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How we spend our money is none of other people’s business. But when Reddit user Salty_lake_222 went to McDonald’s with their friend, the two of them got into an argument over a couple of cheese slices.
You see, our Redditor had brought some of their own to save on the order, and this didn’t sit well with their friend. She didn’t just call the move “embarrassing” but went so far as to threaten to walk ahead of them in public if they ever did anything so “cheap” again.
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Person eating McDonald’s meal in car, reflecting on cutting contact after friend showed true colors at drive thru.
This case is no doubt a striking example, but similar conflicts are pretty common. For example, the 2025 Friends and Money Report discovered that more than 4 in 10 Americans (41%) say they’ve had tension or a disagreement with friends over money, while 36% — just like our Redditor — have had a friendship end because of it.
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Of course, there could be many reasons for those disagreements, but the report’s data suggests that differing views and approaches toward spending are a prominent source of strife. Nearly 1 in 3 respondents (31%) say they’ve felt pressured to keep up with their friends’ spending habits. Among Millennials, the figure soars to 41%.
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A third of Americans (33%) have admitted to thinking differently about a friend because of that person’s spending habits, and men are more likely than women (37% versus 30%) to say this.
Also, people earning $100,000 a year or more say they judged someone for being too frivolous (29% had done so) or too frugal (22%) more than any other income bracket.
The key to a great relationship — be it romantic, professional, or something else — is honest communication. The survey revealed that most Americans (66%) believe people should openly share their financial struggles with their friends and (59%) are comfortable doing so.
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I don’t know if the passive-aggressive exchange our Redditor had with their friend counts, but at least they got a clear picture of where they stand. And maybe ending things now is better than keeping up a friendship held together by fake smiles.
Most people who read the story sided with its author and said friends shouldn’t behave that way
Screenshot of a social media comment about a friend showing true colors at the McDonald's drive thru.
Screenshot of an online comment discussing cutting contact with a friend after showing true colors at a McDonald's drive-thru.
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Comment discussing a person cutting contact with a friend after a negative experience at the McDonald’s drive thru.
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Screenshot of a social media post discussing a problem about bringing cheese to McDonald’s drive thru.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment criticizing a friend’s behavior, relating to cutting contact after true colors showed.
Comment discussing a person cutting contact with a friend after she showed her true colors at the McDonald’s drive thru.
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Comment discussing a friend showing true colors at the McDonald’s drive thru and cutting contact afterward.
Person cutting contact with friend after revealing true colors at McDonald’s drive thru interaction.
Reddit comment discussing a friend showing true colors at McDonald’s drive thru leading to cut contact.
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Text post on a social platform with user asking about putting cheese in pockets at a McDonald’s drive-thru situation.
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Comment about bringing real cheese to McDonald’s inspired by friend showing true colors in drive-thru interaction.
Person cuts contact with friend after confrontation at McDonald’s drive thru, showing true colors and ending friendship.
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Screenshot of a Reddit comment expressing support after friend showed true colors at McDonald’s drive thru.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing cutting contact with a friend after she showed true colors at a McDonald’s drive-thru.
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Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing cutting contact with a friend showing true colors at the McDonald’s drive thru.
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Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing cutting contact with a friend after she showed true colors at a McDonald's drive thru.
Text conversation screenshot discussing the cost of cheese slices at McDonald’s drive thru, reflecting true colors.
Comment discussing a person cutting contact with a friend after a McDonald’s drive-thru incident showing true colors.
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Person cuts contact with friend after confrontation at McDonald’s drive thru in a tense social interaction.
Screenshot of an online comment discussing cutting contact with a friend after behavior at a McDonald’s drive thru.
Screenshot of an online comment about a person cutting contact with a friend after McDonald’s drive-thru incident.
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Text post from online forum discussing opinions on car maintenance and buying baked potatoes with grated cheese from a local store.
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Text comment about a person cutting contact with a friend after she showed her true colors at the McDonald’s drive thru.
Comment discussing a friend's reaction after she showed true colors at the McDonald’s drive thru.
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Person cuts contact with friend after seeing true colors at McDonald’s drive thru confrontation.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment saying your friend is way overreacting in a discussion about cutting contact after McDonald’s drive thru incident.
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Text comment discussing a person cutting contact with a friend after she showed her true colors at the McDonald’s drive thru.
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Comment discussing a friend showing true colors at the McDonald’s drive thru and cutting contact.
Some, however, thought they were being unreasonable
Reddit user discusses friend showing true colors at McDonald’s drive thru and cutting contact over behavior.
Online comment discussing a disagreement between friends after an incident at a McDonald’s drive thru.
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Comment on a forum post about a person cutting contact with friend after she showed true colors at McDonald’s drive thru.
Screenshot of an online comment reacting to unusual behavior at a McDonald’s drive thru, highlighting true colors revealed.
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Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.
Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.
And friend wants OP to play by the capitalist elitists rules instead of using practical sense. 3.50 for one slice of cheese that likely costs pennies to make. The fact that we DON'T question this more often is the bigger issue.
I'd be sad because the cheese wasn't melted. But seriously, any 'friend' that has beef (no pun intended) with you over adding cheese to a Maccas burger is not a friend.
I'd even do it eating in - it's Maccas, for crying out loud! And I had no idea that there was such a huge difference in price over a slice of plastic cheese. Wow.
And friend wants OP to play by the capitalist elitists rules instead of using practical sense. 3.50 for one slice of cheese that likely costs pennies to make. The fact that we DON'T question this more often is the bigger issue.
I'd be sad because the cheese wasn't melted. But seriously, any 'friend' that has beef (no pun intended) with you over adding cheese to a Maccas burger is not a friend.
I'd even do it eating in - it's Maccas, for crying out loud! And I had no idea that there was such a huge difference in price over a slice of plastic cheese. Wow.
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