Real Life MMD: Should I pay the extra money?

A question about : Real Life MMD: Should I pay the extra money?

Please give this MoneySaver the benefit of your advice...

Should I pay the extra money?

I owed a friend some money which they had lent to me. We were going out for diner and I suggested that rather than paying back the money in cash, that I pay for their dinner instead. At the last minute I managed to find a 50% offer for the restaurant. Being pleased with my moneysaving skills I told my friend at dinner. They then said that because the dinner was 50% off, they wanted paying the rest of the money that they were owed but I said that they are getting the dinner at full value (they would never have found the offer) and would have been none the wiser if I hadn't mentioned it. Should I have kept quiet and saved a bit of cash or should I have paid up the extra money to my friend as well as paying for dinner?

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Best answers:

• You should pay what you owe. Regardless of what offer you've found I assume the total after the 50% is not equal to what you borrowed?
  If you had kept quiet then you're right no-one would have known, but proudly stating you'd found a coupon does seem to be rubbing your friend's face in it a bit and I'm not surprised they then wanted their money back!
• I think it's a case of the friend agreeing that you paying dinner meant 'calling quits'. If the dinner came to more than borrowed (without discount), would you have footed the bill? If so, then I agree with you, if not then I agree with your friend.
• You borrowed real money, and you are trying to repay (in part) with imaginary money. That doesn't add up to me - pay them back the rest.
• I think you should pay them back the money. You have already benefitted from the loan, they did you a kindness in the first place, and now you should repay. Getting them a meal "free" is not the same thing at all! It means that you haven't had to make recompense at all - I would be mightily unpleased if you did that to me
• I agree with the folks above, if you borrowed real money, then the fact that you are saying that you can pay off the dinner with free money doesn't seem to match. I imagine it does seem a bit unfair that if you'd kept quiet you might have got away with it, but your conscience would know that you were not really repaying like for like.
• You definitely have to pay what you owe.
  You found the voucher, so well done, but if you'd have kept quiet you would have been being tight and a bad egg.
  As you only paid a certain proportion of what you owe your friend and they have asked you for the rest, you are obliged to pay it!
• So your friend lends you money but you begrudge sharing a free voucher you've found?
  Pay up or next time you'll find your friends much less willing to act as your bank in future.
• You should pay back what you still owe her, otherwise it's effectively like taking your friend out for dinner and using the voucher on your own food but not hers. Would you do that? I doubt it. You've got a discount - now pass that discount on to your friend.
• Pay the money you still owe thats all i can say really
• You've made a rod for your own back.
  Your friend agreed to accept the meal in liue of the cash you owed them, so in theory it shouldn't matter what the meal cost you, whether it was greater or smaller than the amount you owed, as your friend is getting what was agreed on. But you made an issue of the fact that it cost you so much less than it should have, so to your mate it looks like you're taking advantage at best, or deliberately set out to cheat him at worst.
  What you do now depends on how much you want to keep your mate! If it were me, I think I'd offer to buy the next meal, and wouldn't be all that suprised when my mate orders a fair bit more than usual...
• Definitely you should pay the balance over and above the cost of the dinner, up to the amount you owe. It would be very cheap of you not to do so. You would be likely to lose a friend into the bargain too, if you have not done so already.
• It's about the money loaned. They were expecting you to pay it back. If they'd used the money to pay the bill themselves then you handing over half the money and a discount voucher would not really be the same thing.
  If they're a friend I would've paid the bill using the 50% voucher and then given back the saved money as a suprise. You gain the goodwill of your friend. They gain the knowledge that you're honest and generous and know a cheaper way.
  Of course it's different if you're taking someone out as a present. If you're short on money but have discount etc then that's fine. It is, after all, the thought that counts and if they've gained a lot from the thought then so much the better!
• Wow, so you owe someone money - a friend no less, then brag to them that instead of repaying them in full for their help, you spent 50% of the money (that you borrowed/owe them) on a meal and feel it's OK to keep the other 50% because you found the discount.
  If you can afford to be going out for a meal and it cost you half price then I think you should at the least pay back the 50% you owe this person - in fact I think you should pay them back 100% and apologize for being so mean and tell them the meal was on you as you actually feel remorse for being so mean, and value what a good friend they are to help you out when you needed it.
• What's worth more to you?
  A 50% off deal or retaining some dear friends that did you a good deed in lending you the money (interest free) in the first place?
• Pay what you owe. If you've only paid for half of the meal, then you've only paid half of what you owe (assuming that the meal was worth exactly what you owed). You owe the other person the rest of the money.
  Your moneysaving expertise aren't relevant. This is a human being you're dealing with. You only owe the restaurant half of what you would have done, but you still owe your friend the full amount. Even if you had kept quiet, you would still owe your friend the money. Spending half of it on food doesn't let you off the hook for the other part.
• I'm not sure how you got away from the situation without paying the money, or it getting awkward.
  Really, you've made money out of the loan. Say they lent you Ј15, which is then what you've paid for the meal after 50% off. You've paid for their meal, and got yours for free. If you were both paying seperately for your meal, you'd have only saved Ј7.50 off your meal if you'd split the meal, whereas you've classed it as part of the deal and they've paid 100% for the meal, and you've got your food for free!
• Pay what you owe,
• so your friend gets a free meal and the money back? how about you offer to repay half of what you borrowed.. seems a bit fairer..
• Pay up!
  I'd have been insulted to have been on the receiving end of your 'bargain'
  To make amends, I'd pay your friend the full amount that you borrowed, in cash!