Dear Abby: Is my friend cheap for charging me for gas after offering to shop for me? - NJ.com
Dear Abby: Is my friend cheap for charging me for gas after offering to shop for me? - nj.com
DEAR ABBY: Recently, a friend went out of town to shop and asked if I’d like for them to pick me up a few small items while they were there. I said I would, and told them what I would like. When they returned, they sent me the calculation of what I owed: purchase price, tax -- and gas! This is someone I consider to be a fairly close friend, but charging me for gas for an errand they were already running seems not only rude, but also transactional to the point of cheapness. I might add that my items were nearly weightless and did not increase fuel requirements. (Had I asked for bricks, I’d be more understanding.) Is my friend cheap for charging me for gas after offering to shop for me? Or am I cheap for balking? -- NICKELED AND DIMED IN INDIANA
DEAR NICKELED AND DIMED: Your friend is cheap. They should not have asked for monetary compensation for a trip they were taking anyway. If you value the relationship, pay the $2 and, the next time you are asked if the person can pick up something for you, say “Thank you, but don’t bother.”
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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
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