There’s nothing like a good girls trip to bring friends together. That is, unless someone invites a “broke” friend. Is showing up to the group trip without funds a deal breaker? A viral TikTok video has divided the internet, leaving many social media users questioning their friendships.
A woman named Kaleah posted a series of videos on TikTok of what seems to be a group trip from hell. It all started when her friend, Keisha, organized a girls trip to Cabo, Mexico, for her birthday.
“Why I just came back from Cabo and one of the girls did not bring no bread to the trip,” Kaleah starts off.
The group was scheduled to board their flights for Cabo on Friday at 5 a.m. Thursday night, Keisha held a birthday dinner where Kaleah met Imani, a friend of Keisha’s, for the first time. After a night of fine dining, Kaleah says the bill totaled roughly $724. She put the tab on her credit card with the expectation that everyone would reimburse her their portion of $181. All of the guests sent in their full payment via Cash App except Imani, who Kaleah claims shorted her $46.
“All of a sudden, her [Imani’s] CashApp is not working, her Zelle is not working, her Venmo is not working, her PayPal is not working, her ApplePay is not working,” Kaleah says in her viral video.
Kaleah claims Imani sends her a sidebar message, unbeknownst to Keisha, revealing that she only had $135.53 in her bank account. Although she found it strange Imani would be so low on funds, considering they planned to travel abroad the following morning, Kaleah brushed it off and assumed Imani would pay her the rest of the money the next day, a Friday, assuming she needed to get paid first.
pure. insanity. pic.twitter.com/7Ms16kUwLI
— 𝕛𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕒 (@heyyitsjanea) March 21, 2024
“Y’all, I never got that bread,” Kaleah stated.
Upon arrival in Mexico, the girls trip didn’t appear to get any better. From Imani allegedly stealing Kaleah’s phone charger and holding the birthday girl back from going on excursions due to her lack of funds, Kaleah sent a stark message to viewers never to travel with people you don’t know.
“Stop bringing random b—es on these trips out the country, out the state, or whatever the case may be, and you barely know these b—es,” she says. “You need to know their occupation. You need to know what their bank accounts are looking like.”
Soon, the conversation shifted to traveling with “broke” friends, leaving social media users debating the makings of a true friend.
On one side, many felt Imani was “disrespectful” for knowingly attending the trip, knowing she would not be financially capable of covering her own expenses.
“I think it’s totally disrespectful to travel out the country with/ $135 knowing it’s ya friend BDAY. expect her to help u pay for everything?? that’s the problem! Simply do what you can afford. a real friend SHOULD understand that. & I said ‘afford’ not ‘rather do,'” wrote a commenter on X.
Another X user added, “I love my friends to death but we are GROWN. you know damn well you can’t travel on $135 dollars, let alone internationally. A real friend shouldn’t even want you to pay for them like that.”
Social media influencer Ari Fletcher also joined the debate. “A real friend wouldn’t let her friend go out of town with $135 dollars. A real friend would tell you to stay home and prioritize what’s important to get your money up. I’m not about to watch my friend spend they last for a trip,” she wrote.
On the flip side, there were many who felt the duty of a good friend would be to cover the expenses and leave no one behind.
“IDK if one of my friends came on a trip with only $135, I would simply make sure she’s straight & help with what I could during the remainder of the trip,” said an X user. “Y’all don’t like your friends.”
IDK if one of my friends came on a trip with only $135 I would simply make sure she’s straight & help w what I could during the remainder of the trip lol …. Y’all don’t like your friends …
— TWILEYTM STAN ACCOUNT (@TeannaaLW) March 24, 2024
“Exactly. if I got it, she got it,” another person replied.
Other people find it hard to believe that someone traveled to another country without the proper funds in their bank account. So, how much should one stash away for a decent vacation?
How Much Money Should You Bring on a Group Trip?
The most significant debate that has come out of this situation is how much one should bring on a group trip and if group trips are a good idea at all.
Some folks say less than $200 is feasible for a place like Cabo.
“You could survive in Cabo off $135 tho w/o excursions,” one X user stated.
Another person said, regarding the situation, “I need to see bank statements before I do a group trip. “How much money do you have?”
According to Bankrate, vacation costs can vary depending on the destination, accommodations, and activities. According to Bankrate data, a one-week vacation in the U.S. averages $1,984 for one person.
While you don’t need that much for a trip to Mexico, where the U.S. dollar is worth more than the Mexico peso, Bankrate suggests budgeting $58 dollar per day for food, between $13 and $40 per day for alcohol, and roughly $2 per mile for rideshares such as Uber and Lyft.
In the case of group trips, the experts say it’s best to talk with your friends before going on a group trip to discuss expectations. It’s also best to discuss how much group time versus alone time you all need.
