to keep it short my friend and I recently traveled to another country at her own suggestion. i make more than double her income so i have a bit more financial freedom. two days before our flight back she started complaining she doesn’t have a lot of money left in her bank account so i offered to lend her some money. we’d previously planned to share a taxi to take us home but when we arrived at the airport in our home country she said the taxi fare was too expensive, refused to pay and suggested asking her male friend instead. i wasn’t comfortable with that so I ended up paying. for reference, we’d been awake for 24 hours by then since we had a connecting flight and waiting for her friend would’ve taken at least an hour and we were both exhausted.
this isn’t a one time thing; she often suggests places or activities but then doesn’t offer to pay and seems to expect others to cover costs. she doesn’t clearly say she can’t afford things she just avoids paying.
i don’t resent helping friends when it’s transparent and consensual but what bothered me was the silent expectation that i’d pay especially when she initiated the trip and didn’t communicate any limits.
am i the asshole for expecting her to pay her share and setting this boundary even though i earn more than her?