Money Moral Dilemma: Should I pay for drinks I didn't ask for?

I was at a bar recently with mates and we were buying our own drinks, not rounds. One of my friends spontaneously brought over a round of expensive cocktails, which I didn't really want, and then another round again soon after that. The next day he says we all owe him 30 quid each.
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  • £30 for 2 cocktails that you didn't ask for!?!?!? Do you REALLY need us to tell you the answer? I'd tell him to get stuffed! Friend or no friend, if I didn't ask for the drinks, I certainly wouldn't cough up. Why ask you all to pay the next day? Was he so drunk that he didn't realise how much he was spending on the rounds of cocktails? If so then he's hopefully learned a harsh lesson. I'm afraid I'd tell him it's tough titty.
  • Zed42
    Zed42 Posts: 927
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    His decision, his cost ....
    GC - March 2024 -
  • scotsbob
    scotsbob Posts: 4,632 Forumite
    You "didn't want them" then why drink them? You had a choice.


    That aside, you may want to explain to him that is not how buying rounds normally works. You will buy him a drink next time you see him (and if it were me that would not be in the foreseeable future)
  • "Next day he woke up from a hangover and realized how much he'd spent the night before"

    Exactly.

    He got plastered, spent waaay too much and then regretted it the morning after. Well hello and welcome to the real world where actions have consequences.

    And 2 rounds equals £30 each? Unless they were champagne cocktails with diamonds in the glass, he is also trying to skank you for waaaaaay more than he actually spent on those drinks. Not only should you tell him to jog on with his "invoice", but you should drop him as a friend.
  • jenniewb
    jenniewb Posts: 12,836
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    MSE_Nick wrote: »
    I was at a bar recently with mates and we were buying our own drinks, not rounds. One of my friends spontaneously brought over a round of expensive cocktails, which I didn't really want, and then another round again soon after that. The next day he says we all owe him 30 quid each.
    If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply!

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    Two drinks for £30?? I'm sorry if I sound old and dated (I'm not!) but even in my experience of drinking out in London; £15 a drink is so far above the norm that you need to consider where and what you're drinking.


    I go out with groups sometimes and get offered a drink. If I know I 1.can't afford to buy everyone else a round when it's my turn or 2.don't want a drink in the first place. I just say no. It's not a big deal and if you're made to feel like an outcast for drinking things you can neither afford or stomach at the time, maybe reconsider who you go drinking with?


    If you said that you were bought a drink when you'd already said no, or it was forced on you then by all means you'd have grounds to say no to footing the bill and your 'friend' should consider thinking before drinking and taking responsibility of their actions rather than expecting everyone else to. But nothing in your original scenario has at all hinted you didn't know what was happening when you were asked if you wanted a drink. Yes it's uncool to turn around to mates and expect them to pay up when you'd not said to them in the first place "you can pay me back later" but as misunderstandings go, your mate has more of a right to expect to get any cash back rather than you escape the charges.


    Having said that; at £15 a drink I'd want to see the bill first (just to check a 3 course meal didn't happen before the round of drinks!)
  • Good grief!! Ridiculous prices, ridiculous 'friend', ridiculous drinking culture! Say no to him, and say no more forcefully when next out with a group so they know not to buy unwanted drinks in future!
  • qetu1357
    qetu1357 Posts: 1,013
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    Say no but offer to buy him a pint of beer in Wetherspoons next time you see him.
  • Just say no very diplomatically and point him towards this site ....
  • Sam_Rogers
    Sam_Rogers Posts: 8 Forumite
    There's no need to lose a friend over it, just diplomatically point out that you were not in rounds and you didn't ask for him to get you a drink. He will not be so keen to splash out next time!
  • It depends on how generous you are feeling, how remorseful they are feeling and how much of a friend that person is. They've made a mistake and now it's up to you as a friend to step up and help them out (if you can afford it). Just make sure that it's a one off and won't happen again! :)
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