For over 10 years my husband and I were great friends with another couple. We became very close with them...almost as if they were family. Our families even spent a lot of holidays together.

Then their company started doing very well and they started making lots of money. And then they started spending lots of money. And I mean a lot of money. They bought a big house. Then a bigger house. Then a bigger house on the lake. Then a boat to go with the house. They bought fancy cars. Then they bought even fancier cars. And I mean really fancy cars in the six digits. They went on huge vacations to Europe and all over the world. They enrolled their kids in private schools. They didn't want to keep up with the Joneses, they wanted to be the Joneses.

All the while they tried to maintain their friendship with us, but it grew increasingly uncomfortable. If they wanted to go out to dinner with us on a weekend, they would hire a limo. And they wouldn't want to go to some average restaurant... it would have to be first class all the way. We were earning enough money that we could have afforded the fancy dinners and events now and then, but we saw it as throwing our money away. And to be honest, I've never been a fan of fancy restaurants and gourmet food anway. I'd much rather be at a backyard barbecue.

So we started declining their invitations more and more, until one day the invitations stopped coming. And I have to tell you it was a relief. It made me realize how much money had come to rule their lives, and I can honestly say, I don't think they were any happier when they had the extra money and they were definitely less fun to be around.

We haven't talked to them in a long time. I miss the friends we had in the beginning, who would sit out on the porch talking and laughing for hours. But by the end of the friendship, I felt enormous pressure to spend money just to hang out with them and I don't miss that at all.

So have you ever broken up with a friend over money?