Money can't buy happiness.. and it can't buy friendships or relationships either.
Have you ever had a friend that you didn't exactly like but would hang out with because they'd take you to get food and would offer to pay? They'd say "oh, you don't have to pay me back, don't worry about it," or they would give you clothes that they "didn't like," because you really liked it. This friend thought that money could buy your friendship. But in reality, did you actually like them? Or did you just keep them around because they were the person you could take advantage of when you were broke? If you stuck around because of money, you were bought. If no one has ever done this but this sounds like something you do... you're trying to buy people's love.
Money can't buy happiness... and it can't buy friendships or relationships either. Stop spending $100 on a Christmas present for someone who doesn't think to get you one until you show up at their house. Don't offer to pay for dinner just so you get invited. Stop going out of your way to pick up gifts for people who don't return the favor. Don't spend money on people if they don't make the effort to make a real connection with you. If you go out of your way to do these things for people with no effort returned, you are being used. You are not a walking ATM, you are not someone's wallet. You are a person and you deserve friends in your life that see you for more than just your money.
It's going to be hard when you stop. Just know that if someone stops being your friend when you stop paying for them, they were never your friend to begin with. You need to surround yourself with people who truly like you and want to be around you. Don't spend so much time and effort on people who don't care about you. Going out of your way to buy things for people is exhausting. And expensive. Even if you make tons of money or you're lucky enough to have parents that give you whatever you want when you ask, it's rough. There comes a time when you should stop buying other people gift cards to Bath & Body Works or taking them to the nail salon. Take yourself and take care of yourself. Take some time to sit and reevaluate. Ask yourself why you spend so much on people who don't want you around. Figure out who actually cares about you and find a way to make true friendships. Find people who laugh at your jokes and want to be around you whether or not you have money. Then look back and realize, life is better when you aren't spending money to make friends.
If someone is buying your friendship, you won't miss them when they're not around. You'll miss the things they did for you. The dinners they took you to with their family or their friends. You'll miss the free things you got and you know what? It happens. We live in a society that is obsessed with money. It's the way the world is set up. But, don't let this rule your life. Don't let it chose your friends and your relationships. True friendship is 100x better than a friendship based upon money. You may spend lots of time with the friend that is paying for you but you will never have a deep connection. You'll never look at that friend and think " I am so lucky to have this person in my life." You will only have them around when it's convenient for you. Don't be that person. It's not healthy for you or the other person. One day you'll decide you feel bad or you'll get tired of the person and they'll be left to wonder what they did wrong.
In reality, money will control people and their actions. That will never stop. But you can stop letting it dictate your life to the point where it affects your friendships. Money will never change who you are or how you treat others. So, treat others with kindness. It's worth so much more than anything money could buy.
