Generous Host Insulted After Unappreciative Guest Sends Venmo Request for Cheap Snack

Author image for Mel Dawn
Mel Dawn
Oct 5, 2023 6:00 PM EDT

Money can ruin relationships in about a million different ways. It's that thing no one wants to talk about, and yet being transparent and openly discussing money could probably save people from so much awkwardness. When u/FixConstant8266 hosted a couple friends from out of town for a few nights, they showed everyone a great time. OP drove their friends around, offered them meals, drinks, and a tour of the city. One of OP's friends bought a few things here and there—cheap muffins from the grocery store and a $5 parking fee to be exact—and OP assumed their friend was being a polite guest by pitching in a little bit. 

When the trip was over, OP was shocked to find a Venmo request for $6 from their friend. Where's the sense of etiquette? It's one thing to be a transactional sort of person, but OP's friend basically chose to ignore the fact that OP had been a generous host all week without expecting a thing in return. If OP wanted to be transactional about the situation, it would be the friend owing money, not OP. Keep scrolling for the mildly infuriating story.

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  • “My friend Venmo requested me $1 for a muffin after I hosted her for 3 nights” Posted by u/FixConstant8266

  • 01
    Font - I hosted a couple of my friends from out of town for 3 nights. Showed them around the city, offered breakfast, snacks, drinks, and drove them around. Throughout the weekend Friend 1 paid for a few things. She bought me a soda. On our way to a hike, she bought some discount muffins. She covered the $5 day use fee for the hike. I thought this was all to be a nice and helpful guest.
    via u/FixConstant8266
  • 02
    Font - When she left, she asked if I had Splitwise (an app that keeps a running total of expenses). I did owe her money for dinner we agreed to split, but I was confused why she would need me on Splitwise. I download the app, get added to the group, and suddenly I get a Venmo request for the soda, muffins, and day use fee (I owe about $6 for those 3 things).
    via u/FixConstant8266
  • 03
    Font - This is after I hosted her and was very generous with my time, home and food. I drove my car 2 hours round trip on a rough gravel road to the hike and never expected gas money. I packed my own food to make a nice picnic. Charging me for crappy cheap grocery store muffins and a soda just feels like a slap in my face. The muffins were literally $3 total. She has a good job, it's not an issue of whether or not she can afford it. She spent the whole weekend talking about her recent promotion,
    via u/FixConstant8266
  • 04
    Font - UPDATE: Like I said in the comments, I added my expenses to Splitwise and ignored the venmo request. I have not gotten a response. To the people who are saying it's passive aggressive. It's 100% passive aggressive, but I'm doing exactly what she did, I added my expenses to the dollar. So in theory she can't really complain about it because she added me to this app. Also, I agree making a big deal over $6 is a bit ridiculous. But this is "mildly infuriating" and I think requesting $6 as a
    via u/FixConstant8266

  • The comment section

  • 05
    Font - 19ChinoWRX 12h I would request back money for everything you had spent on her. ... ↑ 3.8k
    via u/19ChinoWRX
  • 06
    Font - nigeljoey6 12h Decline the Venmo and ask her to take out the $ she owes you for gas, etc. ... ↑ 5.4k
    via u/nigeljoey6
  • 07
    Font - Shady Vermin 12h Use her splitwise app to total up everything you spent on her and then send her a request back, see what happens. She sounds like an exhausting person to be around, so at least you know not to waste your time on her anymore. Edited my typo cause I've got drunk thumbs apparently ↑ G 4 1.9k
    via u/ShadyVermin

    "This is what I did. I ignored her Venmo and added all my expenses in the splitwise app. Gas, food, laundromat for sheets and towels. I'll just let her deal with canceling/making a new venmo request... I mean I obviously don't care about $6 but I feel like I need to make a point." —OP

  • 08
    Rectangle - Zordekaiser 12h That's the best money you've ever spent finding out who your friends really are. ↑ G 4 691 ...
    via u/Zordekaiser
  • 09
    Font - _xvv 10h I had a friend do something similar once. They had just moved into a new place and decided to host a dinner party for close friends. It ended up being 6 or us total. The host never asked for us to bring anything, but the way I was raised if someone invites you for dinner you bring something ie. a few bottles wine, dessert, side dish, etc.
    via u/_xvv
  • 10
    Font - I ended up making a big ass dish of loaded mac and cheese, another guest brought dessert, and the host's gf at the time brought 3 nice bottles of red wine. The host had made chicken and roasted vegetables, but the portion sizes seemed more fit for a small child. The chicken was smaller than the palm of my hand and we all got 1 scoop of roasted veggies. I was so happy I decided to bring a dish without being asked, because it made up for the gap in the meal and 3/4 of my dish was gone by th
    via u/_xvv
  • 11
    Font - Imagine my surprise when I get home and see a Venmo request for $25 from the host for dinner, but because me and my partner had been there, it was $50 total for the meal. I have never been so pissed off in my life. First off, if you are hosting a dinner party you do not charge your guests for the food. unless it has been previously discussed and agreed upon. Second, we also all brought something to contribute, so at that point it's more of a potluck anyway. The food the host made couldn't
    via u/_xvv
  • 12
    Font - We all got together and totaled our expenses and send him a venmo request for his part. That shut him down pretty quick. We never got invited over for dinner again but also never got a venmo request either so win-win in my book. People like this need to know how cheap and tacky they are and the easiest way to do that is just hold up a mirror. Start doing the same to them and see how quickly they change their tune. ... 4237
    via u/_xvv
  • 13
    Font - fishinglife777 11h I guess protocol is a thing of the past but the general rule was that since the host is supplying so much, the guests should at least take the hosts out to dinner and / or give them a host gift. ↑ 293
    via u/fishinglife777
  • 14
    Font - Stardust Stuffing 11h I've known people like this. They're so cheap and selfish that they only think others take from them and never realize or acknowledge that they also take from others. It's wild. Dump your friend and count your stars they're out of your life. ↑ ... 123
    via u/StardustStuffing

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Tags

friendship venmo guests friends etiquette transactional mildly infuriating stingy reddit thread Reddit cheap money
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