“Carpooling” wants to be reimbursed for gas for a 30-mile round-trip journey to pick up a friend’s disabled son from the bus stop. The request from the “dear friend” doesn’t happen very often. My two cents are this: Losing or even offending a “dear friend” isn’t worth any price, let alone the price of a few gallons of gas ($10 or less). True friends grant favor requests, when possible, and usually without expecting anything in return. If it becomes a regular request, then definitely broach the subject, but a rare request is truly a “favor,” and granting favors has a way of coming back to you. Instead, “Carpooling” could think of this favor as a meal she might take to her friend if she were sick (and would likely spend more than $10 in that case). – Dear Friends are Priceless

Dear Priceless: Ten dollars is not the same everywhere nor is it the same to every budget. The letter writer isn’t just complaining; the letter states that the frequency of the requests, combined with the amount, created a financial hardship. It’s important to remember that everyone’s finances are different and one person’s easy favor is another person’s stretch. The pricelessness of dear friends goes both ways; if I had a dear friend whose load I could lighten by covering the price of gas, I’d leap at the opportunity to do so.