Man Accused of Being 'Greedy' for Charging Friends for Meals

A man received support on Reddit after his friends accused him of being "greedy" for charging them for his home-cooked meals.

The man explained he has "always been passionate about cooking" and recently started "experimenting with new recipes."

"Over time, my culinary skills have developed, and I have become quite adept at creating delicious and unique homemade meals. Many of my friends have tasted my creations and have expressed their love for my cooking," he wrote.

"Lately, my friends have been requesting that I cook for them on a regular basis, as they find my meals to be restaurant-quality and a delightful change from their usual routine," the man continued on Reddit.

Although he enjoys cooking for others, cooking is "quite time-consuming" and "requires a lot of effort" on his part. So, he started charging his pals for the meals.

"In light of this, I started charging my friends a small fee for the meals I prepare for them. I believe that my time, effort, and ingredients should be compensated for, just like any professional service. I am not trying to turn it into a full-fledged business, but charging a reasonable amount helps cover the costs and acknowledges the effort I put in," he explained.

Unfortunately, his friends because upset and accused him of "being greedy and taking advantage" of their friendship.

"They argue that since I enjoy cooking, I should be happy to share my food without expecting any compensation. They claim that charging them diminishes the spirit of friendship and turns our gatherings into business transactions," he concluded.

Users in the comments section rallied behind the man, with many agreeing that the man's friends have been taking advantage of him.

"If you cook and you invite them, it's expected that you will pay for it. It's your treat. If they request you cook for them, they should compensate you for the ingredients, your time, skills, use of space and utensils, as well as the clean up after the meal. It doesn't need to be monetary, they can bring you ingredients and help with prep work and clean up, and you do the rest," one person wrote.

"You're not taking advantage of them. They are taking advantage of you to get free food. You're perfectly within your rights to charge for something that costs you time and resources. If they don't like it, they can have their restaurant quality meals at a restaurant. You're right, your friends are being absolutely unfair and they are trying to guilt and manipulate you into agreeing to their, frankly, exploitative requests," another weighed in.

"They're taking advantage of you to get a free nice meal," someone else commented.