London-based Amit Mohanty, tells us that money matters can be a pain most of the times, especially when friends keep borrowing money every now and then.

"There was a colleague of mine in Hyderabad who would always borrow money to go for lunch at restaurants using the same pretext, i.e. "Yaar can I borrow 20/30 bucks from you, I will surely return it to you I will surely return it to you tomorrow, don't want to go to the ATM in the sun"," he says.

According to him, this went on for a few months. Although he did not break his friendship, he did try to avoid him as much as possible if he seemed to be approaching me for money.

But, all the avoidance led to estrangement and then they finally stopped talking. Dr. Mirchandani believes that the only problem that is most common in terms of money and class issues are the give and take problems. But how do you know where to draw the line?

"Give how much you can afford and then forget about it," says Dr. Mirchandani. This is the mantra you need to know. This just means, make sure you give to people you trust and never give more than you possibly can. And when you give, don't give with the notion that you will get it back. If you cringe at that thought, then never lend. But if you are okay with it, then go on and give the money.

Journalist Nishant Hirwani agrees.

Says he, "I always lent money but never had any money issues with my friends. It's just that I really don't expect the money back. And I make sure that the friends that give to are reliable enough so that I don't have to ask them to return it to me. I just don't like to ask for money back."

However, this is not a very good idea. It is always a good idea to be assertive about getting your money back, or not lending it in the first place.

The Other Side of the Coin

But how many of you have been on the other side of the fence? Yes, if you have friends who are not that well off, it can be a pain to hang out them as well. 

How? Here's how: Robin Chacko, a Television Producer, and Graphic Designer Benson Moses have been roommates for a year. Although they are not really a class apart, Benson has to send a part of his salary home, whereas Robin keeps his salary to spend on himself.

"Benson and I are really good friends and I really like his company. But, he never wants to come out with us for a movie or dinner or just to have some fun. I understand that he does not want to splurge, but I don't understand how just one dinner or movie can spoil his budget," says an exasperated Robin.

Apart from that, just to make Benson feel comfortable, Robin offers to pay for his tickets or dinner. But, even that does not encourage him to accompany Robin. So, even though they are not distancing themselves from each other, Robin is really upset with Benny.

Remember, in the end, it is the friendship that matters. So, if you don't feel comfortable with certain issues, make sure you talk about it before you take a drastic step like breaking your friendships.