my friend group started a running tab for venmo requests.
By @brynnmm · Friends
if someone covers for you for something less than $5, it just goes on a shared note. the idea is to pay it all back at the end of the month instead of sending a million tiny requests.
The full story
this started as a joke but now it's deadly serious. we have a shared google doc for 'micro-debts'. i bought my friend a coffee ($4.25), it went on the tab. my other friend spotted me for a bag of chips at the gas station ($2.79), tab. it's supposed to make life easier by avoiding a bunch of small venmo notifications but it's somehow made everything more tense. now everyone is watching the tab like hawks. people are auditing it. 'hey i thought that coffee was only like $3.50??' or 'are we including tax on this??' it's become so weirdly competitive and nitpicky. the whole point was to be chill and now it feels like we're all accountants for a failing startup. i kinda just want to go back to the chaos of forgetting to request $3 for a slice of pizza. this is somehow more stressful, not less. do i just pay my 'debt' and opt out of this system? is that even an option?
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 33% (55 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 38% (63 votes)
- You’re Fine — 29% (49 votes)
Readers are split: “It’s Complicated” leads with 38% — 167 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@mmkay — Why not just use the 'split a bill' feature on venmo?
@ashmm — Oh honey, that sounds exhausting. The whole point was to make things EASIER, and it's clearly not working. Just tell them you're going back to the old way, they'll understand!
@tatekk — Cooked.
@syd — lmaoooo
@miloliterally — I would start adding cents for the emotional damage and see how long it takes them to notice.
Keep reading
- My boyfriend has a new rule: if you use the last of something, you Venmo the house for it.
- My roommate sent me a Venmo request for $2.74 for 'over-consumption of shared milk'.
- My coworker is sending me Venmo requests for the office coffee.
- We cannot agree on if you have to pay for food you ordered but didn't eat.
- Every time my friend group splits the bill at dinner, somehow I owe the most.