Q: I’m on a fixed income but I enjoy getting together with my women friends for lunch a few times a month. To be perfectly frank, they are all in better financial situations than I am and they insist on paying for my lunch. This makes me very uncomfortable so I have stopped going so much. But I miss them. Any ideas for me?
A: I can certainly understand why this is difficult for you. We all like to pay our own way. But it seems your friends care more about you than the lunch tab. Lucky you! Why not open this up for some problem solving with your friends? What if, in exchange, you prepared a simple lunch for all of you once a month? Or can you get together for coffee and dessert instead of a full lunch? I hope whatever you decide, friendship wins out!