Depressed That Your Friends Have No Money?

[ajoknoblauch]

After 2002, I was often in a position to treat my nephews to dinner, though I might suggest they leave the tip. Nowadays, with steady jobs, they often reciprocate.

 

[mc kenna]

AAhhhh yes those are the good time friends or drinking friends mmm when the chips are down i notice i don't have as many friends i thought.
Out here riding a horse for hours on end and stoppin at the neighbor's for a round of mate cost damn near nothin except the bag of don satur at 7,fitty pesos
No need no stinkin money to have fun!as we know the best things in life are free

 

[Montauk_Project]

A few years ago I was the one who got their beers paid for by friends who knew I was down on my luck. Now we split or I treat. Money is a cycle, and friends should understand this.
Also, people have different ideas of what a good thing to spend money on is and what is not--I would blow a lot of money on a nice dinner but find any concert or theater performance too expensive.

 

[DontMindMe]

Money comes and money goes. Half of me is giving you the side eye, but the other half remembers what it was like to live in Spain and have friends who were unemployed or generally broke due to the economy there. I loved hanging out with them, but my time was limited and there was a lot I wanted to do to get to know the place that did require spending some money. The solution: go out and travel with expat friends, stay in with your local friends. Picnics in parks, long walks, cooking at home, house parties, playing sports, these things are not boring if you are with friends! My husband and I are good friends with an Argentine couple with kids. They don't have a ton of disposable income, and now that I think of it we've only been out to eat with them once, maybe twice. Every time we hang out we go to one another's homes and have a blast. Having them as friends affects my quality of life, yes-- they improve it.

 

[Yogur griego]

I absolutely agree with the general conclusion here. Living in Argentina has taught me to be less greedy, more grateful in general, more open, to be more helpful and more caring towards friends and people in general. Life might suck if you are often out of money, but I prefer living a basic, humble and authentic life instead of the artificial and unsatisfying existence I used to have in my colourless First World environment. I had to survive a few very harsh situations in the country, but I have become a dramatically different person in the process. Argentina makes me feel desperate sometimes, but I have never felt more connected with what really matters in life than over there.

 

[EricLovesBA]

Several old folk songs from the US have some verse about this theme, such as..

When I had plenty of money good people
I had friends come from all around
But as soon as my pocketbook was empty
Not a friend on earth could be found

But in my life this has not been the case. Maybe we bring with us some culture of materialism that includes buying everything, including love, friendship, status, fun, escape from boredom, etc the list goes on. If you need fun and entertainment to come from outside in a shiny consumer package, you might have a hard time bringing everybody here on board. If you're on easy street footing the bill and taking everybody along for the ride, then it's kind of your trip right? Your culture of consumerism. If you expect reciprocation for what was taken to be a heartfelt gift, you might be disappointed. Are they obligated to do so? Seems among my circle, it's generally something of a given that spending money is not a requirement for having a good time.

 

[PhilipDT]

I have a lot more money than some of my friends and a lot less than others. I don't go hellskiing in antartica with the latter and I don't go to three star restaurants with the former.

If you live such a champagne and caviar lifestyle that you can't do anything without pricing out your friends... you need to stop and smell the OE 800. Who doesn't love a good old nac&pop choripan with quilmes on a summer evening? Hell about 12 years ago I was sitting at a low brow denny's type dinner and I noticed that in the booth next to me was bill gates and his daughter, he was having a burger with coleslaw.

Not to mention this is a great town to be broke in. I have a friend who is counting centavos so I invited her to the Colon last sunday, excellent show, and great palco in the center with perfect visibility, total cost = $0

Just like this tango show at the casa rosada the other day, amazing setting and great music again, completely free. Here's a short vid from my phone: https://www.facebook...559213622892094

 

[Ceviche]

Many locals ask me "hey do you earn in dollars? how much every month? Where do you keep it?"" etc etc

 

[natykerouac]

Unlike America it's not hard to pass time with friends without spending money..that's not the point

 

[PhilipDT]

Unlike America it's not hard to pass time with friends without spending money..that's not the point

People who can't pass time with friends without spending money in america can't do it here and vice versa. I don't think that where you're located has anything to do with it.