When Did Friendship Get So Expensive?

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/690375ed2300000941be1e54.jpg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="Empty wallet" data-caption="Empty wallet" data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="Towfiqu barbhuiya via Unsplash" />Empty wallet</div><div class="content-list-component text"><p>Ever heard of “wedding sprawl”? It’s a phenomenon that <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/10/wedding-sprawl-guests-bridesmaids/684704/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Atlantic describes</a> this way: “as couples strive to keep up with cultural perceptions and their friends’ lives, they can end up putting financial and logistical strain on their guests”. </p><p>And according to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/566ea93e-7ba3-4b3a-8b15-9a5de2021d1a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Financial Times</a>, “friendflation” – the rising cost of celebrating your mates – is on the up too.</p><p>They point out that the average cost of attending a wedding has risen to £450, while the mean price of attending a hen or stag weekend in the UK is a whopping £779.</p><p>Now, <a href="https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/5af001db82e94f85b04aea1db1bed1b5-5HjdFtt_2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new stats suggest</a> an even bleaker state of affairs: it seems simply maintaining close friendships sets women back £2,414 a year on average. For men, it’s £2,994. </p><h2><strong>Why has friendship gotten so expensive? </strong></h2><p>In this research, <a href="https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/5af001db82e94f85b04aea1db1bed1b5-5HjdFtt_2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">conducted by Rakuten</a>, those surveyed liste