DEAR ABBY: I love my friends and enjoy going out to dinner, and attending plays and movies with them. However, something really annoys me. My husband and I are usually early, and when we go to the movies, our friends ask us to pick up the tickets if we arrive first. After the movie we'll grab a bite to eat and at the end of the evening say goodbye.
The question is, how do we ask them for the money we laid out for the tickets if they forget to offer it? This has happened three times with different friends and we're out the money. -- ANNOYED IN TEANECK
DEAR ANNOYED: There are a couple of ways to do it: As you hand the tickets over, you might say, "That'll be $20, please." But if that's uncomfortable for you, the following day, you or your husband should call these "forgetful" friends and ask them to send you a check.