Everybody has had financial ups & downs, and that has translated into their friendships. If we're honest, we mix finances with relationships, meaning rich friends have rich friends, poor friends have poor friends, and somewhere along the line, there's a mix. If I can't afford to join in something or go somewhere, I thank them for the invitation and tell them its not in my budget. Maybe that will trigger a discussion about alternatives, maybe it won't. Maybe there aren't any. I don't turn cartwheels trying to justify why something is too expensive for me, just keep it simple. IMHO, a friendship good enough to keep won't be affected. A very good friend senses a little more about your circumstances anyway. They probably know if the tables were turned, you'd treat them with the same consideration. Rough times can weed out the non-essentials...in expenditures as well as friends! If your friends drop you because your money dries up, they weren't real. They were checking for you because you had money. The reality is people in different financial situations do things differently including choice/price of restaurants, entertainment etc. Financially, it's best not to try and keep up with the Jones's. Many 'friends' will get frustrated when people in financial woes have no change in their situation especially if they complain without change. It's going to happen. Life changes in different income brackets. It doesn't have to suck, but things change.
