Penny-Pinchers

Is it possible to retire early without compromising your friendships?

But its not easy.

Ava and Adam brushed off the first Venmo request.

Therell be tons of food and drink.

But they sent Steven the money anyway and hoped for the best.

They noticed patterns as the invites continued.

Steven sent reminder texts asking for money up front, sometimes four or five of them.

… Let me bring my LaCroix and not make a big whoop out of it.

The last straw was when Steven invited the couple to a dinner party at his house.

Just Venmo me for the dinner, the text said.

I know it didnt cost you $200 to make a lasagna.

But what happens when someones desire to be thrifty turns them into a jerk?

A2017 Bank of America survey found that53% of people said theyd seen a friendship end over money.

For Ava and Adam, their experiences with Steven have been enough to let the relationship fizzle out.

Extreme saving can also impact family dynamics.

But when they do its the absolute worst.

(They agreed to be interviewed on the condition of anonymity.)

Ryan,* the partner of Jeremys cousin, is a savvy investor whos planning to retire at 35.

Now that theyre engaged, Jeremys cousin follows suit.

He doesnt drink very much, and neither does his fiancee.

When they have people over, theyre like, Oh, we have water, Julia says.

If everyone owes $50 and you owe $6, thats a different story.

But if youre penny-pinching over a few dollars, f*ck off.

Neglecting social courtesies in pursuit of financial freedom can clearly leave a bad taste.

The popular blog and podcastHow to Moneycautions againstFIRE-ers sacrificing time with friends and family to cut costs.

[Later], an important issue is often repairing close relationships.

In Jeremy and Julias case, friendship with Ryan is a lost cause.

We didnt cut out stuff that felt important.

We didnt want it to isolate us socially, and we knew that would be very possible.

Thats a bad look and guaranteed to hurt relationships, Hester says.

I firmly believe in a dont be an sshle rule.

*Names have been changed to protect sources privacy.