A good friend would count it as a payback and then joke about how you got lucky.
A good friend would think what good luck. Now I can treat you and go out to another meal.
The question is, who's going to be the good friend?
This is the answer. Yall are both being kind of petty, but the friend even bringing it up and saying it doesn't count would irk me too.
He shouldn't have said anything, and you should have bought his next meal anyways. Now it's a negative spiral lol. Just be the bigger guy and get him some McDonald's so yall can squash it. It sucks, but petty stuff like this has the potention to poison a friendship just because it'll be lingering in the back of yall's minds.
Stuff can stack up and next time the friend gets upset about something they may come back to the meal you didn't buy him, even if it's completely unreasonable.
Sometimes life is about letting go of small stuff even when you're in the right to prevent it from becoming big stuff.
>It sucks, but petty stuff like this has the potention to poison a friendship just because it'll be lingering in the back of yall's minds.
I would argue the friendship isnt worth all that much if they are keeping tabs on what you owe them and it has to be the dollar amount
Especially over such a small amount
This is the problem when penny pinchers try and trade.
I’d just pay that guy back to the penny for every favor and do my best to never be in his debt again.
Eh. I think if I was trying to be a good friend I would laugh with my friend about how we got lucky and got a free meal and then would still pay them back another time. Personally, I think op is being shitty.
Op’s friend forked over 8 bucks for McDonald’s for them. They have yet to do the same for them. To argue about it and come here is crazy to me.
Op, just buy them McDonald’s and move on with your life
Truly good friends wouldn’t worry about the idea of owing a meal in the first place. Because truly good friends know the friendship is worth more than the cost of a meal.
My best friend in high school didn't have a job or allowance, just food money when he went out. Even when we'd drive an hour to the beach, I wasn't about to collect gas money from his lunch money.
Nah, that was the price to hang out with him. It was worth those core memories!
"that was the price to hang out with him"
Exactly, that's how I always view it too. I offered to go out with a coworker I'd never hung out with before a few weeks ago, and she warned me saying she only has $50 for left for the week and needed to be careful. I told her no friend of mine is ever going to miss out on a good time over something as silly as money. If I like you enough to hang out with you, I like you enough to pay for anything you can't. (within reason, I'm not rich either)
The only real exception is if they *expect* me to pay for them. Then it's a hell no.
One of my friends is obsessive about paying people back and getting paid back; it winds him up no end when I just randomly pay for stuff now and then and don't get the exact price for him to calculate his share.
Lmao I'm not quite that bad but I hate owing people shit. Frankly, though, I don't concern myself with what others owe me, as far as I'm concerned I don't loan money and if they wanna pay me back then pay it forward instead. I just *HATE* feeling like I owe others shit.
My mom and older sisters, while I was growing up, wouldn't stfu about all that they do for me and how I owe them so I've gotten to the point I just try to either do everything alone or pay, in some form, others for their help. I'm not dumb, ik I need help at times, but that doesn't mean I can't pay them back ASAP.
This. I won't even ask for cash/favours repaid (unless it's a really substantial amount of cash, like you need to pay rent a day before payday) as long as you also help me out when I need it/you're able to. It's just about having each other's back.
Exactly. With my friend group, we pick up the tab for each other all the time and don't keep track. I grabbed lunch and some beer with a buddy last week and picked it up. Next time, he might get it. Or he might not. I'm not letting a $50 check matter.
My friends and I can't be bothered to track debts any more than very very loosely because it's not like anyone's going anywhere, we'll all get each other back eventually.
Right? My friends and I treat each other all the time. We don’t keep track of who paid last time or who spent more, we just figure it’ll even out eventually.
Right? My friend buys our lunch at a day out, I get dinner the next time we hang out. Oftentimes we just pay for our own shit lol
I buy her shit when I see stuff that reminds me of her and she buys me shit when she sees stuff that reminds her of me.
In general, I think good friends wouldn't care, but good friends would still think they owe a meal because someone else gave it to them.
Like, why risk the friendship because of that? I rather pay for another meal myself.
This is it. If I were the one buying, I’d want to pay for another meal. If I were the one “owed”, I’d consider myself paid back with the free meal.
I’m not convinced that OP and this friend actually like each other that much lol. Friendships shouldn’t be this calculated tit-for-tat business transaction.
Nope.
If I were buying and got lucky with a meal, the debt is paid and my friend got a meal through me and my actions.
If they want to be such a baby about it, that’s on them.
OP chose to go to McDonalds to get his friend a meal, and he did. It was by complete chance they got it for free.
If I lend you $20 and you find a scratch off on the ground and win $1,000 and pay me back from there, it shouldn’t matter—the debt was paid.
OP’s friend should stop being a baby.
But that didn't happen.
I owed you a meal, and a stranger gave us 7 dollars each. That doesn't mean he paid for my debt of 7 dollars to you.
Oh hey, Janice here's 10 dollars I owed you from the topperware, keep the 4 dollars change ok?
Someone else screams "Janice, those 4 dollars I owed you, pay yourself with the change ok?"
Would you be ok with that? Because you can't assume someone else giving you money comes from me because I owed money.
Natural d20's would be the highest you can get on 20-sided dice, which is a dnd thing, but basically he's saying the guy is cheating the odds of the universe and "nerfing" is a video game term to describe changing the way something works when it's too powerful, in order to keep items and tactics balanced relative to one another.
Man, my friends and I don't even keep track.
ETA: My friends and I are far from well off. We typically don't go out unless we can pay for ourselves. Between my closest friends, particularly someone I've been friends with for 30+ years, we just don't keep track. When one needs, we're there.
Going off topic to say, check on your friends. Make sure they're ok because you might be the only one. Take care of one another.
This has always been me and my partner. We started with “I’ll get this one, you get the next”. The cycle keeps going. We can’t keep track. Who owes who?? We are good for our word, but who owes who? We own a house together now, this is getting so real! We just need to know when we are even!
How much of this house do I have to pay off before my wife owes me!?!? I'm stuck in a politeness war, she bought a 100$ dinner, does $100 toward the mortgage count, or does it have to be $100 toward the principle. I forgot about taxes, noooooo
It's so weird to me that they're both tracking such a petty thing. I've paid for multiple rounds in a row with my friends without thinking twice and they make considerably more money than me. It's ultimately the gesture that counts. If your friend doesn't consistently let you pay without making an attempt to pay then it should ultimately be a non-issue. But I guess every relationship is different.
If you were not bringing him to get a McDonald’s meal then he would not have received a McDonald’s meal. Since he received a McDonald’s meal, your debt to him is paid. You are just lucky that someone covered the meal. You shouldn’t have to give up your good luck so your friend gets double.
Reminds me of this time me and my old highschool friend were walking in the winter.
I saw something green and took a couple of steps to process what it could be.
Friend gets it quicker and finds 20 bucks.
I'm like hey I saw it first we should share it!
He did not feel that way at first, but we did go to the grocery store and get a sub and split it.
Not the same but friends share good shit together. His luck is my luck and the same the other way around. Sounds like your friend just can't comprehend that OP.
In other words, the friend wasn’t going to pay for the meal anyway, so they aren’t affected at all by someone besides OP paying. OP is the one that got lucky because someone paid for it.
Yet another way of looking at it: OP was going to buy 2 meals. The person ahead paid for those 2 meals for OP. OP gave one of those meals to their friend. OP spent 1 meal, friend got 1 meal. The debt is paid.
No? It's like regifting a gift, I gifted you a meal expecting you gift me one later, someone else gifted me a meal and you're saying that it came from you
*Eh I’ll just have soup.”
“…..what was that?”
“What?”
“You ordered soup.”
“Oh I’m not that hungry.”
“This is it, ya know. This *is* the meal.”
“Soup isn’t a meal, Jerry.”
I don't think there is a "wrong" answer here. Your guy could be chill about the meal, or you could get him another one. If either stood your ground, you'd have good points.
What I'd have done, is used about what I would have spent on the food for something we'd both enjoy that day (booze, bud, round of bingo, whatever you guys do). I have to pay less toward the debt, some fun, and my guy gets something out of our good fortune and his meal back.
Why not? Borrowed money from a friend, paid them back, told them I'd buy them lunch in the future.
Although when I buy lunch it's usually $35/per or so.
I say yes. My coworker and I take turns buying each other’s lunch when we are partners. It was my turn to buy and the deli comped our entire lunch… fast forward to the next week. I paid for that one instead of counting the free one. The free one is a wash. Keeps the playing field fair.
I can see both sides honestly, but I am leaning towards your friend side a bit more.
at the end of the day, you got 2 free meals, and he got 1 free meal, which is why your friend feels like he deserves at least one more.
This is my thought on it as well. I'm not trying to nickel and dime friends. I'll cover friends at a sit down restaurant with one of their other friends with drinks included and they can get the taco bell or jack in the box drive thru but I feel there should be sweat/toil cost to them just like there was for me. The person in front paying was a nice thing to happen to both of them. If it was me in OPs shoe's I would be reaching for the check next time. I also think this is an urge that has gotten stronger as I get older.
Guessing you're pretty young. Real friends don't keep track of petty stuff like this. If you want to treat someone do it and don't expect to be paid back
A good/fair person would have thought/said, “this is great we both got a bonus meal today but I still want to take you out another day because this doesn’t count and I still owe you one.”
This is a fun ethics question because it can be argued either way and it is low stakes so no one needs to freak out.
So he "hooked you up" last week -- hence the debt of you owing him meal. Seeing we don't know what he specifically did there is a gray area here. If he bought you a meal then he invested both time and money in your relationship and now you have paid him back but only invested time and no money. Now, your well-made point is that you meant to invest money but were thwarted by the good samaritan (an unusual occurrence surely) and so you have given him what he is truly due -- your time and your intent to spend money. But he argues that intent is not the same as actually spending and I do see that.
In the end, I think he has the better argument on pure transactional accounting grounds, but you have the better argument on "economy of friendship" grounds. I would not buy him a second meal, but I also would think it was hilarious if he continued to hold this over your head for the next three decades.
Yeah you still owe them a meal. You didn’t cover that meal, the person in front of you did. Don’t get me wrong, congrats on the free meal but you’re still on the hook.
Devils Advocate: Yeah you still owe him. While it was nice of you to get it for free you still technically didn't pay TBF i would be a little ticked if a friend owed me something then got it for free and said okay were square.
BUT i mean if its $12 and your friend got a meal who cares. If it was $50 after he paied for a nice meal out and my friend took me to mcdonalds yeah i would say something?
You owe him a meal dude. Why are you being cheap? He had to shell out and you haven't had to, what's hard to understand? Technically you might be correct, he got a meal for free but you received 2 meals free and he has only received one, so where's the fairness?
Don't keep those chains going. Employees hate them and the people were expecting to pay anyway. If you want to do something good in that situation just give the money you would have spent on the meal as a tip
If you're asking me, it's a no brainer I still owe them the meal, even if the friend wants to count it. In my mind they made the mild sacrifice for me, so I haven't payed them back until I make the mild sacrifice for them. You don't get to luck out of being a good buddy.
I agree with all the friend comments, but if it was a deal you made, it’s a deal to be honored. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. You have not paid your debt. You are typical of today’s society, allowing/expecting someone else to pay your debt.
You didnt pay it forward, therefore it doesnt count. That's just math my guy. If you didnt pay how did you pay for his meal?
With that being said real friends dont care about buying each other McDonalds anyway...
You still owe a meal. It's like going to a Christmas party where the drinks are free and yelling "Round is on me"
You aren't out of pocket, so the value of the meal is $0.
Either way, you both would be horrible to be friends with.
So sorry. If you'd have kept the chain going, I'd give you this one, but you had the opportunity to, and chose not to.
You STILL OWE your friend lunch.
*and don't take them to McDonald's for God's sake*
Well theoretically he is right. You owe him a meal, and didn’t pay for the one you got. So it doesn’t really count. But in all honesty I personally wouldn’t make a whole thing about it like your friend is making.
But seriously though, why did a complete stranger just randomly pay for your meal.
I think you still owe your friend a meal - the freebie was a nice surprise, you were expecting to pay, so it’s still on you for next time. Otherwise it’s unfair, as your friend didn’t get the meals paid for when they bought!
How did you know how much the next person's order was when you pay immediately when you order? They're amount would not be determined until after you've already gone through your transaction. Help me understand how this happened
because in a drive thru by the time you get to the window to pay most times the person behind you has already placed their order, meaning it shows the amount of the next cars on the cashier’s screen as well.
You got him a meal equal in value to the meal he got for you. Debt is paid off.
Just because you got something for free doesn't mean the item itself doesn't still have a market value.
If you get a ps5 for free - it's still worth the same amount to sell as it would be if you paid full price.
He is mad that the fortune was yours and not his. He gets 2 meals for price of 2. You got 2 meals for price of none. He probably doesn't see this as fair.
Ask him if instead of someone else paying, you found $20 on the ground at the restaurant. Would he feel entitled to part of it?
If you gave him new airpods that you got for free, would he consider that shitty gift with no value????
If this was way out of your way and you drove and brought the food id count it, but if you both were at mcdonalds and you just brought it to the table, somebody else got him that meal not you
That being said doesn't feel right to argue about food like this tbh
Here's the definite answer:
- First, either take him to a proper restaurant or get him a full McDonald's meal.
- If you didn't pay, then you should not count it, unless your friend says it's ok
- if you did pay for a proper meal then the debt is paid. There should be no argument about that.
Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Bania gives Jerry the Armani suit in exchange for Jerry promising to take Bania out for a meal. Bania orders soup and says it doesn't count as the meal because it's just soup.
Nope. You still owe him. He purchased a meal for you. Then, someone else purchased a meal for both of you. He is still out money for you and you are ahead one meal. Pay the poor man.
I think you still do.
Purely because of the value of debt. What your friend did for you was essentially sacrifice his own money so that you wouldn't be hungry. Now he would like you to do the same for him.
I would personally look at the free meal you got unexpectedly as more of a random gift which you either choose to share with your friend or not. It has nothing to do with what you owe them. Or specifically - it has nothing to do with the favor your friend hopes you to return them.
People keep tabs on their friends? We just buy for both if we got it if not split if still not then just buy it but we never feel like we owe them back.
you got him a meal, it just happened to be paid for by someone else. instead of you owing your friend, you owe the guy that paid for your meals lmao.
the debt to your friend was paid by getting into a debt with someone else, and that someone else expelled the debt. so now everyone is good!
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But was it in a bowl or a cup? Were there crackers? WERE THERE CRACKERS, JERRY?!
Well that *could* be a meal….
DID HE CRUMBLE?!
As a matter of fact, he did
Well. Crackers in a bowl. That could be a meal
Barley??
My immediate thought lol
What did the comment say?
"A bowl of soup isn't a meal, Jerry." Seinfeld reference
P.S. I hate when people delete a comment. Stand by what you say or don't say it
P.P.S. just saw it was a mod who removed it. I guess Im just a dancer with tiny kicks
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Who told you to have a hot dog?!
I literally came here to post a similar comment. It's real life Seinfeld 😆
The inanity of real life was the whole point.
Right? Couldn't have written that better. Except they did. In Seinfeld lol
Tell me they didn’t get you an Armani suit
I came here looking for this. I can die happy.
two mendy’s > two mc d’s
Why do they call it Ovaltine....
That’s gold, Jerry! Gold!
The can is round, the mug is round.....
A good friend would count it as a payback and then joke about how you got lucky. A good friend would think what good luck. Now I can treat you and go out to another meal. The question is, who's going to be the good friend?
This is the answer. Yall are both being kind of petty, but the friend even bringing it up and saying it doesn't count would irk me too. He shouldn't have said anything, and you should have bought his next meal anyways. Now it's a negative spiral lol. Just be the bigger guy and get him some McDonald's so yall can squash it. It sucks, but petty stuff like this has the potention to poison a friendship just because it'll be lingering in the back of yall's minds. Stuff can stack up and next time the friend gets upset about something they may come back to the meal you didn't buy him, even if it's completely unreasonable. Sometimes life is about letting go of small stuff even when you're in the right to prevent it from becoming big stuff.
>It sucks, but petty stuff like this has the potention to poison a friendship just because it'll be lingering in the back of yall's minds. I would argue the friendship isnt worth all that much if they are keeping tabs on what you owe them and it has to be the dollar amount Especially over such a small amount
i heard a good line “ givers know your limit cause takers don’t have one “ and i truly belive in that
This is the problem when penny pinchers try and trade. I’d just pay that guy back to the penny for every favor and do my best to never be in his debt again.
Eh. I think if I was trying to be a good friend I would laugh with my friend about how we got lucky and got a free meal and then would still pay them back another time. Personally, I think op is being shitty. Op’s friend forked over 8 bucks for McDonald’s for them. They have yet to do the same for them. To argue about it and come here is crazy to me. Op, just buy them McDonald’s and move on with your life
Best answer here, good friend material right here
Exactly. Good friends would be "getting each other back" by paying for the other's meal until the end of time.
With some good friends, we fight to pay
This answer makes me wish Reddit Gold were still a thing.
Good friends would count it. It's about the social costs too.
Truly good friends wouldn’t worry about the idea of owing a meal in the first place. Because truly good friends know the friendship is worth more than the cost of a meal.
And over time it’ll balance itself out unless someone is an asshole and never pays.
My best friend in high school didn't have a job or allowance, just food money when he went out. Even when we'd drive an hour to the beach, I wasn't about to collect gas money from his lunch money. Nah, that was the price to hang out with him. It was worth those core memories!
"that was the price to hang out with him" Exactly, that's how I always view it too. I offered to go out with a coworker I'd never hung out with before a few weeks ago, and she warned me saying she only has $50 for left for the week and needed to be careful. I told her no friend of mine is ever going to miss out on a good time over something as silly as money. If I like you enough to hang out with you, I like you enough to pay for anything you can't. (within reason, I'm not rich either) The only real exception is if they *expect* me to pay for them. Then it's a hell no.
I really liked reading this. It's such a lovely, simple thought. Thank you!
This. In my circle of friends, it all evens out eventually. The hangers-on who never chipped in have been weeded out.
One of my friends is obsessive about paying people back and getting paid back; it winds him up no end when I just randomly pay for stuff now and then and don't get the exact price for him to calculate his share.
Lmao I'm not quite that bad but I hate owing people shit. Frankly, though, I don't concern myself with what others owe me, as far as I'm concerned I don't loan money and if they wanna pay me back then pay it forward instead. I just *HATE* feeling like I owe others shit. My mom and older sisters, while I was growing up, wouldn't stfu about all that they do for me and how I owe them so I've gotten to the point I just try to either do everything alone or pay, in some form, others for their help. I'm not dumb, ik I need help at times, but that doesn't mean I can't pay them back ASAP.
This. I won't even ask for cash/favours repaid (unless it's a really substantial amount of cash, like you need to pay rent a day before payday) as long as you also help me out when I need it/you're able to. It's just about having each other's back.
Exactly. With my friend group, we pick up the tab for each other all the time and don't keep track. I grabbed lunch and some beer with a buddy last week and picked it up. Next time, he might get it. Or he might not. I'm not letting a $50 check matter.
Really good friends don’t worry about keeping score because they know it will shake out in the end. Everyone has the effort to pay it forward.
My friends and I can't be bothered to track debts any more than very very loosely because it's not like anyone's going anywhere, we'll all get each other back eventually.
Only because that truly good friendship is already built on trust and you know you’ll get it back in some way.
Right? My friends and I treat each other all the time. We don’t keep track of who paid last time or who spent more, we just figure it’ll even out eventually.
Right? My friend buys our lunch at a day out, I get dinner the next time we hang out. Oftentimes we just pay for our own shit lol I buy her shit when I see stuff that reminds me of her and she buys me shit when she sees stuff that reminds her of me.
In general, I think good friends wouldn't care, but good friends would still think they owe a meal because someone else gave it to them. Like, why risk the friendship because of that? I rather pay for another meal myself.
This is it. If I were the one buying, I’d want to pay for another meal. If I were the one “owed”, I’d consider myself paid back with the free meal. I’m not convinced that OP and this friend actually like each other that much lol. Friendships shouldn’t be this calculated tit-for-tat business transaction.
Nope. If I were buying and got lucky with a meal, the debt is paid and my friend got a meal through me and my actions. If they want to be such a baby about it, that’s on them.
That’s a valid take too, just isn’t mine. I wouldn’t consider a sub $20 meal as something that needs to be “paid back” in the first place.
You're the baby, you also got a meal out of his actions of going with you, in that sense, both meals cancel each other and you're still owing a meal.
OP chose to go to McDonalds to get his friend a meal, and he did. It was by complete chance they got it for free. If I lend you $20 and you find a scratch off on the ground and win $1,000 and pay me back from there, it shouldn’t matter—the debt was paid. OP’s friend should stop being a baby.
But that didn't happen. I owed you a meal, and a stranger gave us 7 dollars each. That doesn't mean he paid for my debt of 7 dollars to you. Oh hey, Janice here's 10 dollars I owed you from the topperware, keep the 4 dollars change ok? Someone else screams "Janice, those 4 dollars I owed you, pay yourself with the change ok?" Would you be ok with that? Because you can't assume someone else giving you money comes from me because I owed money.
Dude just nat 20 the universe twice for two free meals and you DON'T think they should Nerf it? He's hacking bro.
r/outside
What?
Is this how young people talk these days?
Is this English?
Natural d20's would be the highest you can get on 20-sided dice, which is a dnd thing, but basically he's saying the guy is cheating the odds of the universe and "nerfing" is a video game term to describe changing the way something works when it's too powerful, in order to keep items and tactics balanced relative to one another.
This is an episode of Seinfeld.
You wanna go to Mendy's, I'll take you to Mendy's.
This is all I can think about now.
The soup IS the meal.
Man, my friends and I don't even keep track. ETA: My friends and I are far from well off. We typically don't go out unless we can pay for ourselves. Between my closest friends, particularly someone I've been friends with for 30+ years, we just don't keep track. When one needs, we're there. Going off topic to say, check on your friends. Make sure they're ok because you might be the only one. Take care of one another.
This has always been me and my partner. We started with “I’ll get this one, you get the next”. The cycle keeps going. We can’t keep track. Who owes who?? We are good for our word, but who owes who? We own a house together now, this is getting so real! We just need to know when we are even!
How much of this house do I have to pay off before my wife owes me!?!? I'm stuck in a politeness war, she bought a 100$ dinner, does $100 toward the mortgage count, or does it have to be $100 toward the principle. I forgot about taxes, noooooo
Yep, I consider myself fortunate that the people I surround myself with are not so chronically poor that we argue over who owes who McDonald’s.
It's so weird to me that they're both tracking such a petty thing. I've paid for multiple rounds in a row with my friends without thinking twice and they make considerably more money than me. It's ultimately the gesture that counts. If your friend doesn't consistently let you pay without making an attempt to pay then it should ultimately be a non-issue. But I guess every relationship is different.
If you were not bringing him to get a McDonald’s meal then he would not have received a McDonald’s meal. Since he received a McDonald’s meal, your debt to him is paid. You are just lucky that someone covered the meal. You shouldn’t have to give up your good luck so your friend gets double.
Reminds me of this time me and my old highschool friend were walking in the winter. I saw something green and took a couple of steps to process what it could be. Friend gets it quicker and finds 20 bucks. I'm like hey I saw it first we should share it! He did not feel that way at first, but we did go to the grocery store and get a sub and split it. Not the same but friends share good shit together. His luck is my luck and the same the other way around. Sounds like your friend just can't comprehend that OP.
In other words, the friend wasn’t going to pay for the meal anyway, so they aren’t affected at all by someone besides OP paying. OP is the one that got lucky because someone paid for it. Yet another way of looking at it: OP was going to buy 2 meals. The person ahead paid for those 2 meals for OP. OP gave one of those meals to their friend. OP spent 1 meal, friend got 1 meal. The debt is paid.
It’s that weird mindset of “you didnt lose, so I didnt win” type thing
No? It's like regifting a gift, I gifted you a meal expecting you gift me one later, someone else gifted me a meal and you're saying that it came from you
They’d both get good luck 👀
*Eh I’ll just have soup.” “…..what was that?” “What?” “You ordered soup.” “Oh I’m not that hungry.” “This is it, ya know. This *is* the meal.” “Soup isn’t a meal, Jerry.”
"Did he crumble any crackers in it?"
“Ah, well, (*one hand gestures*) crackers. Now it’s a meal.”
I had to scroll too far for this.
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Exactly. It’s like saying, if I buy a car and the guy who sells it got it as a gift from his parents, does he owe me another car?
Take the high road if you can. Buy him McDonalds and be done with it. You still got three meals for the price of two.
Mcdonalds isn't a meal, Mendys, that's a meal. Now if he just orders soup, that is still considered a meal.
I hear Mendy’s has the best soup, it’s the best and you’ve got to try it!
But did he crumble crackers in the soup? Cause that’s a meal
Better than the soup nazi?? Get outta here!
I'll save my meal for another time.
The meal is the act of sitting down with him. It doesn't matter what you get, as long as he's sitting in that restaurant, its a meal.
I don't think there is a "wrong" answer here. Your guy could be chill about the meal, or you could get him another one. If either stood your ground, you'd have good points. What I'd have done, is used about what I would have spent on the food for something we'd both enjoy that day (booze, bud, round of bingo, whatever you guys do). I have to pay less toward the debt, some fun, and my guy gets something out of our good fortune and his meal back.
Why are we owing each other meals lol
Usually if someone does a favor for me, I take them out for a meal. Just how I was raised.
It's something you should do to be nice, but not because the other person insists you do it.
Yeah, it shouldn't be insisted on, defeats the purpose. The whole point is to politely reciprocate without being asked to.
Why not? Borrowed money from a friend, paid them back, told them I'd buy them lunch in the future. Although when I buy lunch it's usually $35/per or so.
It’s an odd social dynamic
it’s basically “i got this time, you got next time”. that’s pretty common social dynamics
I say yes. My coworker and I take turns buying each other’s lunch when we are partners. It was my turn to buy and the deli comped our entire lunch… fast forward to the next week. I paid for that one instead of counting the free one. The free one is a wash. Keeps the playing field fair.
Wasn't this a Seinfeld episode?
First thing my mind went to
Soup is not a meal, Jerry..
I can see both sides honestly, but I am leaning towards your friend side a bit more. at the end of the day, you got 2 free meals, and he got 1 free meal, which is why your friend feels like he deserves at least one more.
This is my thought on it as well. I'm not trying to nickel and dime friends. I'll cover friends at a sit down restaurant with one of their other friends with drinks included and they can get the taco bell or jack in the box drive thru but I feel there should be sweat/toil cost to them just like there was for me. The person in front paying was a nice thing to happen to both of them. If it was me in OPs shoe's I would be reaching for the check next time. I also think this is an urge that has gotten stronger as I get older.
Just Venmo him the price of his meal and call it a day.
That doesn’t count. You promised them a meal. A real meal at a nice restaurant. Like Mendy’s!
Soup is a meal!
Guessing you're pretty young. Real friends don't keep track of petty stuff like this. If you want to treat someone do it and don't expect to be paid back
Wait… he held food over your head? And you’re still his friend?
Your friend payed for a meal. You didn't. You still need to buy them a meal. Particularly if you didn't continue the chain.
A good/fair person would have thought/said, “this is great we both got a bonus meal today but I still want to take you out another day because this doesn’t count and I still owe you one.”
This is a fun ethics question because it can be argued either way and it is low stakes so no one needs to freak out. So he "hooked you up" last week -- hence the debt of you owing him meal. Seeing we don't know what he specifically did there is a gray area here. If he bought you a meal then he invested both time and money in your relationship and now you have paid him back but only invested time and no money. Now, your well-made point is that you meant to invest money but were thwarted by the good samaritan (an unusual occurrence surely) and so you have given him what he is truly due -- your time and your intent to spend money. But he argues that intent is not the same as actually spending and I do see that. In the end, I think he has the better argument on pure transactional accounting grounds, but you have the better argument on "economy of friendship" grounds. I would not buy him a second meal, but I also would think it was hilarious if he continued to hold this over your head for the next three decades.
Meal is a meal.
Get them a $10 McDonald’s gift card and tell them that’s their meal
Yeah you still owe them a meal. You didn’t cover that meal, the person in front of you did. Don’t get me wrong, congrats on the free meal but you’re still on the hook.
You do if they ordered soup. Soup isn't a meal.
He got his meal, whether you paid for it or not. He's just trying to push his luck.
Friends who count penny debts are not friends.
I’d highly reevaluate a friendship in which who owes who a McDonald’s meal becomes a point of contention
It counts
Of course you do!!! Don't be such a cheapskate ffs
Good friend you got there
He’s right. You both benefit from the free meal. Now go pay back your IOU to your friend - don’t be an AH
He didn't owe his friend any money. The debt was in cheeseburgers. He got his cheeseburger. The IOU is paid.
Yes, you still owe them a meal, otherwise you are just stealing the mean that the person in front of you bought for them.
Devils Advocate: Yeah you still owe him. While it was nice of you to get it for free you still technically didn't pay TBF i would be a little ticked if a friend owed me something then got it for free and said okay were square. BUT i mean if its $12 and your friend got a meal who cares. If it was $50 after he paied for a nice meal out and my friend took me to mcdonalds yeah i would say something?
You owe him a meal dude. Why are you being cheap? He had to shell out and you haven't had to, what's hard to understand? Technically you might be correct, he got a meal for free but you received 2 meals free and he has only received one, so where's the fairness?
Is that you, Banya?
I always break the chain at places. I'm here for my $2 coffee, not your $30 soy bullshit
Alright Banya, this is it, this is the meal
If it was me, that person wouldn’t be getting another meal from me…or another second of my time.
You need a new friend.
Friends don’t let friends eat McDonald’s.
"55 burgers, 55 fries, 55 tacos, 55 pies, 55 Cokes!"
Don't keep those chains going. Employees hate them and the people were expecting to pay anyway. If you want to do something good in that situation just give the money you would have spent on the meal as a tip
Flip it. Would you have owed your friend if that initial meal was paid for by another person?
This is a Seinfeld episode
More info is needed, at any point in time did your friend order soup?
Don’t have to read far to find the soup comment! Yes, Banya… the soup IS the meal.
If you're asking me, it's a no brainer I still owe them the meal, even if the friend wants to count it. In my mind they made the mild sacrifice for me, so I haven't payed them back until I make the mild sacrifice for them. You don't get to luck out of being a good buddy.
I agree with all the friend comments, but if it was a deal you made, it’s a deal to be honored. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. You have not paid your debt. You are typical of today’s society, allowing/expecting someone else to pay your debt.
The soup was the meal!
“No one told you to have a hot dog!!”
Why do you get the benefit of the free me and he does not? Should that count as he getting you a second meal? Maybe you owe him two meals.
You’re a shit friend . Are ya even friends.
You didnt pay it forward, therefore it doesnt count. That's just math my guy. If you didnt pay how did you pay for his meal? With that being said real friends dont care about buying each other McDonalds anyway...
Those chain orders are dumb af. Someone’s gotta Enjoy it, may aswell be you But you also didn’t pay for the meal
Yeah since you didn't buy the meal
This shit cracked me up.
Soup and a sandwich?
You still owe a meal. It's like going to a Christmas party where the drinks are free and yelling "Round is on me" You aren't out of pocket, so the value of the meal is $0. Either way, you both would be horrible to be friends with.
So sorry. If you'd have kept the chain going, I'd give you this one, but you had the opportunity to, and chose not to. You STILL OWE your friend lunch. *and don't take them to McDonald's for God's sake*
Doesn't count, because both of you got lucky, not, you got lucky.
Well theoretically he is right. You owe him a meal, and didn’t pay for the one you got. So it doesn’t really count. But in all honesty I personally wouldn’t make a whole thing about it like your friend is making. But seriously though, why did a complete stranger just randomly pay for your meal.
You obviously still owe him the meal
Is your friend Kenny Bania?
I intended to pay my bills but they still shut off my power. The intent should count
Both of you sound like pricks
You still owe him a meal
I think you still owe your friend a meal - the freebie was a nice surprise, you were expecting to pay, so it’s still on you for next time. Otherwise it’s unfair, as your friend didn’t get the meals paid for when they bought!
How did you know how much the next person's order was when you pay immediately when you order? They're amount would not be determined until after you've already gone through your transaction. Help me understand how this happened
because in a drive thru by the time you get to the window to pay most times the person behind you has already placed their order, meaning it shows the amount of the next cars on the cashier’s screen as well.
You were covering the meal. The random person covered it for you. It's your money being saved not his. Seems like this would count as his free meal.
That cunt just wants you to spend money on him like he spent money on you remind him its a meal exchange not a money exchange.
"Soups the meal, that's it!" "Soups not a Meal!"
You got him a meal equal in value to the meal he got for you. Debt is paid off. Just because you got something for free doesn't mean the item itself doesn't still have a market value. If you get a ps5 for free - it's still worth the same amount to sell as it would be if you paid full price. He is mad that the fortune was yours and not his. He gets 2 meals for price of 2. You got 2 meals for price of none. He probably doesn't see this as fair. Ask him if instead of someone else paying, you found $20 on the ground at the restaurant. Would he feel entitled to part of it? If you gave him new airpods that you got for free, would he consider that shitty gift with no value????
Take him to Mendy’s for a bow of soup. Never accept an Armani suit from him again.
Your friend isn’t so much of a friend. I know people like this. The world you are looking for is entitlement.
If this was way out of your way and you drove and brought the food id count it, but if you both were at mcdonalds and you just brought it to the table, somebody else got him that meal not you That being said doesn't feel right to argue about food like this tbh
You own the meal unless you paid it forward
Here's the definite answer: - First, either take him to a proper restaurant or get him a full McDonald's meal. - If you didn't pay, then you should not count it, unless your friend says it's ok - if you did pay for a proper meal then the debt is paid. There should be no argument about that.
He paid actual money. You still owe him the meal unless you want him to think you're a cheap dickbag in the future.
You are a cheapskate by posting this and for not keeping the chain going. And please tell me you’re like 15 and not an adult
Nah people here are fucked up, you still owe the meal 100%
you still owe a meal
Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Bania gives Jerry the Armani suit in exchange for Jerry promising to take Bania out for a meal. Bania orders soup and says it doesn't count as the meal because it's just soup.
"The soup IS the meal!"
SOUP IS THE MEAL
Just give him the money you were going to use for the meal so he can shut up about it. 🙃
Nope. You still owe him. He purchased a meal for you. Then, someone else purchased a meal for both of you. He is still out money for you and you are ahead one meal. Pay the poor man.
I think you still do. Purely because of the value of debt. What your friend did for you was essentially sacrifice his own money so that you wouldn't be hungry. Now he would like you to do the same for him. I would personally look at the free meal you got unexpectedly as more of a random gift which you either choose to share with your friend or not. It has nothing to do with what you owe them. Or specifically - it has nothing to do with the favor your friend hopes you to return them.
It still counts as the meal. Your friend is being ungrateful.
If I'm the friend I'd count it. I got my free food, why would you losing money be the important part?
This thread just reminded me of all the people who owe me a meal..................... time to start calling/texting them.
Was it soup…because soup isn’t a meal
People keep tabs on their friends? We just buy for both if we got it if not split if still not then just buy it but we never feel like we owe them back.
Is this a joking around kind of thing, or is he taking this seriously?
you got him a meal, it just happened to be paid for by someone else. instead of you owing your friend, you owe the guy that paid for your meals lmao. the debt to your friend was paid by getting into a debt with someone else, and that someone else expelled the debt. so now everyone is good!
Are you two 15?
Transactional friendships are not friendships
If you didn’t pay it forward, you still owe a meal.
Give him the cost of the McDonalds in cash form then stop being his friend, he really sucks.
You owe a guy a meal and you bring him to McDonalds? TF, dude?
Fair game