There’s a big difference between being frugal and being cheap. Frugal folks are smart with their money. They budget carefully and look for good deals, making sure they get the most out of every dollar they spend.
Cheap people, on the other hand, go to ridiculous lengths to avoid spending a single penny of their own, often at the expense of everyone around them. And honestly, they can be pretty exhausting to deal with.
So it’s no wonder plenty of Redditors have taken to r/ChoosingBeggars to call out their cheap buddies. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the wildest requests and most entitled moments they shared. Scroll down to check them out for yourself.
#1 Bit Of A Meta Post From A Friend Who’s A Photographer
#2 My Artist Friend Have Dealt With Choosing Beggars Before
#3 “It’s For My Wedding”
We like to think that good friendships can survive just about anything. Money, however, has a way of making things complicated.
Maybe one friend earns much more than the other, or someone regularly avoids paying their share. When that keeps happening, even a close relationship can slowly start to sour.
#4 My Friend Got Shorted By A Pretty Major Influencer
#5 A Friend Of Mine Just Sent Me This. Why Is It That “Cash Ready” Means You Should Get An Incredible Deal?
#6 Asked A “Friend” For A Coffee When Visiting The City He’s Living In A While Back And Was Amazed By His Response
And this seems to happen fairly often. A national study by Bread Financial found that 21% of people had permanently ended a friendship over money issues. Another 26% said they felt financially incompatible with certain friends.
LendingTree found an even higher figure, with 36% of Americans saying they had lost a friendship because of money.
#7 My Friend Was Trying To Give Away His Couch And Got This Lovely “Offer”
#8 A Friend Got This Today…wth!
#9 A Fb Friend Said They Couldn’t Afford To Eat After Their Boyfriend Moved Out, I Offered To Send Them Food
Of course, watching what you spend can be a very good thing. The trouble starts when saving money begins affecting everyone around you.
Etiquette expert Thomas Farley explained to CNBC that the difference between being frugal and being cheap often comes down to whether other people suffer because of your choices.
Someone can have plenty of money and still be a cheapskate if they repeatedly refuse to pay their fair share.
#10 My Friend Ran Into One In The Wild!
#11 “Good Friend” Wants Free Custom Sneakers
#12 Anyone Want To Help Me Respond To This “Friend” I Haven’t Spoken To In Several Years?
I am a full time professional photographer
I charge between £350-2k per shoot. Depending on the editing / work involved.
I’ve had no income for a YEAR as we where forced to close due to covid restrictions.
This girl works in the creative sector. She should know better.
That kind of behavior can ruin the mood when friends spend time together. FinanceBuzz notes that constantly scrutinizing shared expenses can make others feel uncomfortable or undervalued.
Insisting on splitting every bill down to the last cent can also make a relaxed dinner suddenly feel like a business transaction. After enough awkward outings, friends may simply stop extending invitations.
#13 The Sheer Audacity Of Someone Who Stopped Associating With Our Friend Circle “To Pursue A Richer Life”
#14 My Friends Son Is Selling Their Pokemon Cards And This Happened
#15 This Is My Friend Who Started A Small T Shirt Business A Few Months Aho
Cheapness can show up in other ways too. FinanceBuzz points out that refusing to contribute to group gifts or making friends feel guilty about their spending can create resentment.
Saving money is a personal choice, so there is little reason to judge someone else for spending theirs differently.
And when it comes to gifts, thoughtfulness usually matters far more than the price tag. Something inexpensive can still show that you genuinely cared enough to put effort into it.
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#16 I Paint And Do Calligraphy And Hand Lettering. Conversation I Had Last Night With My Cousins “Friend”
#17 Tl;dr: “You’re My Friend/Partner So Give Me Money”
#18 My Friend Adopted A Cat So I Want One Free And I Don’t Care If He’s Already Rehomed
So how do you avoid becoming the friend everyone secretly dreads discussing money with? According to Farley, one of the easiest things you can do is pay attention to how your group normally handles expenses.
If everyone usually pays for exactly what they ordered, doing the same is perfectly reasonable. If the group tends to split bills evenly, repeatedly calculating every tiny difference could start to annoy everyone.
#19 Facebook Friend Made The Mistake Of Giving Someone Money. Got To Love The Spirit Of The Holidays
#20 Facebook Friend On What/What Not To Buy Her For Birthday
#21 When Your Friend Blocks You Because You Didn’t Give Her Money After Your Mom Passed Away
It also helps to be upfront when something genuinely does not fit your budget. Farley says friends are unlikely to see someone as cheap simply because they cannot afford an expensive restaurant or trip.
Saying so ahead of time gives everyone a chance to make different plans. You might suggest somewhere more affordable or simply skip an outing that would leave you struggling financially.
#22 Not Me, But An Experience My Friend Had While Trying To Sell A Couch
#23 Guy On My Friends Bachelor Group… Don’t Even Know Him That Well
#24 Sounds Like Their Friend Didn’t Want To Give Them Their Netflix Password
At the end of the day, nobody should put themselves into financial trouble just to keep their friends happy.
Still, friendships involve some amount of give and take. Saving a few dollars probably will not feel like much of a victory if it regularly leaves the people closest to you feeling used or unappreciated.
Being careful with money is smart. Just make sure your savings are not coming at the expense of your friendships.
#25 My Friend Accidentally Sent Money To The Wrong Number; Apparently It Wasn’t Enough
#26 Did A Couple Of Free Album Designs For A Friend And Now An Entitled Beggar Things He Gets Them For Free Too Even Though I Don’t Know Him
#27 Free Brand New Clothes Only Please. (Not Mine, Friends Post)
#28 Taken From A Friend On Facebook
#29 “Friend” Asks Me To Vote For Her In A Beauty Pageant, Where I Pay $1 For 1 Vote. Proceeds To Ask For 1600 Votes
#30 Bride Wants My Photographer Friend To Learn Another Photographer’s “Style” And Basically Give Her A Discount For A Wedding That’s In A Couple Of Weeks
#31 My Friends Recent Exposure To The World Of Asking Stuff For Free
#32 Old Friend Think I’m Clout Chasing And Demands More Money For His Kickstarter
#33 An Old Friend From College Asked For “Help” With A Paper
#34 This Google Review For A Friendly Australian Skate Shop
#35 When The Swag Your Friends Bought For You Just Isn’t Cutting It Anymore
#36 Photographer Friend Of Mine Got These Off A Hardcore Band Wanting A Shoot Done!
#37 Guy Gets A Fine As A Consequence Of His Own Actions. Asks Friend To Split The Fine Because They Happened To Be There Too.. (Also, Not My Messages)
#38 This Cb Apparently *needs* A New Skirt For A Party…but Can’t Afford It. Facebook Friends’ Wallets To The Rescue! After All, This Request Is Entirely Reasonable Considering They *could* Be Asking For A Lot More, Right?
#39 Are Baby Crocodiles Worth Over A Grand? Asking For A Friend. Also Not My Messages 🤣
#40 “Customer” Wants To Buy My Friend’s Art, But First He Needs To Borrow $40
#41 What An Amazing Opportunity!
#42 My Friend Encountered The Worst Cb Tonight When Trying To Find Homes For Puppies That Her Dog Had
My friend sent these to me in a panic tonight, she rescued a very pregnant husky a little while ago and now she’s adopting out the puppies. Her coworker gave her phone number out to this crazy CB without my friend’s permission. Coworker isn’t even friends with my friend, she took her number off the work schedule and gave it to CB.
#43 Friend Is Trying To Sell Her iPhone On Gumtree
#44 Choosing Beggar Wants To Know Why Her Friend, Who Is Being Ruined By A Divorce, Doesn’t Have The Cash To Splash Out On A Spa Day For The Two Of Them
#45 A Friend From High School
#46 This Happened To One Of My Friends On Twitter (She Does Art Commissions)
#47 Jobless, Pregnant Friend Dreaming Big For Her Birthday
#48 An Old Friend Of Mine, Posted This On The Sitter Page We’re Both On. Fails To Mention She Lives 20 Minutes Away From Town And Her It’s 4 Kids Under The Age Of 3. Someone Did The Math In The Comments And It’s A $1 An Hour Per Kid
