The Best Way To Gracefully Bow Out Of An Expensive Activity

The Best Way To Gracefully Bow Out Of An Expensive Activity

At some point in your life, you’ve probably experienced that awkward moment where your friends make plans to do something that you can’t afford. Or maybe you helped make the plans but they have since changed and you can’t afford it anymore. Here’s the best way to handle those situations.

Picture: Dan Moyle

It might feel really awkward to bring up the fact that you can’t afford things, but you don’t want to pretend everything is fine and blow them off at the last minute. That’s why Emily Guy Birken at MoneyNing suggests you tell them immediately:

The only way to handle this is to speak up as soon as the plans change. If you know you can’t afford the weekend they are thinking of, simply tell your friends what you can do. There might be others in the group who feel like you do, or your friends might be able to somehow meet you halfway. Even if you have to bow out, doing so early in the planning stage will be better for your relationships than waiting until the last minute.

Be upfront and honest with them. If you want to explain the details of what’s going on, you can, but don’t feel obligated. If they really care about you, they will understand. If a dinner starts turning into a night on the town, let them know you’d love to hang out somewhere more personal (maybe even offer to host). If a weekend camping trip is turning into a resort holiday, be clear that you can’t afford to take part. There are a lot of awkward money situations like this, and you can generally avoid a lot of problems by speaking up sooner rather than later.

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