Lesson I learned in life: never give out money you need, and assume the money is lost until returned. I have been burned before by a friend who said "i'll pay you back (few day before bill is due)." of course i couldnt contact her until after the bill was due, and i had paid it with my credit card.

If she offered to take you to a "5 star" restaurant why wouldn't you say "how do you have the money for that but not to pay me back?"

What a great friend! She took the time and money to do that, when she easily could have just given you the money. I'm sorry, op. Hopefully you get the money back somehow.

Your friend just wanted someone to go to that restaurant with, and none of her other friends would have been able to spring for it. Selfish.

If that was the $200 she owed you doesn't that mean you technically paid for the 5 star meal?

what gets me is that the friend probably didn't say hey, instead of giving you $200 cash can't I just take you out to a nice dinner?? Sometimes I would be like cool sure. but if I need to pay bills you better give the money back in cash. although I prob. wouldn't loan money I needed to pay my own bills with...

never lend money out to anyone. specially "friends" and if you do decide to lend money, don't expect to get it back.

If you want to pay anyone back in anything other than EXACTLY what you borrowed (be it money, a book, whatever) you need to make sure they're okay with it.

You should never loan out money you aren't prepared to lose. Sucks you lost it, but YDI for getting yourself in that situation.

This is exactly why I never loan money to friends. It always affects the friendship. The one time I 'lent' money to a friend I felt it was a gift to her, if she paid it back, great, if she didn't/couldn't , still great (she did pay it back btw). Ditch this 'so called friend'.