About a month ago, I invited my friend along with a bunch of other people to my family’s lake house for a weekend getaway.

My friend replied, saying they would not be able to make it because it was their birthday weekend, which just happens to be this week.

A couple of days ago, I got a text from my friend’s girlfriend inviting me to a surprise birthday party they were planning.

I did not think much of it and just hearted the message to acknowledge it.

Today, she messaged me again asking if I could pick up a 24-pack of Coronas to help set up the bar for the party.

I explained that I would be out of town during the birthday weekend and that I really wished I could make it.

After he said he couldn’t attend, she still asked for money.

She responded with a sad face emoji and said it seemed like a lot of people could not make it.

I apologized again and reminded her that these lake house plans were made more than a month ago and that your partner has already told me you guys could not come.

Then she asked if I could send her money through Cash App to help buy drinks and liquor so she could finish setting up the bar for the party.

At this point, I was a bit taken aback.

I have not responded yet because it feels really strange to be asked to contribute money for something I am not even going to be a part of.

I feel like it is one thing to be invited and say no, but it is another to be asked to pay for a party I am not attending.

Unfortunately, it’s not the first time, either.

This is not the first time I have felt this way.

Last year, she asked me to help buy a cake, balloons, and candles for her partner’s birthday because she said she did not have the funds.

That situation also felt awkward because she has plenty of other friends who are much closer to her partner.

Her partner and I are just casual friends. We are not close at all.

Sometimes it feels like I am only asked for favors or money when they need something, and not because they truly want me there or value my friendship.

It makes me wonder if they see me more as a backup plan for help than a friend.

AITA?

Yikes! She definitely seems a bit suspicious for acting like that.

Let’s see what the readers over at Reddit think about what happened.

That just about sums it up.

This person doesn’t think he should have to pay even if he were attending.

Here’s someone who would not give any money.

For this person, saying no shows self-respect.

He should cut these people off.

Clearly, they’re not his real friends, and they only use him when it’s convenient for them.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.