DEAR ABBY: Every year my girlfriend and I take each other out for dinner on our birthdays and bring a gift. This year, even though I am currently experiencing financial hardship, I bought her a gift and offered her dinner.
At the restaurant, she ordered the largest portion of what she wanted. She stated it's what she always orders in that restaurant. I responded that she always takes half of it home, and that I had offered to buy her dinner for that night, not for two days. She got very angry and said I was ruining her birthday.
She then said she'd pay for her own meal. I declined her offer and paid, but now I'm wondering if I was wrong. She did pay for half the appetizer, which I didn't want or eat, and she left the tip. Should I have told her before we went out to dinner that I was on a tighter budget? Can our relationship be saved? -- LOSING IN LAS VEGAS
DEAR LOSING: Strong relationships thrive when there is honest communication. You and the Birthday Girl have been seeing each other for an extended period of time. If money is tight, you should have mentioned it long before her birthday rolled around. Yes, she should have been aware of it before you invited her to dinner. Because she wasn't, I can understand why she might have been put off by what she may have interpreted as a snide comment rather than a cry for help. Can your relationship be saved? Yes, as long as you two really start talking to each other.