The Realities Of Vacationing With Richer Friends

[caption id="attachment_830660" align="alignleft" width="1068"] bigstockphoto.com/Two couples having a picnic on the beach, backlit, close up[/caption] No matter how well-rounded your friend group is, and how many corners of the world are represented in your circle, you have to admit there is one demographic that can be tricky to hang with: the extremely wealthy! Or friends that are even just significantly richer than you are. They like to say they’re “easy going” and “down to do whatever” but they don’t even realize how their tastes have grown increasingly expensive over the years. A “budget” lunch to them in a splurge lunch to you. You can hide the discrepancy for the most part but there is one time when you just can’t: when you travel together. When you go on vacation with a couple that is richer than you and your partner, your drastic budget differences are in your face around every corner. Here are the realities of vacationing with richer friends. [caption id="attachment_609502" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

They wait while you coupon

When it’s time to choose a dinner spot or a show, your friends are ready to hop in a taxi the second they hear about one they like. But they have to wait while you and your partner hop online to find coupons.     [caption id="attachment_717453" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

You’re packing lunch

You don’t want to spend $17 on a tuna sandwich by the pool, but that’s what the hotel is charging. Your rich friends can get that. Meanwhile, you and your boo stocked your mini fridge with sandwich ingredients from the nearby grocery store, and snuck a home-made sandwich into your pool bag.         [caption id="attachment_707855" align="alignleft" width="420"] Shutterstock[/caption]

Flask city

Another thing your well-off pals can pay menu price for is the cocktails. Meanwhile, you and your man are passing a flask back and forth in the Jacuzzi, making your buddies nervous you’ll get all of you kicked out.             [caption id="attachment_623908" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Splitting the bill matters

Your fancy friends are ready to just “split the bill” at dinner. But you and your partner purposefully did not order appetizers or cocktails to keep your side of things lower. So, yeah—you’re going to grab a pen and start adding up your part.     [caption id="attachment_699584" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Your enthusiasm doesn’t always match

When the concierge mentions that the hotel offers couples massages with a bottle of Veuve CLicquot, your privileged pals go “Yippy!” but they turn to you and your partner to find utter looks of panic.           [caption id="attachment_714451" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

The pre-trip emails

Your richer travel companions start sending you and your boo emails about shows to see, wine tastings to attend and restaurants to make reservations at long before the trip. Meanwhile, you and your honey are sitting there thinking, “Can’t we just…um…see where the day takes us? Hopefully to a chain restaurant happy hour? (Gulp).”       [caption id="attachment_610385" align="alignleft" width="500"] Corbis Images[/caption]

They’ll offer to pay for you

The other couple will offer to just pay for all four of you to do the thing they want to do. This is incredibly emasculating for your partner, who wants to treat you on this trip.             [caption id="attachment_702843" align="alignleft" width="419"] Shutterstock[/caption]

Dress codes

Your fat-walleted buddies want to go to a restaurant that requires a sports coat. You don’t have a sport coat. Even if you did, you didn’t bring it because you were hoping to mainly eat at places that have photos of the food on the menu.           [caption id="attachment_608331" align="alignleft" width="500"] Shutterstock[/caption]

Pre-gaming

Pre-gaming in the hotel room is a must if you don’t have a lot of money. But your wealthier friends awkwardly wait while you and your boo pound vodka cranberries upstairs.       [caption id="attachment_713311" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Your credit card company calls you

To make sure you’re the one who purchased the dinner at the nice restaurant. Why? Because that’s not a very characteristic purchase for you! Of course, your rich friend’s credit card company never calls him.         [caption id="attachment_619393" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Transportation

As a group you want to go to a bar, go to a show, go to a restaurant. Great! Your friends are ready to hop in the $60 taxi to get you there. But you’re over here like, “Um. Is there a bus that goes there? It will only take an extra hour !”     [caption id="attachment_824457" align="alignleft" width="600"] Cuisine Culinary Buffet Dinner Catering Dining Food Celebration Party Concept. Group of people in all you can eat catering buffet food indoor in luxury restaurant with meat and vegetables.[/caption]

You’re hoarding at the buffet

You better believe you’re putting pasta salad in that to-go coffee cup, oranges in your purse, and toast in your pocket. And you better believe it’s embarrassing your friends.   [caption id="attachment_708498" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

They’re all about the up-sell

Like getting the all-you-can eat option for $80, when you could dine a-la-carte for $40. Or sitting in the comfy chairs that recline at the show for another $20. Meanwhile, you’re all about the downsell. You’re over here asking, “Which are the super uncomfortable seats? If they’re cheaper, we’ll take them.”           [caption id="attachment_702781" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

You end up spending a night apart

Eventually, your friends just want one night unhindered by your budgeting ways. So they say they want a “romantic one-on-one evening.” That’s code for, “We’re going to go do a bunch of stuff you can’t afford to do.”         [caption id="attachment_706179" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

You whisper a lot

You and your partner spend a lot of time having sidebars and whispering about whether or not you can afford to do the thing your friends just suggested. Or coming up with excuses as to why you can’t.

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